Strategy for snow?

[txj2go]

I'm going to off an unpopular opinion....

If you're asking/worried about 3" of snow, stay off the road. I'm all for people learning to drive in it, but if you're going in with little experience, and worried about 3", you're going to be in a world of hurt if conditions change, or if you end up in 12"+ (it's been known to happen). You're the type of person that usually ends up on the news

It's a good comment but not applicable to my circumstances or what information I was trying to get. I was more interested in whether to use 4High or just 2WD in snow, not so much asking how to drive in snow. I've been in enough snow and even worse ice to know how to drive in it, or as you say to not try to drive in it.
I hit a blizzard on I-40 one time, the highway patrol had the road closed and if you didn't have chains you didn't go on. I put on my chains and continued.
Another time I was driving north from my house and hit an ice storm coming the other way. I was in my little RWD car then. The farther I went the smaller an opening I could see through in my windshield. By the time I reached my destination near Oklahoma I would only drive max. of 40mph and the ice coating the roads was very slick. I was very hungry due to spending an extra hour on the road so I stopped at a burger joint. I could barely walk across the parking lot to and from my car. When I got back out on the road I stopped at a red light and almost couldn't get the car to start moving again on the ice. For the last 10 miles of my trip I was driving 30 mph max. There was no other traffic to deal with. Snow is bad enough, pure smooth slick ice is worse.
I've driven on snow in the area between denver and Eisenhower tunnel. On that trip we were sightseeing and went over Lovelland Pass but the roads themselves were mostly clear. Driving back towards Mt. Evans numerous times we would go around a corner and hit a section of road in the shade and it would be solid snow/ice. On another trip heading to Moab we went through the tunnel and it was low single digits on the west side going down the mountain. I think there were bits and pieces of frozen stuff on the road then. We hit Moab and again went into a pretty big blizzard there.
Back to my question and my upcoming trip- the forecast has gotten worse- up to 8" of snow by the time I arrive. I don't want to drive in I-25 rush hour traffic in 8" of snow so I'm changing my itinerary.

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[jhackathorne]

It's a good comment but not applicable to my circumstances or what information I was trying to get. I was more interested in whether to use 4High or just 2WD in snow, not so much asking how to drive in snow. I've been in enough snow and even worse ice to know how to drive in it, or as you say to not try to drive in it.
I hit a blizzard on I-40 one time, the highway patrol had the road closed and if you didn't have chains you didn't go on. I put on my chains and continued.
Another time I was driving north from my house and hit an ice storm coming the other way. I was in my little RWD car then. The farther I went the smaller an opening I could see through in my windshield. By the time I reached my destination near Oklahoma I would only drive max. of 40mph and the ice coating the roads was very slick. I was very hungry due to spending an extra hour on the road so I stopped at a burger joint. I could barely walk across the parking lot to and from my car. When I got back out on the road I stopped at a red light and almost couldn't get the car to start moving again on the ice. For the last 10 miles of my trip I was driving 30 mph max. There was no other traffic to deal with. Snow is bad enough, pure smooth slick ice is worse.
I've driven on snow in the area between denver and Eisenhower tunnel. On that trip we were sightseeing and went over Lovelland Pass but the roads themselves were mostly clear. Driving back towards Mt. Evans numerous times we would go around a corner and hit a section of road in the shade and it would be solid snow/ice. On another trip heading to Moab we went through the tunnel and it was low single digits on the west side going down the mountain. I think there were bits and pieces of frozen stuff on the road then. We hit Moab and again went into a pretty big blizzard there.
Back to my question and my upcoming trip- the forecast has gotten worse- up to 8" of snow by the time I arrive. I don't want to drive in I-25 rush hour traffic in 8" of snow so I'm changing my itinerary.

I am assuming you are coming tomorrow since we are forecast 5-10" of snow. We are almost never right on with guesstimates. We are either going to get 3" or 12"+. I-25 is a train wreck almost all the time, let alone when there is snow and ice so you probably made a good call.

 

[Whaler27]

I'm going to off an unpopular opinion....

If you're asking/worried about 3" of snow, stay off the road. I'm all for people learning to drive in it, but if you're going in with little experience, and worried about 3", you're going to be in a world of hurt if conditions change, or if you end up in 12"+ (it's been known to happen). You're the type of person that usually ends up on the news

The folks who are humble enough, and thoughtful enough, to ask for advice and listen to it aren’t the ones I worry about.

Training, experience, and proper equipment matter, but there’s no magic to driving on maintained interstate after a little snow.

OP, your Jeep on KO2s is well equipped for snow. As others have suggested, 4H, slower speeds, much greater distances between vehicles, and gentle control inputs are the key.

Colorado, like Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, has been been completely overrun by urbanites from coastal California. The biggest threat to your safety will be idiots in 4-wheel drives with less experience than you and no humility or self awareness. They’ll be filling in every gap you create and driving as though they were on dry pavement. When conditions deteriorate enough for those idiots to stand out I usually start looking for a motel, as I know how the story ends, and I don’t want to be part of it.
Four-wheel drive and winter rated tires, like the KO2 are great, but the state patrol can still exclude/close the highway if if the conditions deteriorate enough. Three inches of snow won’t do that.

 

[MrMischief]

On normal paved roads at 30mph, 40mph, whatever the other traffic is doing- is there any advantage to using 4High?

Also I'm on Rubicon KO2 tires- does this satisfy the Colorado requirement for traction devices?

It depends largely on the conditions and what tires you're running but in general I feel 2wd is fine if other vehicles are getting through. Especially the interstate if we're all going at slower speeds. It's my view that traction and stability programs on modern vehicles are so good you don't gain much going into 4hi on roadways in many situations. Now when I'm heading over I70, or anything with steeper slopes or not much margin for error I use 4hi. In your situation; being that far from home, not accustomed to snowy roads, and not knowing the road I'd likely use 4hi, it doesn't cost you much of anything to run it, may as well use it.

For Jeeps tires do not matter as far as Colorado's traction law is concerned. Assuming you have more than 3/16" of tread then you're automatically good to go for when CO implements their passenger vehicle traction requirement. As long as you have 4x4 and 3/16" of tread then you're fine no matter the tire. The next level up is passenger chain laws, if they go to that level you must have chains or another traction device (like a snow sock) on, no matter your tire choice.

BTW just because you have KO2s does not automatically mean you have the three peak mountain snowflake designation. KO2s marked as DT use a more durable tread compound and do not carry the three peak mountain snowflake designation. So I'd say you should look at your tire, confirm if you have the three peak mountain snowflake designation or not. Even though it doesn't impact you for the traction law, I'd want to confirm what I have rather than making assumptions and expecting greater performance than they are rated for.

 

[Rustynail11]

you shouldn't need 4H for 3 inches of snow. just slow down, leave extra space between you and the car and front of you and be gently with the brakes and acceleration. You shouldn't need any traction devices unless you are going through the pass in tot he mountains

 

[hoch]

you shouldn't 4H for 3 inches of snow. just slow down, leave extra space between you and the car and front of you and be gently with the brakes and acceleration. You shouldn't need any traction devices unless you are going through the pass in tot he mountains

Why? I regularly go into 4wd with snow on the ground. Especially that slick wet snow. It helps during take offs, turns and stopping.

 

[acomputernerd]

I was curious, save you a google search


During winter storms, or when conditions require, CDOT will implement the Passenger Vehicle Traction Law. CDOT can implement the Passenger Vehicle Traction and Chain Laws on any state highway. During a Traction Law, all motorists are required to have EITHER:

1. 4WD or AWD vehicle and 3/16” tread depth
2. Tires with a mud and snow designation (M+S icon) and 3/16” tread depth
3. Winter tires (mountain-snowflake icon) and 3/16” tread depth
4. Tires with an all-weather rating by the manufacturer and 3/16” tread depth
5. Chains or an approved alternative traction device

in 2019 they added:

• From Sept. 1 to May 31, the Traction Law is always active on I-70 from Dotsero to Morrison.
• The minimum tread depth for tires on all vehicles increased to 3/16”.

YMMV and this is directly from their CDOT site.

 

[Rustynail11]

Why? I regularly go into 4wd with snow on the ground. Especially that slick wet snow. It helps during take offs, turns and stopping.

Never said you couldn't just said it isn't a necessity. Go for it if you feel the need but 3 inches of snow isn't much and Jeep should be able to make it through no problem in 2H.

 

[hoch]

Never said you couldn't just said it isn't a necessity. Go for it if you feel the need but 3 inches of snow isn't much and Jeep should be able to make it through no problem in 2H.

Your post stated that one “shouldn’t” use 4wd with 3” of snow. That is just complete nonsense.

 

[Deleted member 59498]

I live with Canadian winter and have experienced with FWD (VW Golf GTi), AWD (Subaru STi, Evo X), RWD (BMW 135i, M3), 4x4 (Toyota Tundra). I have studded Nokians on all my vehicles and now my Jeep. I can tell you the Jeep is the worst to handle in winter compare to the rest probably due to the weight distribution and big tires (35in Nokian) lol. It is not the snow that causing trouble most of the time. It is the ice underneath that makes you sliding around. The traction control works pretty good in 2WD and very good in 4WD. That being said, I will not trade my Jeep for anything else as it is the best vehicle I ever owned to explored the Canadian Rockys and drive over potholes …. which we have a lot lol.

Completely agree, we probably have similar roads. Warms up to snow then drops to really cold makes that concrete like ice. Jeep does ok, traction control is very good. But subaru is hard to beat on these roads. Don't own one now but drove my son's several times and it does really well. I just run regular tires, too much of a hassle to change over 2 times a year. It gets me where I want to go no problem and deeper snow is easy.

 

[Rustynail11]

Your post stated that one “shouldn’t” use 4wd with 3” of snow. That is just complete nonsense.

"need" should have been in there after shouldn't. Post edited to include

 

[dcmdon]

Just slow down. Biggest thing.

This.

If you are experienced in the snow, you can tell when you can move it along and when you need to go slow.

Since that's not the case here, just go slow.

I recently read a statement about driving in the snow that went something like this: Drive like you are driving your grandmother to church and she is sitting in the back of the car drinking tea while wearing a white dress.

Your jeep doesn't stop or turn any better than any other car.

If you can see snow or slush on the ground, put it in 4H. You can shift in and out at any speed without pausing or stopping.

The K02s you are on are MUCH MUCH better in the snow than the mud tires your Jeep originally came with. So you are doing fine on tires.

Leave the stability control and traction control engaged.

I hope this helps.

 

[Frostbyte]

Did someone say "snow"?

 

[dcmdon]

As others have said, use 4hi. Drive it like you would if you only had 2wd and you’ll be fine. Remember that 4wd gives you more “go”, but NO more “whoa”. I’ve seen countless 4wd’s over the years go flying by on slick roads only to see them sitting in a ditch a few miles down the road where they went to slow down and couldn’t.

Last winter was my first winter with my Jeep. My wife's AWD Volvo wagon on Michelin Arctic Ice snow tires went through the snow better than my Jeep. Much better.

This year I've got Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3s on it and the thing is a beast.
Combine that with the fact that I've got SelecTrac means I can keep it in 4wd all the time even if conditions are marginal.

I'm just thrilled with how well this thing goes through snow.

 

[dcmdon]

Did someone say "snow"?

That's AK??!!??

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