Have we gotten any e34 blizzard driving stories yet?

[tim]

Man, I'm just picturing me with snowchains on the 540i, doin' my dukes of hazzard routine. If I could get it out my garage that is.

Tough looking storm though-white hurricane. So, anyone had their e34 out yet who is in blizzard country? Do tell.

[Kalevera]

I left Cleveland on Friday before that storm hit the midwest. Glad I did, too.

Fritz fishtails in the snow, and the ABS gets to be a PITA - activates all the time on even the most minutely snow/slush covered roads.

The weather was nice enough today in NC to wash off all of the nasty salt residue. Amen.

[Kalevera]

oh yeah - and because the car is lowered, I can forget about driving in anything more than a few inches of the stuff.

[632 Regal]

broke mine out after a storm here in Michigan, snow measured 8" and the front of the car measures 5". It was Saturday, 3 beers in the fridge and 5 smokes left, a despirate scenereo indeed! I figured id go for a "drive" in the countryside with my son Sal, he was all into this adventure indeed. I did plow through the drive (only took 3 tries) onto the frozen mud road but with the front so chopped it was like driving into one of them snow making machines at a ski resort, couldnt see squat. Wipers on fast speed I made it up and out onto the main road which was at least packed below 5 inches (apparently). The drive itself wasn't that adventurous with the new snow treads...they absolutly rock for 60 bux each. The ride back was easier since I had a plowed trail from my own car and made it home without a hitch.

However, the next day on the way to take my son to the police station to meet his mother there was a buildup of snow in the rims which made the first 25 miles umbearable, felt like I went to Discount tire for new tires again. After sitting a while in an area without wind the snow got softer to the point that I pushed it off the backside of the rims with a spare hose in my emergancy tools box. The ride was silky again...ahhhh.

[Rory]

Man, I'm just picturing me with snowchains on the 540i, doin' my dukes of hazzard routine. If I could get it out my garage that is.

Tough looking storm though-white hurricane. So, anyone had their e34 out yet who is in blizzard country? Do tell.Eh, a picture is worth a thousand words. If I have to dig out another car ever it will be too soon. It was pretty when it came down :-) I am glad I am tall, but I can barely see over most of the snow drifts.

http://www.sprousehouse.com/pictures/Winter%202005/Blizzard%202005/DSC01727.JPG

http://www.sprousehouse.com/pictures/Winter%202005/Blizzard%202005/DSC01723.JPG

[DanQ]

I left Boston to head back to the Philly area on Saturday morning around 8:20AM. I hit the snow just after 12:00 PM. The NJ Turnpike wasn't the speedway it usually is. 20-40MPH the rest of the trip.
If I hadn't taken those DayQuils on an empty stomach at 5:00AM then I would have gotten out early and beat the snow.

[MicahO]

Dayamn Rory - you guys did get battered up there. With chips!

We were not in any of our (dearly departed) e34's, but last Friday morning found me, the wife, and the two lil'uns in Walt Disney World in Jen's Quest, with plans to leave Saturday and drive back to NY. A few checks of the weather told me that schedule would leave us stranded somewhere around DC in about a foot of snow.

So Friday night, after dinner, we loaded up the kids and hit the road. I knew we had to get to at least the front of the storm if we had any hope of getting home. Jen's car has 28K miles on it's Good-fer-a-Year LS's; while it's a fairly heavy booger, it's NOT rigged for heavy snow. So I decided this was the trip on which I would risk a speeding ticket. We set the cruise at 80+, stopped only for gas, and made the DC area in 11 hours flat. We flew through the Carolina's, and I want to send a hearty "Thanks for not stopping me" to the State Troopers down that-a-ways.

We were in snow from DC north, and what is normally a 5 hour drive from DC took 9 hours. Just the last 100 miles took about 4.5 hours. Getting over the mountains into my hometown I could practically feel my ass grabbing at the road surface, and finding no traction. But we made it home unscathed. We saw 36 cars spun into the retaining walls with damage, another 10 or so out in the shoulders and medians with no damage (and in need of a tow truck), and somehow avoided a spinning 200sx/greyhound bus incident in the lane next to us.

Had we waited another 12 hours for our departure? Not good. We ended up with 17 inches at our house. Nothing like what Rory got, but substantial to say the least. The amazing thing was coming up Rt 17 in NJ - the parking lots at places like Home Depot were packed. What the F were those people doing out and about in that sort of snow??? (well, maybe finally buying that snowblower they'd been waiting on?)

And next year, when Jen says "No, I don't need snow tires, I'll just stay home if the weather is bad," her decision will get over-ridden!

[Bill R.]

boring regularity of driving here strangely enough i fell like I'm missing out on
something not being up there in snow country..... I don't feel it bad enough to want to be there though...but I'm certain you're driving skills are way better than mine since you guys get to be out in that stuff all the time...







Dayamn Rory - you guys did get battered up there. With chips!

We were not in any of our (dearly departed) e34's, but last Friday morning found me, the wife, and the two lil'uns in Walt Disney World in Jen's Quest, with plans to leave Saturday and drive back to NY. A few checks of the weather told me that schedule would leave us stranded somewhere around DC in about a foot of snow.

So Friday night, after dinner, we loaded up the kids and hit the road. I knew we had to get to at least the front of the storm if we had any hope of getting home. Jen's car has 28K miles on it's Good-fer-a-Year LS's; while it's a fairly heavy booger, it's NOT rigged for heavy snow. So I decided this was the trip on which I would risk a speeding ticket. We set the cruise at 80+, stopped only for gas, and made the DC area in 11 hours flat. We flew through the Carolina's, and I want to send a hearty "Thanks for not stopping me" to the State Troopers down that-a-ways.

We were in snow from DC north, and what is normally a 5 hour drive from DC took 9 hours. Just the last 100 miles took about 4.5 hours. Getting over the mountains into my hometown I could practically feel my ass grabbing at the road surface, and finding no traction. But we made it home unscathed. We saw 36 cars spun into the retaining walls with damage, another 10 or so out in the shoulders and medians with no damage (and in need of a tow truck), and somehow avoided a spinning 200sx/greyhound bus incident in the lane next to us.

Had we waited another 12 hours for our departure? Not good. We ended up with 17 inches at our house. Nothing like what Rory got, but substantial to say the least. The amazing thing was coming up Rt 17 in NJ - the parking lots at places like Home Depot were packed. What the F were those people doing out and about in that sort of snow??? (well, maybe finally buying that snowblower they'd been waiting on?)

And next year, when Jen says "No, I don't need snow tires, I'll just stay home if the weather is bad," her decision will get over-ridden!

[Hector]

I lived in No VA. I was unfortunate enough to experience the Washington DC area blizzard of '94/'95. Spin zone had declared liberal leave for government employees... basically, the government had shutdown. Even the snowplows couldn't keep up with the massive downpour of snow and to top it off, there was a shortage of salt. Now on the opposite end of the spectrum, living in SoCal is a much different story...

[Gooch]

I didn't venture out until it was done. Studded snows, full tank of gas, and a 50 pound bag of salt in the trunk. ASC was working overtime but the combination was unstoppable.

[George M]

We only got 12 inches in Michigan where I live this weekend. I feel for our friends on the east coast...got pasted.
George
A look out my front window on Saturday:

[bahnstormer]

yup yup
pics don't lie

http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~szwarc/e34/snowPrint.jpg
after digging my sisters car out i had to dig mine out.
and this is 3 days after teh snow fall heheheh

been driving the ml55 cuz mine is still on 255 summer tires =]
i really SHOULD put the snow tires on

[Jon K]

yup yup
pics don't lie

http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~szwarc/e34/snowPrint.jpg
after digging my sisters car out i had to dig mine out.
and this is 3 days after teh snow fall heheheh

been driving the ml55 cuz mine is still on 255 summer tires =]
i really SHOULD put the snow tires on



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v189/andreak/snow3.jpg


my sisters new 530i, begging for air.

[632 Regal]

peeking its nose out.

[Patrick]

I flew out of Logan Thursday so I missed that mess -I was in for appointments at DFCI and staying in Belmont. When I landed in Denver it was 70... the past week here the temps have all been above 60.
I'm in Boston every 4 months so maybe we can hookup one of those times.

[John B.]

We only got 12 inches in Michigan where I live this weekend. I feel for our friends on the east coast...got pasted.
George

Depends on where you were. Here in northeastern Ct we only got 12" but 20 miles south & west of us they got 20" & outside of Boston as much as 38". Both of our daily drivers are garaged & I've got a nice snow blower so no drama here. We get what we need before the storm & stay warm by the wood fire until it clears out.

[wengenstein]

We got a whole lotta snow here in NH but I don't have any amusing stories unfortunatly...aside from getting stuck on a hill the other day. It was during the storm and no one was around. I ended up rolling into a nearby parking lot to turn around and going up the hill in reverse :)

[BennyM]

Got about a foot here in MN over one night. Plows couldn't keep up because the brunt of it came in during rush hour. Though driving in the snow with capable blizzacks was rather enjoyable, I spent most of my time sitting or easing in and out of first gear. Took me almost 2 hours to go 12 miles across town! Didn't matter if it was side street or freeway. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown at that point. Girlfriend and Roomie both got stuck trying to drive up my driveway the same night, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Snow tires rule!

And last night was rather interesting with parking in the city. the only open spot on the streets by the university was open because it had never been plowed. I got up some nerve and somehow paralleled it in, but leaving took me 5 minutes of modulating the gas, rocking the car, and sliding sideways. Good times.

No disasters to report tho...apart from how dirty the car is.

[TheDuke]

I left my buddy’s house at 11:30 usually 15 minute drive to my house, it took me about half hour to get back home. It’s my first winter with the Bimmer but so far so good, I got stuck in the snow only 2 times. lol

[freeparking]

I went for a ride after the storm here in jersey saturday. When I pulled onto interstate 78 it was nothing but hard packed snow and plow trucks, suvs and 4x4s. I asked myself what the hell I was doing out there. I put a set of Nokian
RSI snows on 2 weeks ago and I cannot say enough about this tire. It made
the rear wheel drive car feel like i was in 4 wheel drive. Needless to say, out of stupidity or not I got it up to 70 or so on that packed snow and took a 40 mile drive in the bright sunny afternoon. Didnt get stuck once. I highly recomend Nokian snow tires for winter driving. I think they are made in finland and used for
wintercross racing.

lorcet10s

[Mass535Love]

I live near Worcester, Ma and went out during the blizzard to go see a movie :P A few hills gave me trouble but all went well thankfully. Anytime it snows I purposely mess around doing donuts and sliding around corners (when no traffic is present) just to help keep my poor road condition skills tuned. We got 2 feet here. Don't have snow tires just all season. Stay safe and stay warm everyone.

[Bimmer Nut Ed]

http://www.bimmer.info/~e34/DSCF2978%20(Small).JPG

I was driving home in the middle of this the night before, and I had an SUV tailgating me. I guess he thought I was driving too slow for conditions. The speed limit was 55, I was driving 45, the roads were completely covered with snow, and it was coming down hard. I thought me going 45 was even a little fast for conditions.

So I enter an intersection which was deeper with snow, and cross ruts, prolly only doing 40 to get through safely, and as the SUV goes through behind me, still tailgating, and he spins out. I actually think he was lucky I was there to slow him down. He spun out, but did not go into a ditch. Hopefully he learned something.

BTW, my 1990 535 had snow tires. But since it's lowered, it was bottoming out lots. I still made it all the way up my driveway without a hint of a problem.

[ve39]

Was going up the mountains it was foggy didn't see a turn so hit the pile of snow with 70-80 km/h behind the snow there was a stone bardure from the heat right front of a car did go up in the air ALOT then car tured a little and hit the side of my car and i just drove off and guess what nothing happend to a car just a right fog light with some plustic broke off
i amagine if it was some honda it would be totaled, BMW is a tank ! ! !