When Traveling in Winter Months Pack Your Snow Chains

If you are going to be driving in areas during winter months that are known for unpredictable weather, you should always make sure you pack your snow chains.

If you live high in the Rocky Mountains, you are familiar with the snow chain requirements. But, if you are the vast majority of Americans who live elsewhere, you’ll need to know what roads are likely to have chain restrictions during the winter months, particularly if you are planning an adventurous vacation.

Hitting the Net

One way to find out what the road conditions will be like for your trip is to perform an online search a day or two before your planned winter journey and find out what the weather is expected to be all along your route. Another is to find towns and cities along your trip, search for their online newspapers, and look at the weather forecasts there. Further information can usually be found at the Department of Transportation or State Patrol websites of the states you’ll be trekking.

When to Use Them

You’ll usually only need to utilize snow chains during and immediately following a snowstorm. If a lot of snow falls over a small interval of time, however, snowplows may take a while to clear the roads. It usually takes about ten minutes to attach snow chains if you’ve practiced before you head out, as you always should.

Destinations to Watch Out For

There are particular destinations that require snow chains more often. Trips to or through the Rocky or Sierra Mountains from October through May, visits to Bryce Canyon in Utah from November through March, trips to Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border, trips to Teton National Park, visits to Yellowstone or Yosemite and trips to Mount Rushmore are all common destinations often requiring snow chains. Almost all ski and snowboard destinations in Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Montana, Colorado, and California have chain requirements at some point during their high season, usually December through early March. If your vacation plans include skiing or snowboarding, make sure you have chains along with your bindings and boots.

Nothing beats planning ahead, so if there’s any question whether you’ll need chains or not, make sure you check the expected road conditions before you head out and keep your radio tuned to the local road channel along the way.

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