WOW...the entire 17 mile trip from my domicile to my place of work was pretty slippery. There were stretches of road, where I was driving in 4th gear and about 2500 rpms; I would hit the gas - to test the traction. The Car would start to swing the back end out, and the TCS would start flashing at me.

once, approaching an intersection the DSC/TCS probably saved me from entering a nasty ditch.

I think when the sun comes up (or daylight arrives), I'll limp the RX8 home, and drive back to work in the Altima. I've got no chance of leaving work early; and I'd hate things to get 'worse' as mid-day moves towards evening.

 

Not today but the week of Christmas I had a ...fun... experience. Memphis to Tulsa is normally a 6 hour drive. It took me 23 hours. I was driving my Trailblazer (company provided vehicle) and the drive through Arkansas was awful. Sat twice, one for 1.5 hours and the other for 5 hours, due to accidents. Radio station in Little Rock had people calling in saying their 3 - 4 mile drive home took 4 hours. One guy sat on I430 (heading to the airport) for 9 hours because he couldn't move due to ice and accidents. I grew up in southern California and hard a hard time understanding stories like this. Now I do..and I am completely sympathetic.

 

DMP,

Be careful out there. Down where you are, it's usually icier than in the mid-Puget Sound region. And I'm thinking of taking the Saab rather than the RX-8 from Sammamish to Bellevue this morning.

 

no ice here in the portland/beaverton area on my way in. couple of back roads and then 217. all clear.

 

I just got back - took a couple hours of vacation, and drove the RX8 home; came back directly in the Nissan (FWD). I feel pretty good now; no worries if things get cold again. Worst case scenario, I get stuck somewhere and have to leave a (gasp) $2500 95 Nissan somewhere along the road.



hehe

 

My wife left for work, but she couldn't even get off of gem heights because there were accidents at both ends of the road. At that point she realized it was not worth getting hurt, or wrecking the bimmer!

 

Anyone got a spare rim :D I wasn't so lucky. I bumped a curb in the parking lot at my office today and took a huge chunk out of my passenger rear rim OUCH!

The worse part I was only going about 3 MPH.....these rims are really soft!

 

Geez you guys! A little ice and you can't get around. We've been below freezing for a week now and our overnite temps are like 12*F (albeit not as cold as it was last year). We are getting some snow that should be starting anytime now, if it hasn't already. My baby has had no problem getting me around. And I've driven her in plenty of snow and ice. I can appreciate the concern with the other drivers however. Still stop panziing about the 8 is just fine in winter conditions as long as you have snow tires.... you do all have snow tires right?

 

This guy in a pickp did a 720 right in front on me on US12 this morning, and he ended up heading back in the correct direction and just kep driving! I just about spewed my coffee watching him!

Only skated on one nasty spot, 4 cars in the ditch as I passed by... Tonight will be tricky. It's already icing up here in Montesano.

 

Snow tires? What the hell are "snow tires?"

When I moved from Berkeley to Spokane, I remember someone saying about my 240Z, "That's a nice car. We call them 240-skis around here. " Some years ago, while visiting over here on the West side of the Cascades, I remember driving along in a freak snowstorm and passing a lady in a B210 Datsun with huge snow tires mounted on her rear wheels.

In short, don't drive in snow around Seattle; it's a scary experience even if you know what you're doing.

 

oh my god.....bellingham SUX. So the forecast says I have to deal with the snow for the indefinate future, so the 8 is retired. Nice wash and wax and shes not movin till probably March. It took me 5 mins to get up my driveway in 4low with the Chevy 4x4. Almost didn't make it. There is simply no way I'm putting this car on those roads. OH Yeah!! Today marks to anniversary of the day last year (in snow like this) when some guy locked his tires on his F-150 slid through a red light to completely destroy my fiancees pontiac. Its always the other people you have to worry about. And that aint happenin to the Mazda

 

At least it was a Pontiac and not a Mazda!!! On a serious note I hope she was ok.

 

Totally....by the way...where is puyallup?

 

A few miles south and east of Tacoma.

 

ah ha....I'm up here from San Diego just a couple years so I'm still learning the layout
yes...the pontiac was a goner but the woman is ok...matter of fact....shes the one who made me get the 8! I was gonna pick up the EVO MR edition they had down in Burlington...not bad for the second choice eh?

oh yeah...still skating to work...Ive developed a reverse 180 move to get the chevy down the driveway and into the street.....some real gone in 60 seconds stuff I tell ya...

 

Well we've had more than a foot of snow over the last few days and the 8 is getting along just fine on the East side of the Cascades... Sorry about all you Westsiders not being able to get around.

Funny thing jsh1120, is that I moved up here from the LA area. I grew up in Santa Monica. I did spend about a year here back in '92-'93. We had over 8.5' of snow that year. I promptly moved to Portland, OR. the following summer. Learned how to drive in the snow that year. :D

 

I remember that winter in Spokane very well. It was my last winter east of the Cascades. Can't say I've missed it.