blake

I wanted to share with you guys a snow experience that I had a few weeks back. I took a day trip to California, and landed back in Salt Lake City around 7pm one evening. It was snowing hard in Salt Lake City which meant fast snow accumulation in the mountains (6-8 inches per hour). I jumped in the C2S with snow wheels/tires purchased from fellow-Rennlister "LeChef" back in November, and went for it!

A few times per year, the DOT restricts I-80 driving up to Park City to "Chains/4x4s". This was one of those days, so I the liberty of driving through the check-point and told the officer that I would turn around. The fine is expensive (+tow truck expense), so I debated for a minute and then chose to go for it. In short, a drive that usually takes 35 minutes took 85 minutes - but the car performed very, very well. Keeping momentum and limiting steering inputs was the key. I passed 8+ stranded cars, and two flipped SUVs. It was definitely the hardest drive I have had all year...

The Alpin tires rocked - thanks Le Chef!

-Blake

Spokane5150

Lucky you're not from TN. None of these turkey's can drive in snow. They shut the City down if weather lady even thinks snow. The only thing about the West when it snows is all the sand they throw down. It is bad for the paint and windshield.

smokestack20

You're nuts!! Okay just alot braver than I am.

Glad you made it with out incident!

Ken 997.1 C2S Cab

911 Crazy

Impressive!

InTheAir

As one who daily drives his 997TT year-round, I can tell you that these cars perform excellently in the snow!

Eric - Plug Guy

What, you didn't even drop the top for that?

Nice....

cwalvoord

Nice work. I have driven through some serious snow in the last 20 years with the P-car here in Chicago but I am sure nothing like you get on 80 on the way up to Park City. That is a nice drive.

Remember that all the characteristics that make these cars handle so well in the dry also make them handle well in the wet and snow. Good weight distribution, keeping the wheels on the ground, etc. Even at the extreme - if you slid into the ditch like one of those SUVs do you think you would have flipped over? Probably not. The only two things you have to keep in mind are traction (snow tires are key!) and ground clearance. It would be quite embarrassing to have to call for a tow because the snow got too deep.

Enjoy the ride.
Chris

eflight

Drove through the blizzard in Boston last year in my BMW 325i. Rearwhel drive, engine in front. Its all about the snow tires and traction control untill the snow gets higher than the air dam of the front fender.

Was going along on the highway just great, went to jump on the off ramp and realized that the snow plow left an edge of snow too deep to get through, luckily the next off ramp was clear.

good thing I had a gps unit as well because all the exit signs were unreadable because they were covered up from the blowing snow.

red carrera

I had a similar situation in October, driving from Montana back to Colorado. I got caught in a fast-moving blizzard in I-25 north of Cheyenne, WY. 6+ inches of wet snow on the road, fog and wind, and traffic moving at 20 mph or less. Several pick-ups in the ditch and more sliding around me. I was plowing snow over the hood between the tire tracks.

I decided that anything that happened, either my fault or not, would be a lot more expensive than a hotel room in Cheyenne. The car did great. It was the other dummies that made me decide to stop.

AP997S

I thought I-80 was an 'All Weather' highway. I guess that means it won't be shut down but chains and/or snow tires are still required.

I've driven it many times (in our front wheel drive SUV) to go skiing and visit our friends up in Park City.

I thought the fog in that area was more 'treacherous' than snow.

gray911

That proves we don't need a C4/S but I would still buy it for the cool reflector on the rear decklid!

kisik

That is correct, C4S is more a marketing extra inch width thing.

Coming from a lot of snow experience:
1. Very light slow and smooooth throttle. Keep it on the higher gear.
2. Use the engine braking. I know that brakes are cheaper but in these conditions.
3. Very smooth turning. Wheels are almost straight all the time. No braking while turning.
4. Downhill: craziest of all. Even if you had all wheel drive. "0" traction x 4 = "0"
The idea is to put into 1st and roll it down slowly. Don't be a hero. Take time.
4. Uphill: build momentum. Don't stop in the middle of the hill.

Hope it helps. Be safe.
-----------------------
'05 C2S 6MT 18" PA2 winter set up.

blake

Thanks guys for all the comments!

I lived in Huntsville, AL last year and we shut down work for 3 days because of 3 inches of snow! It then turned to ice, and that city did not have the infrastructure to deal with it...

Another problem that we have in Utah is the big rocks on the highway. My wife and I actually budget a window replacement annually for our cars. Trucks on the highway kick up the rocks which inevitably smash windshield. One year, we got a baseball-sized rock through our window. Scared the hell out of us...

+1. Well said!

They shut it down maybe once or twice per year for several hours to clear it... It seems we get the "4x4/chains" sign maybe 10-15 days per winter. Last year we saw record snow in Park City of over 550 inches (our average is 350). This year, we are below average...

And you are right about the fog. We have "inversion" which is a kind word for good-old smog... It sits in Salt Lake, and every year inches higher up the mountain towards Park City. The fog actually has a brown-tinge to it...

Great post! This is excellent advice and the key to driving in unplowed snow! My drive was easier because it was mostly UPHILL. I was able to average about 35mph with excellent car control (above 35, the rears would slip out). If you want to stop going uphill, just let off the throttle! But coming down into Park City from Parleys Summit was much more trecherous, so I used mostly engine breaking and maintained a slow average speed of 15-20mph.

-Blake

Edgy01

Ditto on the Alpins! A very first rate snow tire.

ajayabb

Great story. And I love Pinarello's too