Observations
If you have rear-wheel drive, it's okay to drive in crappy weather so long as you have a well-engineered vehicle and are a good driver. Four-wheel drive means nothing if it's a crappy car driven by a crappy driver.
This skill, of driver and of engineers, will only go so far if the goddamned town won't send out a plow. There needs to be some attempt made at plowing/salting/sanding the roads if anyone is going to make it. This is especially important if the town has known of the snow storm for two days and known it would be a doozy. It will prevent accidents, as most people can't afford a well-engineered car and are shitty drivers.
Snow tires are a good idea, too. All-weather tires you've had for three years aren't.
Make sure you have something besides a mittened hand to clean out your tire wells if you're going to try and drive through unplowed roads during a snow storm and only have rear-wheel drive and old all-weather tires.
If you know it's going to snow that heavily, put on your boots, even if they're kinda ugly and you're going to Burburry's. The warm, furry clogs will not do, even if they have treads and thick soles which will generally keep your feet above snow. This is because you never know when you might have to get out of the car and push. In fact, you will probably have to get out of the car and push if you're driving to and from Vermont and there is a big snow storm expected and the towns don't bother to do anything about the roads and the car is a rear-wheel drive with worn all-weather tires. If you don't have the boots on, you will get snow all over your feet. You won't necessarily have better traction in the snow the tires are getting no purchase in, but it'll be better than the furry winter clogs. Still, furry winter clogs will keep your toes warmish, so be thankful for that much.
Bring gloves of some sort. Mittens borrowed from your mother will probably not fit.
If you have to drive a car with rear-wheel drive and worn all-weather tires, make sure it's a small car. You will have a chance of pushing the damned thing in that case, and it won't be too scary when you slip and fall while trying to push and the car starts sliding back toward you.
Wear a hat, as the snow will mat in your hair and make it clumpy. When you finally do get home, the clumpy snow hair will start to melt down your back. Your mother will be reminded of the days when you used to go sledding and feel nostalgic and act unusually mother-like, but you will be even colder and wetter than you were outside, pushing the car up a hill during a snow storm.
Take a hot bath immediately after you get home. This will help you not ache so much in the arms and back and legs when you get up the next morning to shovel the sidewalk and try to find the newspaper buried under the snow. You will not have searing hot stabbing pain all over your spine and you will be able to walk without looking like you're eighty-five years old and you will be able to lift the teapot without whimpering.
No matter how much you hurt and how much you had to work just to get home, you will still prefer snow to cold rain and you will still think the snow is beautiful while you shovel the sidewalk and your back barks pain! pain! pain! at you.
This skill, of driver and of engineers, will only go so far if the goddamned town won't send out a plow. There needs to be some attempt made at plowing/salting/sanding the roads if anyone is going to make it. This is especially important if the town has known of the snow storm for two days and known it would be a doozy. It will prevent accidents, as most people can't afford a well-engineered car and are shitty drivers.
Snow tires are a good idea, too. All-weather tires you've had for three years aren't.
Make sure you have something besides a mittened hand to clean out your tire wells if you're going to try and drive through unplowed roads during a snow storm and only have rear-wheel drive and old all-weather tires.
If you know it's going to snow that heavily, put on your boots, even if they're kinda ugly and you're going to Burburry's. The warm, furry clogs will not do, even if they have treads and thick soles which will generally keep your feet above snow. This is because you never know when you might have to get out of the car and push. In fact, you will probably have to get out of the car and push if you're driving to and from Vermont and there is a big snow storm expected and the towns don't bother to do anything about the roads and the car is a rear-wheel drive with worn all-weather tires. If you don't have the boots on, you will get snow all over your feet. You won't necessarily have better traction in the snow the tires are getting no purchase in, but it'll be better than the furry winter clogs. Still, furry winter clogs will keep your toes warmish, so be thankful for that much.
Bring gloves of some sort. Mittens borrowed from your mother will probably not fit.
If you have to drive a car with rear-wheel drive and worn all-weather tires, make sure it's a small car. You will have a chance of pushing the damned thing in that case, and it won't be too scary when you slip and fall while trying to push and the car starts sliding back toward you.
Wear a hat, as the snow will mat in your hair and make it clumpy. When you finally do get home, the clumpy snow hair will start to melt down your back. Your mother will be reminded of the days when you used to go sledding and feel nostalgic and act unusually mother-like, but you will be even colder and wetter than you were outside, pushing the car up a hill during a snow storm.
Take a hot bath immediately after you get home. This will help you not ache so much in the arms and back and legs when you get up the next morning to shovel the sidewalk and try to find the newspaper buried under the snow. You will not have searing hot stabbing pain all over your spine and you will be able to walk without looking like you're eighty-five years old and you will be able to lift the teapot without whimpering.
No matter how much you hurt and how much you had to work just to get home, you will still prefer snow to cold rain and you will still think the snow is beautiful while you shovel the sidewalk and your back barks pain! pain! pain! at you.
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