Driving through the snow in Westminster, Colo. on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Celia Frazier/CU Independent)
There’s a reason I don’t drive my Honda Element here in Boulder, and that is because of one thing and one thing only: winter weather.
I am from a small city near the Colorado-Utah border: Grand Junction. It’s a four-hour drive from there to here on a good day and a six to seven-hour drive on a not-so-good day. Returning from winter break, I caught a ride with a friend making the 11-hour drive back from the heat and chaos of Las Vegas. By the time we reached Glenwood Springs, heavy snowfall had turned the roads dangerous, transforming our trip back to Boulder into an awfully tense navigation through icy conditions. Lucky for us, we knew how to navigate our way through snow and ice, and here’s how you can too.
When you glance out the window and see snow falling from the sky, littering the ground like Earth’s dandruff, it’s not the time to channel your inner speed racer. On potentially icy roads, it’s crucial to drive slower and more carefully than usual. While this may seem like common sense, the fact that there are 1,836 deaths and 136,309 injuries every year due to snowy and icy roads tells me otherwise. I don’t care if you’re late to class, no class is worth dying for. Your professors would much rather you be late and alive than risk your life.
The biggest advice I can give you, dear reader, is don’t speed on icy or snowy roads, and whatever you do, don’t slam on your brakes. Doing either can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. The roads can be comparable to giant slip-and-slides after a cold, snowy day, and personally, slip-and-slides get comparably less fun when you’re in a giant moving metal car. This is why I recommend giving yourself more time to commute than you usually would, that way you have the time to go slow on the roads. For my lovely people who drive a stick-shift or manual transmission vehicle (I know you’re out there somewhere), it’s important to shift down in snowy and icy conditions, while also remaining vigilant.
The one thing that I have heard pretty consistently from my friends who drive is that they are afraid of black ice. Black ice is ice on the road that drivers can’t see because it is practically invisible. According to the U.S. Forest Service, “if you are driving and see cars suddenly swerving for no apparent reason, black ice is a likely cause.”
If you hit a patch of black ice, do not stomp on your brakes, as this will make you slide even worse. You want to remain calm and try to keep the steering wheel straight. And, as the US Forest Service says, turn your steering wheel in the same direction if you sense your car’s rear end slipping to the left or right. You are trying to get traction, but also trying to stay calm. If staying on the road isn’t a possibility, try to steer into a snow bank or something that will cause you and the car minimal damage. Black ice is no one’s best friend, but it’s not something to be losing sleep over.
Now the more mechanical side of winter essentials includes things like different tires, a snow scraper, and if you’re feeling really snazzy, a winter windshield cover. The best tires for snow are in order: all-weather, all-terrain and snow tires. Unfortunately, my friend from Las Vegas didn’t have any of the above. So, that left us on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm, wrestling with tire chains, a necessary but less-than-ideal alternative. A stranger stopped to help us, and while his assistance was appreciated, I can’t exactly recommend relying on chains or roadside good Samaritans for safety. So, if you can get one of the three options I listed above, please do! Next up, a snow scraper is meant for, you guessed it, scraping snow off of your car. It is not illegal to drive with snow on your car in the state of Colorado, but you can be pulled over if it obstructs your view or if it is causing danger to others. So put on your favorite pair of gloves and scrape the snow off of the doors, windows, and if you can, the roof of your vehicle.
I don’t think that the large majority of us are planning on driving through I-70 up to my hometown anytime soon, but it is important to exercise the same caution while just driving to class here in Boulder. Know that driving in the snow isn’t about fear, it’s about preparation and common sense. Know what to do if you start sliding on black ice, and know to keep a snow scraper or two in your car. And, if you ever find yourself stuck on the side of the road in a snowstorm, don’t rely on luck (or a helpful stranger) to bail you out. Instead, plan ahead so you never have to. Winter driving can be unpredictable, but with the right precautions, you can make it to your classes in one piece.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Opinion Editor Alexia Bailey at Alexia.Bailey@colorado.edu.
