TheSamba.com :: View topic - Let it snow let it snow let it snow..... in the PNW!

Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:52 am

Odd year!

While we here in the Snowy NorthEast have gotten a few token smalll snow storms, my Western family and friends have been streaming in shoots of snow covered Oregon beaches, my Niece in Tacoma playing in inches and inches if fresh snow, my Brother in Crescent City reveling in (thus far) 2" of snow last night.......

How fare you NW folks with your odd sniw fall?

Dave

Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:32 am

We are down south at present and may need to get someone to shovel the roofs on our Oregon outbuildings and push the snow off of the roofs of our fleet of cars. Once we get about a foot of water equivalent sitting on the roofs I begin to worry.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:35 am

I'm visiting my mom in Wisconsin so I've enjoyed some below zero temps but missed the fun back home. Fingers crossed that my flight lands in Seattle today before the next snow falls this evening. I'll come home to the VW CC buried in the snow on a dirt road 50 miles north on Whidbey Island (long story) and the van in the shop at the tail end of a difficult trans rebuild.

If all goes well I'll be snowed in drinking hot chocolate at home Monday and Tuesday as the third snowfall in 10 days moves through.

Snowmageddon and snowpocalypse come easy in the PNW. The key is to get home and enjoy it. :D :D :D

Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:57 am

Just working on my VW Rabbit pickup. Just a POS/Sleeper getting a Callaway turbo. The shop is warm and the snow allows a good excuse why I can't fix clients cars.

The beer is sitting outside, no reason to keep it in the refrigerator.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:21 am

10" of very wet stuff. I had to engage the Quattro's locking rear diff in order to back out of the driveway.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:02 am

snow bust down here in pdx.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:17 am

Zeitgeist 13 wrote: 10" of very wet stuff. I

Watch those wipers. I pull my wipers for winter storage and use just the plastic inserts for the wipers when the package has 2-3 choices.
Of course you can flip them out, but so easy to walk into on a cab-over design.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 11:20 am

I’m thinking there’s some hot chocolate in there somewhere :D

Missing out on the I-5 snow fun up here in AK (the new warm place) but my wife and daughter flew in Friday to surprise my wife’s mom (and check on the Westy!). Wife from Fairbanks and daughter from Brooklyn - both made it in hours before 200 flights cancelled at SeaTac. Daughter just made it out - thinking wife’s Monday nite flight might be delayed....

Sun Feb 10, 2019 1:43 pm

It started snowing again here on the Sunshine Coast BC. 2-4 cm expected with similar overnight. For the last snow event, I put concrete blocks, 2x10" ramp pieces, and a 1.8 8v engine head in the back of my van. I almost loaded the 1.8 block in there but that seemed a excessive and not worth risking my aging back over. ;) The weight helps traction but if there's significant snow on the long "enchanted forest" driveway, I'm SOL.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 1:52 pm

It's finally given me a chance to get more familiar with the behavior of the Peloquin in my westy in snow. We've had trips to snowy places before but the sketchy areas were limited to a parking lots, short side roads or unplowed driveways. I've been out in the worst of it minus the ice as I didn't feel like chaining up. Observations so far:
-huge difference in ability to get around versus factory 1 wheel drive
-if wheel spin is necessary to get through an area of snow it seems like a little slow and steady wheel spin usually works
-overall under 35mph the tendency for the backend to fishtail is pretty easily controlled with light throttle response. Heavy throttle response is any easy way to get sideways. This varies a bit depending on traction levels. Fresh snow or slush not so bad at all vs. compact snow and ice is touchier.
-airing the tires down to 35psi from 42psi helps with traction

Looks like I'll get more practice since more snow is on the way.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:14 pm

There's no way in hell I'd drive my 1WD Summer-tired Vanagon in this stuff. The EV does excellent since it has dedicated Winter tires, ASR and electronic diff lock.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:19 pm

About 6 inches on friday night at my place (just north of Seattle city limits) and looks like another 5-10 in next 48 if the weather man is to be believed. So far so good... as long as the power stays on!

Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:34 pm

Quote: There's no way in hell I'd drive my 1WD Summer-tired Vanagon in this stuff.

I got a chuckle out of that thinking of an old toy called "Sit and Spin", that is pretty much what you'd have with 1WD and summer tires.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:12 pm

We got about 7-8" at our place in Wedgwood, with more on the way they say. Even though she is wearing snow tires now, this is probably as close as Kirsche is going to get to the snow for a few days I think. Our other car is a 2012 Forester, which has been getting us around just fine, so no need to chain up the Westy.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:29 pm

Well, they’re getting snow here in Minneapolis too. My flight from Madison, WI to Minneapolis was 2 hours late and missed my connection. I’m spending the night in Minneapolis before trying to head home to Seattle in the morning. I’m still hoping for a snow day or two this week in Seattle...if I ever get there.

Winter, I love it!

Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:54 pm

We live between Seattle and Tacoma and got about 10". Super icy roads made going home last thursday pretty skittish. The back end wanted slide out and some roads home have 4 foot deep ditches with hardly no shoulders. Anyway, it's going to be parked until the snow scare is over. Not that it can't drive on the roads, but more to protect my new-ish paint job from parking lot bumper cars.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:03 pm

The 76 loves the snow. Got about 6” in Olympia. I’m just as comfortable in the bus as the Subaru. Always nice to have the road to yourself on snow days

Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:28 pm

Plenty of snow in Bend yesterday, but not as much as Seattle. During the thick of it I saw two syncros cursing through town. One high top westy that looked like it had a HUGE pile of snow, but was actually just the hight top! The other was a tin top in the starbucks drive through. Show offs. My 2wd was tucked away.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:22 pm

Zeitgeist 13 wrote: There's no way in hell I'd drive my 1WD Summer-tired Vanagon in this stuff.

That snow, is the VERY worst for driving on. When it's barely cold enough to snow the snow is "wet" and instantly packs into extremely slick soft ice. If the temp dropped 10* the roads there would have much much more traction.

Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:57 pm

Just north of Tacoma. Since they started using salt on the roads here, the VW's are parked until this stuff melts and the rains clean the roads. This is why I keep the old Jeep around, it loves the snow.