Drive from Burlington to Jay Peak

[BenedictGomez]

In my experience, New Hampshire does a MUCH better job with their roads than my section of Vermont.

I think Vermont is terrible with the roads, I'm really surprised some here think they're good. In Jersey they do a phenomenal job with the roads. Last year in the 36" blizzard we had, the highways were blacktop and the local roads were very drivable, and I literally mean blacktop by the time the storm ended. The entire fleet of trucks works all night long.

 

[cdskier]

I think Vermont is terrible with the roads, I'm really surprised some here think they're good. In Jersey they do a phenomenal job with the roads. Last year in the 36" blizzard we had, the highways were blacktop and the local roads were very drivable, and I literally mean blacktop by the time the storm ended. The entire fleet of trucks works all night long.

NJ and phenomenal do not belong in the same sentence when it comes to snow removal...unless other parts of the state are drastically better, but in Bergen/Passaic/Essex counties they are horrendous with local roads. Even on highways I've seen numerous times on 78 after snow where all lanes aren't even cleared and snow from the shoulders is creeping into the right or left lanes.

 

[BenedictGomez]

^ That's never been my experience. Smooth sailing on 78 and the entirety of 287 North all the way to the NYS border. And I'm a "snowstorm chaser" who frequently points my SUV into the worst of the worst. Like today for instance, though hopefully I'll avoid 95% of the worst.

 

[ThinkSnow]

I think Vermont is terrible with the roads, I'm really surprised some here think they're good. In Jersey they do a phenomenal job with the roads. Last year in the 36" blizzard we had, the highways were blacktop and the local roads were very drivable, and I literally mean blacktop by the time the storm ended. The entire fleet of trucks works all night long.

If I recall correctly, didn't that snowstorm happen in March, when roadways are typically quicker to bounce back due to warmer temperatures in general?

 

[ThinkSnow]

If the conditions are really that phenomenal in NJ, why bother ever leaving?

 

[cdskier]

I commute on 78 between the Turnpike and 287 on a daily basis and have seen the "uncleared shoulder/snow creeping into the left/right lane" scenario numerous times over the years along that stretch. I'll take your word on 287 though...I'm only on it a mile to get to 202/206 once I get off 78 so I wouldn't know how the rest of it is.

 

[BenedictGomez]

If I recall correctly, didn't that snowstorm happen in March, when roadways are typically quicker to bounce back due to warmer temperatures in general?

It was late January (last week of Jan IIRC). Went skiing in the Poconos, which I rarely do. The PA roads were terrible, you saw the line from blacktop to mess right at the PA border.

If the conditions are really that phenomenal in NJ, why bother ever leaving?

Huh, humor?

 

[cdskier]

It was late January (last week of Jan IIRC). Went skiing in the Poconos, which I rarely do. The PA roads were terrible, you saw the line from blacktop to mess right at the PA border.

Guessing you're referring to this storm from 2 years ago then...

 

[Smellytele]

It was late January (last week of Jan IIRC). Went skiing in the Poconos, which I rarely do. The PA roads were terrible, you saw the line from blacktop to mess right at the PA border.

That's because they don't want anyone from NJ in their state.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Guessing you're referring to this storm from 2 years ago then...

That's the one! My town flukily (sp) had the highest total from that storm (I think anyway), 36" due to intense mesoscale banding, though there are no trained spotters here so it never made it onto that map. Areas around me reported 30".

 

[Zermatt]

Comparing NJ snow removal on interstates to VT snow removal on state highways? Apples and donkeys.

For one, salt is very effective at 28 degrees and near worthless at 10 degrees.

Two, NJ is the most densely populated state in America. More people live in NJ per square mile than any other state. Vermont is number 31. The cost to clear a mile of interstate in NJ per resident is 17x less in NJ (rough, simple math).

Interstates in NJ also happen to be vitally important to the US economy as a substantial portion of goods cross NJ everyday. Vermont? Not so much.

 

[kingslug]

I drove back from killington a few weeks ago in an ice storm..1 year old Honda Ridgeline..all season tires..i popped for Blizzac dvm2 tires right after that..with rims..1400.00...because i dont want to die getting to my mountains. Tjis ice storm is going to be killer..ive almist been killed a few times driving in this shit..no more. Not worth it.

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

All Season tires with 30k miles on them already. Car performs decent in the snow.

Translation = No snow tires, worn out all seasons like the rest of the flatlanders. :lol:

Wet icy snow/slush is the worst. Just take it easy.

 

[cdskier]

Translation = No snow tires, worn out all seasons like the rest of the flatlanders. :lol:

Wet icy snow/slush is the worst. Just take it easy.

Yea...amazing what a huge difference snow tires make vs all seasons. First thing I did when I bought my new truck last year was buy a set of snow tires.

 

[Edd]

I’d like to use snow tires but I simply don’t have the space to store them at my place in the off season. I’ve never been too nervous driving my Subarus chasing storms. I’m a cautious driver in snowstorms but that’s not the case for everyone.

 

[Smellytele]

No tire helps when there is an ice storm. Snow? yes. ice? no.

 

[VTKilarney]

No tire helps when there is an ice storm. Snow? yes. ice? no.

Theoretically a studded tire helps, but I’d hate to test that theory.

 

[crank]

I had studded snow tires back in the 80's on my rear wheel drive Toyota Celica. They made a big difference. I lived South Lake Tahoe one very snowy season and never had any trouble getting around. Only put chains on when they would't let you up the pass without them.

 

[deadheadskier]

Yeah, studded tires do make quite a difference, even compared to snow tires. During my Stowe years I always opted for them. I spent most of my time in town then and well over 50% of my travel was on the dirt roads around town, which weren't always the best maintained. Studded tires just offer that much more bite compared to regular snows. Living in the flatlands now and only visiting the mountains with most of my time spent on the highways, it doesn't make a lot of sense. If I were to live in Northern VT, I'd probably go for them again.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Comparing NJ snow removal on interstates to VT snow removal on state highways? Apples and donkeys.

For one, salt is very effective at 28 degrees and near worthless at 10 degrees.

Two, NJ is the most densely populated state in America. More people live in NJ per square mile than any other state. Vermont is number 31. The cost to clear a mile of interstate in NJ per resident is 17x less in NJ (rough, simple math).

Interstates in NJ also happen to be vitally important to the US economy as a substantial portion of goods cross NJ everyday. Vermont? Not so much.

All good points.