If you're one of my friends in Washington, you probably hate me for saying that. But I LOVE snow. I love everything about it! Playing in it, driving in it, everything!
Speaking of driving, I have yet to mention my new transportation. I bought a 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX. Haven't really taken any pictures of it yet or anything, but I'll get to that eventually. I have NOT driven it in the snow/ice yet though I desperately want to. I really am curious to see how much the AWD will help, or well change the way a vehicle handles in the slippery stuff. And on that note, I have a product review!
The Autosock! What is it? Glad you asked, its like little booties for your car's driven tires. Its an alternative to tire chains as a traction device, and is made of a special fabric with an elastic band(think shower cap). I had never seen these before my girlfriend told me about em. She works at a bank and one of her customers told her about them. With all the snow and ice we've seen here in Washington this week, I invested in a set for my girlfriends car. She has a FWD car, and let me tell you, these things are awesome! You can install them in 5 minutes total for the pair. You simply slip them around the tire as much as you can, drive forward or back a couple feet, then stretch the rest on and you're done. The increase in traction on packed snow and ice is immediatly noticeable. Works as good as chains from the exerience we had driving around town last night, but with none of the lumpy ride you get from the chains! They do get dirty, but apparently they are machine washable. They are very light weight(they are fabric afterall), and come in a resealable plastic bag complete with elbow length gloves so you don't get yourself all dirty putting them on. If you haven't done so already, go to their website to see what size your car needs(you'll need to know the tire size on your car, i.e. 225/45/R17), and to see videos. I guess these things are all the rage in Europe.
Click here if you want to buy some Autosocks!
If you're local to Issaquah, you can find these at Integrity Auto Repair behind the Brown Bear car wash on 56th St, you'll pay a bit more, but get instant gratification.