<p>It’s the moisture.
[Believe</a> It: Global Warming Can Produce More Intense Snows | Mother Jones](<a href=“http://m.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2014/01/global-warming-janus-snow]Believe”>Believe It: Global Warming Can Produce More Intense Snows – Mother Jones)</p>
<p>Schools closed again here due to the wind chills that are at -35; actually temperature is -5.</p>
<p>Some schools closed in the area here today. And now on the news are horrific images of a major pileup in NW Indiana. Ugh.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s an awful, awful sight. I’ve heard as many as 15 semis involved… some semis were on top of cars. Have seen pictures and it looks like a horrible mess - at least two confirmed casualties.</p>
<p>Wow, I’ve never seen anything this bad in my entire life. </p>
<p>[Raw</a> Video: Massive Pileup on I-94 in Indiana; 2 Confirmed Dead | FOX17online.com](<a href=“http://fox17online.com/2014/01/23/massive-pileup-on-i-94-in-indiana/#axzz2rGf9dg3X]Raw”>http://fox17online.com/2014/01/23/massive-pileup-on-i-94-in-indiana/#axzz2rGf9dg3X)
<a href=“http://www.11alive.com/news/article/319747/40/At-least-2-dead-in-multi-car-pileup-on-I-94-in-Indiana[/url]”>http://www.11alive.com/news/article/319747/40/At-least-2-dead-in-multi-car-pileup-on-I-94-in-Indiana</a></p>
<p>That Indiana crash is horrible.</p>
<p>This video captures a similar chain-reaction crash in WI in December. It shows exactly how these things happen. There were 100 cars involved! You can see precisely which cars are going WAY too fast for conditions. It makes me so mad when people drive that way. I do give the WalMart truck driver credit for stopping behind the scene and putting on his flashers to alert people rather than trying to go through, and appreciate the efforts of the good Samaritans who tried to help (although it freaked me out to see them in the road).</p>
<p>[RAW:</a> Video captures Hwy 41/45 pileup | Waukesha County - WISN Home](<a href=“http://www.wisn.com/news/south-east-wisconsin/waukesha/RAW-Video-captures-Hwy-41-45-pileup/-/10150328/23398364/-/volbqw/-/index.html]RAW:”>RAW: Video captures Hwy 41/45 pileup)</p>
<p>Watching that video makes me mad. Why are they driving so fast in those conditions???</p>
<p>To those wondering why it’s so cold when the world is getting “hotter”, I suggest taking a look at how global heating and cooling work.</p>
<p>From how I’ve heard it described, this very narrow band of snow came on quite quickly… you’d be driving along with good road conditions, then within a two-mile span, you were in white-out conditions. So once the initial vehicles were all mangled together and traffic was stopped, those moving toward the crash were not prepared for the pileup. I heard one driver (via cell phone interview) saying she was at a curve on the interstate, where you really can’t see more than a half mile ahead of you and they had no idea why the traffic was stopped because the road conditions were they were at were just fine. It doesn’t excuse everything or every driver, but they way this woman described it, I don’t think most people were prepared for it. At least that’s the story I heard from one driver stuck in the mess… she’s been giving cell phone updates to our local news station all afternoon long.</p>
<p>Oops - I just realized your comment about the video was pertaining to the WI crash. That one was a different situation; the conditions were pretty consistently bad for many hours before it happened.</p>
<p>Niquii: they are idiots, that’s why. This is what we deal with all the time during the winter in the midwest. Notice how many of the aggressive drivers have SUVs or trucks. They think their vehicles can handle it, they are great drivers, etc. etc. </p>
<p>The conditions on that day were no surprise, as teriwtt said. When there’s enough snow that the road only has narrow tracks of clear pavement left for the tires, the only way to have a chance of not sliding off the road or into somebody is to drive REALLY slowly (like, 20 MPH). I have gotten to the point where I put my hazard lights on when people are tailgating me in bad conditions just so they give me some space. People in that big a hurry do not want to get stuck behind someone whose car might suddenly stall. :)</p>
<p>Goodness. Like…many of those accidents were so preventable…Just rustles my jimmies. </p>
<p>The only situation I can relate these accidents to is when we have extreme rain here in Florida. It angers me when people try to go the speed limit and wonder why they’re hydroplaning. </p>
<p>This one time (actually many times) the rain was so bad I couldn’t see and the person behind me kept on getting on my butt. I knew for sure the only reason they “thought” they knew where they were going is because they had a car (me!) in front of them leading the way!</p>
<p>I’ve never thought of putting on my hazard lights. I might try that next time.</p>
<p>We were crawling along at 10-20 mph this morning on the freeway. Not snowy, just iced over roads and we’re way below salt working levels. I spun out and ended up in the ditch (I’m fine, car’s fine, just had to get towed out and missed my first class). </p>
<p>I heard about the mega pile-up on the way home and counted my lucky stars. </p>
<p>This winter NEEDS to be done- NOW.</p>
<p>In the Waukesha video, the Walmart driver is so obviously a pro. Kudos to him. But generally, I am getting fed up with some of the semi drivers. They plow on at high speeds kicking up tons of spray, blocking the side winds (which hit you as soon as they pass), and in my opinion creating a hazard. That Indiana section always has heavy truck traffic. Maybe the state police should watch the weather radar and aggressively close roads when conditions get bad enough. Once a storm kicks up like that, it is really hard to find a safe cushioned space to drive slowly.</p>
<p>The news tonight said the weather next Mon-Tues would be worse than the first arctic front earlier in January (NC Indiana). OMG–who would have thought that could happen? I’m starting to hope for full days of school rather than full weeks…if it’s not too cold then the county roads are drifted shut. Most days it’s been both :(</p>
<p>Sorry, romani. Glad you are OK. I agree with you–enough already!!</p>
<p>I agree, Treetopleaf, that a lot of the semi drivers are jerks. And you are right about that section of I-94 in Indiana. It is heavily used by trucks and also gets a lot of lake-effect weather (not to mention traffic almost all the time).</p>
<p>I know that there are serious time pressures on semi drivers nowadays, so the problem may be the driver’s bosses. Better regulation may be the only answer to making our roads safer.</p>
<p>I don’t envy the rescue workers and tow truck drivers in NW Indiana. It is a very cold night.</p>
<p>Maybe this is a place to ask-- I am pondering my next car lease, which will be a ford, and I’m considering either an escape or an edge-- I want the edge but it will depend on the budget. Because of all the problems I am having with my 2013 focus, I’m considering splurging for the AWD-- but I’m really stretching my pennies as it is. Is it worth it? I do primarily suburban driving, only a little highway. I don’t want another car I am afraid to drive half the year. I’m not sure if not being a featherweight car will be enough improvement or if that AWD would really help me, or if it really needs the AWD because the car is so big. </p>
<p>I’m a very cautious driver who is ordinarily a pro in winter, but this winter and my focus don’t mix. I’m really struggling. If there is a half inch of snow it might as well be 5 inches, and more than 2-3 and I get stuck. I’ve never had so many problems in winter with a car before and all my cars have been small-- including two older model focuses. This car SUCKS in MI winter.</p>
<p>^^Have you checked your tires? We changed out the ones that came from the dealer with all weather ones and it made a huge difference.</p>
<p>Ema, I’ve driven in this weather in both the AWD (my parents live in TC and finally bought their first AWD car as it was just kind of a necessity in northern MI) and my itty bitty Kia Rio. Honestly, the Rio has been fantastic (except for today, but I don’t think AWD would’ve saved me either considering it was pure ice). The AWD makes a definite difference but I realistically think we only need it 2-3 days each winter (this winter being a glaring exception). </p>
<p>I’m not really sure if that’s helpful or not, but in making your decision you should probably remember that this is a really VERY weird winter. </p>
<p>Oh… I just saw that this is a lease and not buying a car. If the lease is only for like 2 years or something, I don’t think the extra money is worth it. You’d probably be better off just paying for a cab or something on the VERY rare day that you need the AWD.</p>
<p>The AWD really lowers MPG. Better to have good tires and load the car down on those days that it is nasty. And realize that one just can not get around on the worst days.</p>
<p>16 degrees this morning in Dallas. That’s really cold for us.</p>
<p>Going to be 72 on Sunday, then back down into highs in the 30’s-40’s next week. Crazy.</p>