Perceived conditions

[nowty]

I have to +1 on the AWD EV on ice too.

Last weekend in the frozen North of my folks local load it was solid ice when I left. I was panicking a bit as I knew there was some "slip" mode on the Tesla for starting off in snow and I did not know where the option in the menu was.

I started off anyway and its like the ice was not even there. I thought I'd have a bit of fun and blip the accelerator, its just drove at very low power, crawling along in full control with no perceptible wheelspin at all.

So I decided to floor it, which is usually not for the faint hearted.

Still the same.

Only drawback is the fun's gone and no handbrake for spinning it, which is probably a good thing at my age.

[Moxi]

ahh so there is some augmented power control then - very nice!

Moxi

[Countrypaul]

I found that the worst temperature for drivng in snow/ice was between about 0C and -5C so quite typical of what we in the UK often experience. When I lived in switzerland during the colder period, typical temperatures were -10C to -15C and the car, a Montego estate (!) was much more confident on the road then at the usual UK sort of temperatures. One night they had a warm spell (well -1 to +2C) with rain on what was a frozen landscape, the result in the morning was what we typically experience here when a warm front appears after a very cold spell. All the locals seemed surprised when I turned up on time in the morning as usual and were commenting on how bad the roads were and how many accidents there had been that morning.

I suspect that once the temperature gets down to -10C or below conditions change to less slippery as there is ver little liquid water around. When temperatures get very low, I have heard that putting salt down makes little difference, but grit does help.

[Fintray]

You're right, I've always found it better to be driving when it is really cold and the snow is hard and compact, as soon as the snow starts to give under the weight of the vehicle is when the problems start.

[Mr Gus]

For a human in skis / board, we lean back & lift the tips in order to float the crust & not break throiugh & sink up to our waists.
A car cannot do that therefore the crawl method is employed, the abs on a merc smart car has to be rejigged (add on doo-dad) to temporarily enable winter snow weather inclines & the like as its programming is not prepared for it.

As / when we lean into a predominant percentage of ev's on roads I anticipate more finesse with winter dtriving power to wheels / awd, its likely a small concern at the moment as it already reacts pretty well with AWD / regular EV.

Of course connectivity may result in restricted speeds applied over the air in certain conditions & motorways latterly such is maybe the early implementation of the word "smart" in some motorways, ..such as slower speeds in fog etc, which would need on the spot sensor data rather than the bbc weather man as a measuring stick.

I look forward to the day when a sensible roadworks convoy setting limits "ghost" tailback events (type thing) an event of the past.

But, that would likely be implemented & hashed up by some nerk in govt whose transport is an ice jag, chauffeur driven with a police escort, not from folk with experience, just a coppers dream list of more things they wish not to do.

If an app can relay reduced speed on your normal routey ou could then hopefully, depart earlier / re-route a deemed "clear" run, ..tesla is already playing with live weather stats (hopefully others too).

Maybe, someone will note the difference between AWD traction early on & give those cars a speed / torque boost due to perceived car capabilities over single motor set ups!?

...
Frost & snow not thawed, though *some* sun, temps sticking low on fens edge.
milk run on e-scooter imminent. (torque noticeably restricting me to 12 mph max currently, sensibly)

[Joeboy]

The washing machine lives out in the garage. Been frozen past two days or maybe its three....

Anyway, melted today so Hoo Fat's Chinese style laundry was in full swing and I was left in charge A new record, three airers on the go! WBS providing heat and dehumidifier keeping it all dry.

With the lower performance of the storage batteries in these extreme cold temps it has become vital to manage the actual power use at the home. Days when I'd breeze across the 21.30 hrs tou line with near half a SOC capacity intact are gone. Its been an interesting learning curve these few days.

[chris_n]

I find the perception of cold very different here in Austria to the UK. When it's round about freezing the humidity here is generally much lower ( I lived close to North Sea in UK) and just doesn't chill the same way, the lack of wind in the valleys is particularly noticeable. Earlier in the week it was -14 in the village so yes that feels a little cold but not massively so. Skiing in the same temp the day before feels cold on exposed skin due to wind chill (especially when I'm trying to keep up with my lunatic son who coaches at the local race club). Warmed up to -5 the next day and taking dogs out is done without hats gloves etc with just a small soft shell jacket.

[Mr Gus]

Our washer froze today on the goddamn cold inlet, ..exactly why I wanted a dual H&C ..for this sort of thing!

Currently it is minus 7c here & we havent hit peak low tonight in all likelihood.

Yes, i'm still in shorts.
Moisture outdoors was measuring 96%

Mons le tank is not happy about the weather, its getting to both dogs & pee time has been conducted on a lightning basis.
For it to get so low here it must be in for a few days more.

[Moxi]

Hang in there Mr G, the warm air is coming - a quick flurry of snow as the warm moist hair slams into the cold air and then tomorrow we are all going to be warmer and here in Wales, at least, a lot wetter!

Our cold water supply enters the house on the exposed south wall of the cottage and despite copious lagging 4" does still tend to freeze at the stop cock and point where the pipe exits the ground on very cold nights or after several sub zero days - we have an outdoor electrical socket nearby and I am deployed with a big thick coat and the hair dryer to gently warm things and return the water flow.

Most of the time though we are up enough times in the night sorting out the baby or the toddlers to be able to flip the cold tap on in the bathroom for a few seconds to keep things from freezing.

I tried to enclose the pipe in a 4" soil pipe with a slit cut in it and back filled with insulation one year but that didn't work so then it got wrapped in silver foil bubble wrap style insulation which has worked the best. I did consider trace heating but that seemed more hassle than the hair dryer solution - if i get time and materials come to hand I may try to box the pipe in again with a larger enclosure and more insulation including digging down the first 12" of soil to insulate too - but as its not often we get this weather its low on the list and normally I only remember it after the event!

Moxi

[Stinsy]

We too are going from Daytime Highs of -4℃ to overnight lows of 12℃ next week!

It'll feel like summer!