Driving cross country in the next couple months

[rainmonkey]

Hey guys, I'll be moving from Boston MA to California soon. I'm interested in driving cross country sometime in March or early April.

Given that it's still winter and snow sometimes falls, how viable is it to drive this car cross country? Currently I'm on all-seasons (Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3) and before someone says "omg you're in Boston in the winter without winter tires?!?!" I don't drive the car when there's snow on the road.

What's the best way to drive and is it even something advisable?
Are there routes that can avoid snowfall that accumulates?
If not, how do people usually approach this problem? It doesn't seem plausible to carry a set of snow tires and wheels in the trunk, and it doesn't seem practical to drive cross country on snow tires either.

Input/advice is greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

[S84kam]

really comes down to you if you want to gamble driving in march. Its a hit or miss month.

I would do it if I had at least 7/32" tread left on my winter tires. With those Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3, I probably wouldn't risk it.

[jawn]

Wait until April if you can. The Pilot AS3s really aren't that great in snow (they're fine in the cold, obviously).

That said, the interstates get cleared pretty quickly. Just be prepared to find a motel if things start to get hairy.

[chaoskaze]

If you have to have to drive on snow. Use chains or one of those net/wheel glove thing... Which i don't know if they sell that or not in North America.


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[Jfheisenberg]

I would wait until late spring/early summer. With this crazy weather, you cant predict anything, it might even snow in the spring who knows.

[Ashikabi]

Just don't be a ***** and you can drive on snow. Everyone seems set on making it out like you'll explode or something. Just slow down and be careful. Interstates get cleared right away

[gravitylover]

Where in CA? The obvious solution adds a bunch of miles but should keep you out of the snow zones in late March. I95 > I10. If you're going to northern CA you will likely need to deal with winter weather on I80 but they do a pretty good job of keeping it passable. If it gets bad there are hotels and bars everywhere.

[Scenic Driver]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

Just don't be a ***** and you can drive on snow.

AS/3's suck in anything but a little dry snow. Even a little slush can make the car go sideways.

If I had to do that drive before May/June, I would make sure I had enough time for delays if I had to wait out a storm.

[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by Scenic Driver

AS/3's suck in anything but a little dry snow. Even a little slush can make the car go sideways.

If I had to do that drive before May/June, I would make sure I had enough time for delays if I had to wait out a storm.

I drove for 3 years on the cheapest tires available in a civic, no snow tires. I did fine. Plenty of other people do too

[jawn]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

I drove for 3 years on the cheapest tires available in a civic, no snow tires. I did fine. Plenty of other people do too

Cheap shitty tires != AS3s. I've had the AS3s on a couple of other cars, and it was marginal at best in anything deeper than a couple of inches. Cheap shitty tires tend to be cut for touring, not performance, and will tend to do alright in snow. The siping on AS3s leaves much to be desired in snow/ice. They're performance tires that happen to be fine in the cold. That's what they are. I'd much rather have cheap all-season touring tires than AS3s in the snow. It's a significantly different experience.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

I drove for 3 years on the cheapest tires available in a civic, no snow tires. I did fine. Plenty of other people do too

This is not a Civic. One wrong move and you will be spinning down the highway.
I see loads of people in the ditch every winter because "these tires are all season and they are fine in the snow".

[Scenic Driver]

Originally Posted by jawn

Cheap shitty tires != AS3s. I've had the AS3s on a couple of other cars, and it was marginal at best in anything deeper than a couple of inches. Cheap shitty tires tend to be cut for touring, not performance, and will tend to do alright in snow. The siping on AS3s leaves much to be desired in snow/ice. They're performance tires that happen to be fine in the cold. That's what they are. I'd much rather have cheap all-season touring tires than AS3s in the snow. It's a significantly different experience.

Yep, I've tested the AS3's in a couple of inches of packed snow in 20 degree weather, keeping the car going strait wasn't easy.

Since it is a warm winter I didn't bother putting snows on this year since I needed a new set and I can just use my TT on snow days. A few weeks ago on a dry day (so I had the BRZ), I was coming home from work on a back road I take everyday. I was coming around a turn and there was a patch of slush in the middle of the road that I didn't see until the last minute. The back kicked out and if I didn't know how to recover the car would have went off the left side of the road.

[Ashikabi]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This is not a Civic. One wrong move and you will be spinning down the highway.
I see loads of people in the ditch every winter because "these tires are all season and they are fine in the snow".

Then they were going too fast or tried done other maneuver that made them lose control. I doubt the majority of the population gets snow tires and it's definitely a minority who go in the ditch, so by my calculations you'll "probably" be fine assuming you are careful. I'm sure there are plenty of puerile in the ditch with snow tires who were over confident in their abilities because of them. Same for 4x4s

[Kestrel]

Drive south and then hang a right when you see swamp land