0.0 Well, there’s a pucker factor. lol I discovered that 4WD wasn’t real effective going *way* downhill on ice when visiting a friend in Austin. Thankfully, I was creeping in the first place because I had to turn into a driveway. It still took a full block to stop enough to turn & I barely made it. Put the fear in me.
The last ice storm I drove in was on I10 coming back from the Hill Country on an insurance claim a few years ago. That was in a 2 WD Xterra. Not fun, either, but nothing too hairy.
I try to just stay home (& keep DH at home, too). lol All this talk of ice ages is creepin me out. But it’s good to know JIC. I’m back in a Jeep now. (geez. & I was thinking sand & sunshine)
I used to commute to work 75 miles one way. Initially it was a real challenge in a Chevy Colt with rear wheel drive, but I managed.
Later, when front wheel drive was available in cars with decent gas mileage, it was pretty good. I also put studded tires on the front. People would be in ditches all over the place, but I just took it easy and didn’t drive faster than the conditions allowed and made the trip safely Thanks be to God.
Early on, I did have a rather frightening episode when some one emerged suddenly from a hidden side road right in front of me and I had to dodge to keep from hitting him. That started a slide toward a really steep and deep drop off.
So I was sliding from side to side just barely managing to steer between the ditches. At last I slid to a section where there were tall cliffs on each side, and just let go of the wheel and let the car spin around like a doughnut.
Wound up facing back toward home, and decided that was an omen. Went back home and couldn’t make it up the hill, because all the locals were stuck and blocking the way when they tried to get to work.
Had to crawl get down and crawl up the hill, it was too slick for my boots even. Kept scraping leaves into my path to get some traction. Every one wanted to know how I made it down the hill without getting into a ditch. Just lucky is what I told them.
Yes. Ice is the worst, when it’s warmer and wetter. It’s not so bad, when it’s colder and drier (the kind we see most of the time on the Rockies). Funny... I yearned for snow, when I was growing up on the coast to the south of you.