Submitted by mrszent t3_zgt1di in newhampshire
Are the roads in new Hampshire plowed well even on weekends? I'm set to work there in Lancaster December 17th. Overnight. Has to be a weekend. Saw the forecast. Snow. I drive a sedan. I live in Massachusetts. Have been to NH before but not in winter.
I can see why you’re asking these questions, being from tropical Massachusetts and all
😆🥶
You will need to purchase the largest pickup truck known to man, put on snow chains, and make sure that you have 3 days worth of supplies in your vehicle to survive driving in NH on December 17th.
LOL
If you worried about enough to post about it, I wouldn’t drive. Roads get snowy and slippery in the winter. Really doesn’t matter what you drive. The tires matter.
It's saying an inch of snow right now. You're worried about an inch? 😆 They'll probably use leaf blowers instead of plows.
Agreed. One inch of snow in NH is referred to as a "dusting."
Yes, NH is fucking on point with their plowing. I remember once in the White Mountains I thought the road was covered in snow for a minute... turned out it was all salt. Stay away from back/dirt roads and wash your car when you get home.
Thank you! I grew up in NH and have lived in many snowy states, but NH is usually pretty solid. Granted I learned to drive here, but I've always been comfortable with all season tires- snow tires on a non all wheel drive vehicle are money but not necessary unless it is a bad storm. (I've been driving in the Lakers Region ~20ish years)
Unless it’s a big storm, should be fine if you leave enough time and are prepared to go slower. Only tough stretch is going through Franconia Notch on 93 as it can get real windy and slick.
Holy shit guy, you're making us look bad. 🤦♂️
User name checks out.
According to the NH DOT's winter plowing map [1] most of the area around Lancaster is in the "plow every three and a half hours and try to let no more than seven inches accumulate" group. The interstates/turnpikes are every hour and a half/no more than three inches.
Of course, I recently watched a city budget meeting during which an inability by the state and municipalities to find enough plow drivers was discussed, so who knows?
Of course the snow showers could turn into ice showers, in which case all bets are off.
If the DOT has ample prep time, you'll be fine. The roads tend to get bad quickly, but they do a fantastic job. Just remember slow and steady and don't pass the plows.
That’s a lot of trust in a weather report.
More than a day away!
You WILL DIE if you aren't driving a Subaru with studded Blizzaks and chains.
LOL.... I was told something similar when I moved here nearly 30 years ago. Proceeded to drive my crappy little car with all seasons for 3 more years.
Are studded snow tires legal in NH?
Yes no restrictions.
Especially up north the state and town crews will do their best to keep up with the snow while it is coming down but compared to MA it's a lot tougher to keep up with snow in some cases.
They do their best, but road conditions during snow events are worse in NH than MA, CT, etc.
N/S major roads are generally plowed well. E/W roads are generally not.
Excellent point.
As long as you’re not driving while it’s snowing heavily you’ll be fine if you drive carefully and assume nobody else knows what they’re doing.
Snow tires or new car with AWD if you plan on driving into New Hampshire during the winter.
Plows do a good job, but roads can still be a mess, especially if the snow lasts throughout the day with a decent intensity. Definitely be ready for a mess.
The comments here are totally on par for this question. 😀
Well, I certainly wasn’t driving there from MA, but I did commute 25 mi (one way… occasionally 50 mi one way) to Lancaster daily for over a year and I never felt like roads were that bad, but I had AWD and good tires. Can’t speak for the highway conditions, as I wasn’t driving the direction that you’ll be coming from, but I did have to go through Randolph (or on my longer commute days, though the Notch) which always was much colder/getting hammered with worse weather.
If you’re worried, get decent snow tires put on. Worth it for the peace of mind!
You will definitely need snow tires.
The roads here are not plowed nearly as well as MA. Snow tires are a must. It’s far enough out that the forecast can still change so don’t panic yet!
Snow tires are not a must in my opinion.
Snow ain’t bad but frozen rain will humble us all.
I'm from MA, live in northern NH now. I commute 45 minutes to Lancaster daily. The major routes will all be fine. Leave extra time and drive to the conditions. If anything you'll hit a rough patch through the notch. As far as snow cover on the roads, it absolutely will be no different than southern NH
Are snow tires actually needed? When I first moved here, I went to a tire shop and asked for snow tires. The sales man convinced me that since I had awd, using an all weather tire which was 3 peak rated should be fine. So I ended up going with a tire like that which I keep on year round.
Mind you, 95% of my driving is mostly local or next town over. Don't typically commute long distances often. Also, my older neighbors still switch their tires every year, so was curious what other people thought.
Toss a few bundles of cheap roofing shingles in your trunk or over the wheel wells in the bed of your truck for added weight and if you get stuck, break out as many shingles as you need to place in front of the tires to provide traction to get out of the spot. Each bundle provides 7 feet of traction.
I’m from MA as well, and I just looked up Lancaster. Holy mama that’s far up!! I’d be terrified.
Anyone who chooses to live in NH and not have 4 top-of-the-line snow tires on an AWD vehicle is a fool. I love living here, now 36 years, with a healthy respect for snow and ice.
I would say no, not plowed well.
I’m in southern NH and during active snow you can really tell MA plows a lot more money into snow clearance. It’s night and day.
When I moved here 2 yrs ago I thought they did a poor job plowing. Several storms had made 93 uncomfortable to drive on. They need more plows so they can keep up with the snow. I have had to call into work because driving was not safe in my estimation. Then you have the crazies that will still speed when the roads are snow covered.
> I have had to call into work because driving was not safe in my estimation.
Oh you're one of THOSE people.
Maybe you should move back to MA. I hear they do a MUCH better job plowing there.
Onceuponajoe t1_iziqjlh wrote
If you’re looking at a weather forecast for 8 days from now in New England that is your first mistake.