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Corbeau_from_Orleans t1_j2e4qks wrote

Reply to comment by Twombls in Why do so many people from out of state think that tire chains are the answer? by SnooMaps1313

So are the hills steeper over there or are they not salting/plowing as much as we do in the East?

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Twombls t1_j2e55hd wrote

They seem to get a lot more snow and they gain much more elevation. I think the issue might be the grade is sustained for longer.

Its hard to describe it but its like driving in fresh pow lol.

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denvernomad t1_j2efcsa wrote

I live in Denver. I70 goes from ~5300ft in Denver to over 11,500 at the tunnel. It takes about 60 miles to do so. In a storm, they constantly plow if they can keep up with the snow. They close the highway if they can't. Very few people around here use chains. The smart drivers use snow tires. The Texans end up upside in their truck wondering what just happened...

Colorado definitely has traction laws. Passenger vehicles needs AWD and appropriate tires. Trucks need chains. There is likely no way a semi could get over that pass without them in a storm.

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Ket406 t1_j2ej30k wrote

I am In Montana near a city about the size of Burlington. Salt just really isn’t a thing here. Supposedly there is a small amount in the sand they put out at intersections, but it’s a very small amount. Severe shortage of plow drivers. With the huge influx of people now that everyone’s moving here to live out their Yellowstone cowboy fantasies, the roads have been a shit show the last few years, interstate has been closed multiple times this winter for pileups. We don’t have rust though, so there’s that I guess.

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SeeTheSounds t1_j2em65d wrote

Mammoth Lakes got like 14 feet of snow recently so yes the Sierra mountains get a lot of snow.

Generally the only folks that have snow tires in Cali are the hardcore skiers and snowboarders that go every chance they can when there is powder.

The rest of folks generally don’t have winter tires, but have chains for emergencies.

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JimTheJerseyGuy t1_j2erkr8 wrote

It’s more that you can go from 50°-60° weather where no one in their right mind would have winter tires on their vehicle to 20° and three feet of fresh powder in an hour or two drive. I did this myself visiting a friend in Sacramento and going skiing at Boreal. 90 mile drive and a mile and half elevation increase.

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banannastand t1_j2eqw3x wrote

Yes to both. I drove a lot in Tahoe and the drops on the side of the road are very steep and there is no salt on the roads. The area just dumps a ton of snow at once too. Mix that with people who visit the mountain areas aren’t usually driving in snow.

What I saw in Tahoe is chains are required based on your set up. I had an all wheel drive with snow tires and used chains one winter when we got like 10 feet of snow during a weekend storm leaving the mountain skiing, but generally I just carried them in the trunk- and that was what was required with my set up. If you didn’t have all wheel drive or snow tires, you often would have to put on chains to get through the passes and they would make you do it at the checkpoints.

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ArkeryStarkery t1_j2efkrh wrote

The Rockies are younger, so it makes sense they'd be steeper.

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