The Denver Traveler

Let It Snow… Let It Snow… Okay, Make It Stop!

by Alicia on December 26th, 2007

Well, the snow just keeps falling here in the Mile High City. One just has to take a look around to see the white stuff piled up on everything from cars to mailboxes to the sidewalks. As a desert baby, it was disconcerting, yet magical, the first time I woke up and saw the ground covered in a sparkling blanket of frozen goodness. I imagined catching snow flakes on my tongue, making a snow man, maybe a snow ball fight or two…

And then I fell on the ice, and the love affair was over.

If you’re heading for Denver while the white stuff is coming down, here are some tips for driving in the fluff. And slush. And ice. And anything else that might fall out of the sky while you’re here.

These are tips I have learned from hard core Denverites who drive while chuckling, “Snow!?!? WHAT SNOW?!!”

1. DO NOT SLAM ON YOUR BRAKES. Seriously folks, there’s nothing that will make Jack Frost laugh his icicle off faster than watching you slip slide after a good jamming of the brakes. Instead, ease off the gas and lightly apply your brakes when needed. And when you take off again? Ease on that gas, unless you like feeling like an out of control bob sled.

2. Give people a bit of extra room. I drive by the Three Second Rule in ideal driving conditions. When it’s snowing (or when I’m driving through the grey nasty slush that pretty snow turns into) I give it a good five seconds. This gives me time to react to what they are doing, and also time to let up on the gas so that I DON’T SLAM ON MY BRAKES.

3. Brush the Snow off of your vehicle. No really. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been slammed with an avalanche off of the car in front of me because the roof was too much trouble to dust off. It’s annoying and my poor little windshield wipers can only do so much!

4. Buy a good ice scraper, and use it. As someone wise once said to me, “Alicia, you are going to see fools pouring hot water over their windshields to melt the ice. This is because they are stupid, and lazy. That’s a good way to crack your windshield like an egg.” I’ve followed that advice and left a few minutes earlier so that I can dutifully scrape all the windows clean (and dust the snow off, because I got a fancy one with a brush on the end).

5. Bridges and Overpasses are Ice Traps. If you can avoid anything not on ground level, it’s highly suggested. If you must drive over an overpass or a bridge, watch for ice. Black ice is deadly and can set you sliding before you even know what hit you.

6. DON’T SPEED. This should be obvious, but judging by the number of people who fly past me every morning, it needs to be said. I don’t want you sliding into me because you hit a patch of black ice at 60 miles an hour on a 35 mph street.

And my personal favorite, my very own tip for driving in snow:
7. Don’t Leave the House. Call in sick, bake some cookies, snuggle up on the couch with a loved one and your pet, and watch movies all day while watching the gently falling snow through a window.

But hey, I’m from the desert, so… yeah. Number 7 is always number 1 to me. Some other resources include checking out the traffic report, or checking out traffic webcams to see what it’s like out there. Don’t forget that Denver has plenty of public transportation if you aren’t comfortable driving in it yourself.

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POSTED IN: Getting Around - Local Transportation, Travel Tips - General Information