I managed to get my car stuck in snow down at my own lakefront the other day.
My
car is all-wheel-drive and the snow depth was less than five inches in most places. Normally, clawing through a little snow is
not an issue, but the consistency of the snow tossed everything into
treacherous territory.
The
snow consisted of three layers: a layer of ice on the bottom, a couple inches
of crusted snow in the middle, and a fresh layer of granulized snow on top. Driving downhill in the midmorning presented
no problem at all. But attempting to
drive back up the hill in the late afternoon proved impossible. The warmer afternoon temperatures more or
less unlocked the upper layers of snow, creating a single layer that plowed up
in front of the tires in any direction I tried to go. This found me spinning out on the ice
underneath.
I
tried rocking my car back and forth. My
friends tried to push me. We dug down a
clear path to make a running start and repeatedly tried to climb the hill. Nothing worked. After twenty minutes of trying, I opted to
leave the car at lake overnight and Desiree walked up the hill.
Early
the following morning, Desiree and I hiked down to lake with shovels, hoping to
dig out a longer runway.
Temperature
is everything in matters of snow. The
colder the temperature the “stickier” and firmer it gets. As we walked down the hill in the chill of
morning, I said: “Desiree, this snow is sticky.
Even the ice is a little sticky. I
think we will be able to drive out.”
Upon
reaching the car, we discovered all of the snow we had churned up the afternoon
before frozen into a solid mass. “We’re
not even going to dig,” I said. “Lets
just throw the shovels in the car and try to climb out.”
We
quickly tossed our shovels in the hatchback and hopped inside the car. After starting the car and allowing the
engine to warm for a few moments, I punched drive and drove up the hill without
notable issue.
It’s
not often when colder temperatures are your best asset, but there are times.
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