You never forget your first time. Not that first time, the first time you suddenly realize you’ve lost traction and you’re sliding along at the whim of the gods. The pucker-factor is off the scale.
My first time was in an icy parking lot, just after a heavy rain on a mild spring day. And it was windy. Very windy. The wet ice was as slippery as it could get, and my trailer was empty. A crosswind gust across the parking lot blew me sideways straight toward a line of parked cars. Like an ocean liner in a storm, all I could do was go along for the ride.
Fortunately for that line of parked cars, the wind gust blew itself out before I creamed them. The whole incident took about 10 seconds; plenty of time for me to imagine what might happen, and plenty of time to fret over how helpless I was.
Should you find yourself on an icy highway, or worse, in a curve, and you break traction, you’ll be sideways before you know it. You won’t have the luxury of time to worry about what’s about to happen. You’ll most likely be left wondering what just happened.
Winter driving in this country is no joke. Learning to read the road, to identify perilous conditions ahead of time, can prevent calamity. There are some specific conditions drivers need to be aware of, especially drivers with limited experience in winter driving.
The road has two temperatures
You’ve probably seen warning signs saying “Danger: Bridge freezes before roadway.”
The air might feel chilly, but the pavement could still be holding some summer warmth — at least for a while. That means those first snowflakes in late fall often melt as soon as they hit the ground. But don’t let that fool you. The exceptions are bridges and overpasses.
“There’s air temperature, and then there’s road-base temperature,” cautions Andy Roberts, president of Mountain Transport Institute in Castlegar, B.C. “Bridges cool faster than the road surface because they’re not insulated from underneath.”
You can be driving along on bare, wet pavement and then hit bridge deck that’s slick with frost.
“It’s the same with big culverts under the road,” Roberts advises. “Cold air flows through and the surface freezes.”
When you see those early flakes, pay attention to where the road might be cooling faster than the air. That shiny patch up ahead could be nothing, or it could be black ice waiting to ruin your day.
The black ice trap
Many highways wind alongside lakes, rivers, and creeks which is where black ice often forms.
“As the air cools overnight, you’ll see fog or mist rising off the water. That moisture settles on the road and then freezes,” Roberts told trucknews.com.
If you’re driving into a shaded area — a road that’s shielded from the sun by tall trees, mountains, or even an overpass — that’s a double whammy. The sun can’t warm the road, and frost or ice can build up fast.
Roberts points to one particular corner near Castlegar that always reminds him winter has returned.
“You could have a beautiful, sunny fall day with bare dry roads, but that one shaded corner is in the dark, and it gets icy,” he recalls. “There’ll be a car upside down in the ditch every fall. That’s my reminder that it’s time to start backing off in those shaded corners because they are getting icy.”
Keep your eyes peeled for shady corners, bridge decks, and low spots near water. Those are the first places to go slick when the season changes. Avoid powering or braking through corners you suspect might be icy. If your drive wheels break traction, you’ll be sideways before you know what hit you. It’s best to take your feet off the pedals and let the truck roll through whatever peril might be present.
Fog and white-outs
Fog is a double-edged sword. It compromises visibility too — just like white-outs. You never know, driving into them, how thick they will be or how long they will last.
There are established protocols for driving in conditions with limited or near-zero visibility, but not everyone follows them. Take the recommendation to slow down for example. If you slow down too much, you could be struck from behind by another driver who didn’t slow down as much as you. Or vice versa.
It’s critical in these road conditions that you maintain adequate space between vehicles. Decelerate slowly rather than braking, and keep a mental inventory of where other vehicles are around you. If you see another vehicle a couple of hundred feet ahead of you, be hyper-aware that it’s there, and that it may slow down.
Other actions that will help in reduced visibility:
- Use low-beam headlights, never high beams. High beams reflect off fog, smoke, or snow and reduce visibility further.
- Follow the painted line on the right edge of the road (it’s actually called the fog line) or any painted road markings to help guide your position.
- In a snow white-out, keep your window defrosters and wipers on full. Be aware of drifting snow and ice buildup on sensors or cameras.
- Never stop on the roadway. Other drivers may not see you until it’s too late. If you must stop, pull completely off the road, well onto the shoulder.
- Turn on hazard lights only when you’re safely stopped, not while driving.
“Watch the pavement ahead for directional control, and watch for tail lights,” advises Sudbury, Ont.-based John Beaudry, CEO of Transport Training Centres of Canada. “In white-outs, steer rather than brake to avoid obstacles, like other cars. And of course, maintain an adequate following distance.”
Wet snow, dry snow, and everything in between
Snow isn’t just snow. It behaves differently depending on temperature — and knowing the difference can keep you upright. When it’s hovering near freezing (between +5°C and -5°C or 41°F and 23°F), snow is wet and heavy; it’s great for snowballs, but terrible for traction.
“That’s the kind that packs under your tires and turns shiny,” Roberts explains. “Your tires melt it a little, then it refreezes when the tires pass over the spot. It’s like driving on grease.”
That’s when it’s time to smooth out your moves. Slow down before the corners, brake gently, and go easy on the throttle. If it gets bad enough that you’re spinning or sliding, it might be time to chain up or park until the plows come through.
When the deep cold hits — -10°C or 14°F and below — the snow changes. It’s light, dry, and crunchy underfoot. You’ll get better grip, but a new problem arises: white-outs.
“When a truck passes you in cold snow you can go blind in a heartbeat,” Roberts says. “That’s when you look for the fog line. It’s there for a reason.”
If you can’t see the line, slow down and focus on what little you can. “Keep your vision to the edge of the road,” he adds. “Don’t stare into the snow cloud.”
Also, be aware the staring into the oncoming snow, watching it swirl around in the headlights, can have a hypnotizing effect. Keep your eyes moving.
Lake-effect snow is a unique hazard. It’s caused by wind blowing across open water, picking up moisture from the water, which turns into snowflakes in the cold wind. It doesn’t fall from clouds, so it’s entirely possible to drive into a total white-out even on clear sunny days or moonlit nights.
Beware of snow blowing across the roadway. As the wheels pass over the blowing snow, it’s crushed into the pavement. The crushed snow builds up over time into a hard, icy layer that usually forms in the tire tracks. And like any other kind of ice, it’s very slippery. Avoid hard braking on such surfaces. It won’t end well.
Is black ice real?
Is black ice really a thing, or just something TV reporters talk about to fill airtime?
“It’s real,” Roberts emphasized. “It’s clear ice on black pavement; that’s why it looks black. A wet road and an icy road can look almost identical, especially at night.”
The secret is to look for clues. For example, if you see spray coming off other vehicles’ tires, it’s probably just wet. However, if the road looks wet but you don’t see any mist or spray, you’re likely on black ice, notes Roberts.
Also, black ice is quieter than wet pavement. While wet roads make more noise under the tires, running on black ice is eerily quiet.
“Old-school drivers used to open their little windows to hear the road better,” says Roberts. “They called black ice ‘angel wings’ because it’s so quiet.”
He also points out that wind can freeze a wet road fast, especially near lakes or open stretches of highway. “You’ve got to know the signs — the change in sound, the change in the way the truck feels.”
Finally, Beaudry, suggests watching for ice building up on the mirrors. The fronts of the mirrors and the mirror mounts are prone to icing when conditions are right. “If you see ice building up there, the road is probably icy, too,” he warns.
Modern trucks may have all kinds of technology — ABS, traction control, onboard sensors — but nothing beats a driver who pays attention. Reading the road is an art that takes time and awareness.
And finally, as a courtesy to other drivers, remember to clear the snow off your taillights, frequently. Most LED taillights generate no heat, so snow won’t melt off them.
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