Sacramento to Tahoe in snowstorm, need advice

next Tue, wed and thu will be stormy. ALL - 80, 50, 88 and 89 will require chains - if you don't have an SUV. In terms of which roads get cleared first - imho - it is 80 followed by 50 followed by 88. 

Every place i've ever seen won't let you return chains.  Even if they are not used.  Another option is the bay area ski bus which stops in sacramento/folsom.  It's going up on Monday and wednesday.  http://www.bayareaskibus.com/index.cfm/schedule.htm

You don't necessarily need an SUV, you just need a car with AWD and M+S tires.  In general, Cal Trans does not mess around with chain controls if it's anywhere close to questionable - they'll be on the 80 and 50 for sure next week.

You don't need to know how to put chains on. There are guys out on the freeway right before the chain check that will put them on for you for $20-30. But I'm pretty sure they don't sell chains. So buy them beforehand. And as bullhorn points out, most places that sell chains do not accept returns, even if unused.

Walmart ad? Walmart has cheap chains. Plus the Walmart trucks haul ass up 80 in a storm. Follow one of them up the hill. Carefully.
I love getting windshield face shots!
Eric

As someone who drives up the 80 in the snow quite frequently, let me follow this up by saying you should do the exact opposite of this.  Why on earth would you sit in the right lane with all of the Walmart and FedEx trucks?
 

 

I just drove I-80 on 29 Feb.  Had chains on from Colfax to Truckee (~50 miles).  Putting on chains and driving 20-30mph in the middle of the night added almost three hours to my trip (got to Reno a little after midnight).  The guys putting on chains were charging $30.  I made the mistake of having a front wheel drive Mazda3 with summer tires.  I got chains a few seasons back from Autozone and they were too big (this eventually caused minor damage outside of my wheel-well).  Make sure they fit and you know how to put them on!  They guys putting on chains also offered to sell you chains and put them on for $80.  Bring a tarp to lay down next to your car to keep dry while you are putting the chains on.  I would also suggest extra chain tensioners and some twist ties to take up any extra slack in the chains (there shouldn't be if you have good fitting chains).  I would also have a flashlight or headlamp so you can see what you are doing at night.  Watch some youtube videos on how to put on chains.  If you haven't put on chains before, $30 in the middle of a storm at night is probably worth it (watch the guy put them on so you know how if you need them on/off again).

 

After all of that, I wanted to trade my Mazda3 in for a Subaru (with snow tires) that weekend ...

I am not that serious about following trucks. But with chains I keep my speed under 35 no matter what. I prefer to drive where there are no other vehicles near me. But trucks have a higher and sometimes better view in low visibility. The high trailer lights can offer direction in a whiteout. Walmart trucks have moved along near my 35mph limit. Trucks can sometimes be a useful tool.
Truck crashes are usually what closes 80. Follow with care.
Eric

I paid a chain monkey to teach my son how to put on chains. That was entertaining for all of us!
Chain up in the garage and it's not too bad. That doesn't work if your garage is in SF.
Personally I don't mind chains. Stopping with chains may be better than AWD braking. But why is the chain up area always in a small lake?
Eric

 

In my experience, it is more often SUVs with big fat bald tires that drive themselves into the snowbank near the Donner Lake Interchange. Although a jack-knifed tractor trailer will do it quickly too.

Same reason it is always raining/sleeting/snowing at the chain-up area.

 

If you are going to put chains on, here are some things to have with you:

 

Knee pads

Headlamp

Waterproof pants and jacket (preferably not the gear you plan to ski in the next day, but it will do in a pinch)

Rubberized gloves or at least some sort of non-ski gloves

Small tarp or other material to kneel on

spare Bungee cords or other tensioning device

Optional:

Umbrella and assistant to hold it

One of those cyalume sticks in place of or in addition to headlamp

Towel to dry off when you're done

$30 cash for a chain monkey to do it for you (I'd probably refrain from calling them 'chain monkey' to their face)

 

Practicing in your dry clean driveway or garage is a great thing to do. Plus that way if you have spare chain, you can cut it off so it doesn't slap against your bodywork and ruin your paint.

 

Oh, and make sure you know which set of wheels drive your car. I have seen chains on the front wheels of RWD cars and vice versa. It's funny if you're not the one in the car.

Also, if you pay someone else to put chains on your car, make sure to hand over your man-card along with the $30. 

 

Just kidding.  Well, kind of.

Uh, yeah.

 

Basically if there's *any* snow accumulation then chain controls will be in place.
 

 

Edited by JayT - 3/8/12 at 11:02pm

Isn't the Caltrans motto "if it rains, the mountains need chains." If it is a warm rain in the mountains storm don't be surprised to see chains required. That's where the AWD really pays off.
What are Spikes Spiders? Are they easy to install?
I once got through chain control by tying a rope through my wheel. Worked OK for traction and they were relatively easy to install. But they didn't last well. Removal was not an issue.
Eric

Is putting chains on in violation of the rental agreement?

 

Usually, yes.