Considering winter is coming, where is the worst place in USA to have to chain-up?

If you are headed westbound over I-90 on Snoqualmie Pass and there is snow on the road it is best to pull into the parking lots across from the Snoqualmie Pass Ski Area and wait until the wee hours or until conditions improve. The reason is that the beginning of the westbound downslope is steep and is an elevated roadway for about 1/2 mile. Since the road freezes like a bridge it becomes a skating rink on a steep slope. The only way I'd take that "plunge" is if there is absolutely no traffic around me and likely "let her roll" as best as possible to get through that first 1/2 mile until the road is back "on the ground". Never take that section just after sunset if there is snow or water on the roadway in freezing conditions. The afternoon sun glazes the surface, then after sunset it gets extremely slick.

I've spent literally hundreds of days going up to Snoqualmie Pass to go night skiing. The hours just after sunset I'd see traffic backed up and flashing lights of emergency vehicles on the westbound lanes trying to deal with the mess. Usually about 10:00-11:00 pm they clear the disaster and get the sanding trucks busy.

 

Worst place to chain up?............... When your already stuck or in a mud hole.


OH nooooooo...........Zkiers.

 

There really is no answer to this question because it is a question that depends on the weather, traffic and time of day.

One spot that might be utter hell to chain up in, and 2 days later it might be no big deal even though you are throwing iron.

That is the deal with weather, you either drive it, or you park until conditions improve.

 

I love your graphics.

 

I hate that road in Winter, did it every week one year and was nearly killed chaining up just West of LaGrande when a car spun out passing a row of trucks in the chain up area and made me dive under the trailer behind the drives.

 

Ugg! both for sure,I do that Rainier hill on 30 just about every week, rarely snows there fortunately.
Oh and that's a 7% grade!
Good old 26 through the Mt.Hood Nat.Forest can be fun even when dry lol.
Lot's of idiot tourist drivers, Winter lots of wet snow and drunk skiers heading back to Portland.

 

FedEx should have a tow truck and shop up there lol.
Would save them money I think.
I saw four FedEx and one UPS tipped over as well as a few others on this trip.

 

I was about to mention the wooly caterpillars color - I read up that it's unrelated, but the old-timers round here beg to differ. There were snow flurries here about 2am, head of a cold front that dropped a 63 degree yesterday, to a 39 today.

 

I-80 in Wyoming is the unofficial FedEx drop yard. Especially around Elk, Wamsutter, the Girls, Laramie, etc.