25° and raining, not good..

[mwilson]

Nice commute this morning!!!

 

[mwilson]

Face is going to melt from running defrosters at full bore...!

 

[BigPapa]

I hate ice. I can deal with snow, just can't do the ice. We've had three notable ice storms that I remember. Electricity was out a week in the late '70's, two weeks in '93, and three days about three years ago.

 

[Wayne M.]

Mike, I never see any DOT or road crews in front of you. Are they ever out there?

 

[Jim W]

Wayne won't it be MDOT crews on the roadway's? This is what it is in IL-IDOT or IN-INDOT!

I think Mike is on the road before the state crews roll out of bed. I know when I had to do that nasty deed (work) I would beat the IDOT crews on the roadways in my area sometimes. How do I know that, one of my friend's worked as a teamster hauling heavy equipment for a local earthmoving company. He was laid off every winter so, he work part time for IDOT in our area. They usually started to plow the roads around 5:00AM. I left for work at 4:30AM to get to my place of employment by 7:30 AM, which for a year was 160 miles one-way.

 

[Jim W]

Mike hang in there, it will be spring in your area in about 2-1/2 months or so. Spring does come late in Maine doesn't?

 

[DavidC]

Mike hang in there, it will be spring in your area in about 2-1/2 months or so. Spring does come late in Maine doesn't?

When I was stationed there spring came on July 10th, Summer was August 1st and all downhill after that. Of course I was in my early 20's and use to that weather, when it was up to 0 that was T-shirt weather. After being in Az. for 40ish years T-shirts don't start until 80.

 

[Ozymandias]

I second this, Spring arrived the 10th of May and Summer left at 22th of August.

 

[DavidC]

This doesn't look promising around Lincoln

 

[TFucili]

Be safe, Mike. Ice is the worst.

 

[mwilson]

I hate ice. I can deal with snow, just can't do the ice. We've had three notable ice storms that I remember. Electricity was out a week in the late '70's, two weeks in '93, and three days about three years ago.

The issue will be later tonight if the wind comes up. Trees and limbs will be hanging low from the weight of the ice coating and the wind will start bouncing the limbs off of and in through the power lines...then the fuses start to blow. There is a time delay on the fuses from what I understand but can only stand so much abuse....

 

[mwilson]

Mike, I never see any DOT or road crews in front of you. Are they ever out there?

Oh yes, they were out there. They don't scrape off the snow when we have ice in the forecast. I'd much rather run in the conditions this morning as opposed to running on bare asphalt with an ice coating on it. The snow will help keep you in the road...

As I got closer to civilization they were scraping and pouring road treatment on, there is enough traffic at that point to mix it all up and bare the road. Remember I start out where there is very little traffic especially with businesses and schools closed down for the day...

Once I was comfortable with the traction threshold I was running a pretty solid 60 mph....

 

[mwilson]

Weather like this really shows if you are familiar with your vehicle.

I stress this to people all of the time, take the car out in a snowy lot and find out what it is going to do in a reduced traction situation. Not only under power but how the ABS will behave....

I know exactly what the DTS is going to do....it will go to the right when it loses traction...every time...it will give a very slight wiggle from the rear when the road changes to a black ice condition...plenty of warning to get your act together...

Passing lane full of slop?? Pass uphill...you can't go anywhere if you keep fuel to it....but not too much or you are going to the right....

Apply the brakes and the ABS works without fail. One of the best ABS systems I've ever had, trust it completely...

 

[Wayne M.]

Why do you suppose it goes right? Is it the sipe pattern in the tires?

 

[mwilson]

Torque I believe...a front wheel drive power train with a 290 hp aggressive V8 parked on top of it...

I passed a vehicle on a two lane road about two weeks ago and allowed the car to drop into second....when that Northstar got into the power band it went to the right while I was directly beside the vehicle that was being passed...not good....

I'm convinced from the noises made that it spun the studded Nokian snow tires tires on front.....on dry tar.....at 65mph plus..

 

[TFucili]

Unequal length half-shafts, Mike???

 

[mwilson]

Why do you suppose it goes right? Is it the sipe pattern in the tires?

Unequal length half-shafts, Mike???

No, same length. Same part number for Left or Right....Hoopty 1 would do the same thing...to the right..

I wonder how many Blue Haired ladies have gone out of the road because of it???

 

[BigPapa]

We lived on a steep hill when I was a kid and we'd have fun watching people try to get up when it snowed. The rich fellow up the road had a new Toronado, the first front wheel drive car I'd ever seen. If he didn't make it up the hill, he'd cut the wheels, swing the front end around, and try it again. It amazed me.

 

[mwilson]

We lived on a steep hill when I was a kid and we'd have fun watching people try to get up when it snowed. The rich fellow up the road had a new Toronado, the first front wheel drive car I'd ever seen. If he didn't make it up the hill, he'd cut the wheels, swing the front end around, and try it again. It amazed me.

I've stated several times that the FWD Full Size Cadillacs are hard to beat in bad driving conditions....adding studded Nokians to the equation last winter only upped its capabilities....

Traction, handling, brakes, climate control, headlights are first class.....pretty good chance it will get me back and forth safely no matter the weather...

 

[mwilson]

Went out to check the car, couldn't open any doors. Got one forced open so I could start it.

Remote Start won't let it run long enough to deal with the coating of ice....what's an 1/8 tank of fuel anyways to thaw the darn car out...

Sending people home early at several locations, Spectrum having a major outage due to some issue with the main line from NH so internet down along with many phone systems....we have not switched to Spectrum yet here in Bangor so we are still up and running....

I luv winter....