Let's talk about snow.

[RaisedByWolves]

Mama and Pedro, indeed many places are festering with liberals these days. 

"The government is taking care of you."
Was that a surreptitious jibe at town dwellers, Mac?

Paul, that all makes good sense. I hadn't thought about elevation. (duh! shortsighted Floridian)The weather is one of the few concerns I have in making the move, so the idea that it should be least of my worries is definitely encouraging. And indeed my wife is certainly on board. In judging the plausibility and necessity of making the move, I used her personal viewpoint on the upcoming developments in world events as the deciding factor. So not to worry, I won't be driving into WY with a woman chained to the roof.

[Old Ironsights]

Mama and Pedro, indeed many places are festering with liberals these days. 

"The government is taking care of you."
Was that a surreptitious jibe at town dwellers, Mac?

Paul, that all makes good sense. I hadn't thought about elevation. (duh! shortsighted Floridian)The weather is one of the few concerns I have in making the move, so the idea that it should be least of my worries is definitely encouraging. And indeed my wife is certainly on board. In judging the plausibility and necessity of making the move, I used her personal viewpoint on the upcoming developments in world events as the deciding factor. So not to worry, I won't be driving into WY with a woman chained to the roof.

It's not hard for a sea-level dweller to acclimate to high altitude/low oxygen... just put your head in a plastic bag before you go jogging... 

(Actually, wearing any sort of air-flow restrictive mask while jogging DOES help. Pick up a NIOSH paper filter mask at the hardware store to wear while working out...) 

[MamaLiberty]

I won't be driving into WY with a woman chained to the roof.

I'm right glad to hear that.

But the mental image made me laugh. Just wait until she meets Wyoming women. If she's on board now, watch out!! LOL

[Old Ironsights]

I won't be driving into WY with a woman chained to the roof.

I'm right glad to hear that.

But the mental image made me laugh. Just wait until she meets Wyoming women. If she's on board now, watch out!! LOL

Aunt Edna?

Better than chained to the bumper...   

[biathlon]

The resta the group is obviously off their meds or suffering from some sort of dimentia!
Embrace the snow and cold. It's beautiful and FUN!! No bugs. No sweat. Mrs RaisedbyWolves gets to buy a whole new wardrobe.
The skiing here is world class! Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, I could go on and on. Good excuse not to go to work. 

[FlyingDevildog]

The resta the group is obviously off their meds or suffering from some sort of dimentia!
Embrace the snow and cold. It's beautiful and FUN!! No bugs. No sweat. Mrs RaisedbyWolves gets to buy a whole new wardrobe.
The skiing here is world class! Snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, I could go on and on. Good excuse not to go to work. 

Saids the snow bunny


Woof

Dawg

[Trenks]

I lived in WI most of my life an hour from Lake Michigan and I never owned a 4x4 there. We got a shit load of snow. I lived on a farm 10 miles outside of town and we drove all the time in the winter on country roads (10 cars per day), lots of times when there was only an inch or two the road wouldn't even have been plowed and we'd drive on it. We had pickups that weren't 4x4 on the farm. In my opinion its over rated. I have 4x4 on my Bronco here in NH (I'm moving today!!) and I only had to use it twice last winter. But last winter was weak as hell across the nation. I don't live in WY yet but I can't imagine its that different in terms of snow. My employer was telling me that the snow here is more powdery and it blows away right away, but that it can be really slippery. So not as much slush I guess. But he was talking about Casper. Does the snow really vary that much region to region in WY? Think about it, there probably is no place in the entire country where there is more than a handful of big snowstorms during the winter in which you would want to have a 4x4. Most places where it snows there are on average only a few of these cases per year.

I wouldn't worry about it. 4x4 comes in handy if you are launching boats on steep ramps or pulling something through the mud or mudding or plowing or pulling someone out, or if there is a snowstorm and you really need to drive in it. Not much other than that. If after the first winter using just a car you decide you want 4x4, go for it.

People mostly are risk averse, that's why everyone in Fort Collins has a Subaru. So what, there's a little bit greater risk you get stuck or can't go as fast on the freeway. Big deal. 4x4 has disadvantages too you know. Gas mileage, more potential mechanical issues are two I know of.

[MamaLiberty]

The big difference with our snow and cold is that we don't have the monster "lake effect," the wet, heavy snow or ice storms so common in some parts of the east. It's dry here, all year round.

If this old gal from the So. Calif. desert can adapt, anyone else should be able to with not too much effort. It's a state of mind more than anything else.

[Crappiewy]

I dont have a 4x4 and 90% of the time there is really no need for them if you live in a town. If you live outside of town they are mandatory and There are times when the roads are nothing but Ice and the only way to drive over them is with 4x4 and chains.

[clemmac]

If you live outside of town they are mandatory and There are times when the roads are nothing but Ice and the only way to drive over them is with 4x4 and chains.

County roads sometimes don't get plowed for several days and then even the 4x4 pickup isn't enough.  We have been snowbound for several day at least three times in our 20 years here.  A big tractor and some good attachments help things get back to normal.

Wyoming is a wonderful place to live !

[Cyclonesteve]

If you live outside of town they are mandatory and There are times when the roads are nothing but Ice and the only way to drive over them is with 4x4 and chains.

County roads sometimes don't get plowed for several days and then even the 4x4 pickup isn't enough.  We have been snowbound for several day at least three times in our 20 years here.  A big tractor and some good attachments help things get back to normal.

Wyoming is a wonderful place to live !

I like the idea of 4x4 trucks (they look cool) but I don't like the idea of paying 20% more() for both the vehicle & mainanance for 20 years for three bad storms. It might be cheaper to rent a helocopter 3 times.

[clemmac]

I like the idea of 4x4 trucks (they look cool) but I don't like the idea of paying 20% more() for both the vehicle & mainanance for 20 years for three bad storms. It might be cheaper to rent a helocopter 3 times.

I agree that 4x4 outfits may cost more, burn more fuel and be more costly to maintain.  We use our 4x4 outfit(s) in a cow-calf operation, we drive through soggy wet pastures and hay fields and haul ranch related stuff around the place. It's a definite convenience to be able to get out of a soft spot by yourself instead of walking miles to get the tractor and help, to get out of the mud.  We probably could get by with a two wheel drive machine or even get a team and do the work the old way. You'll need to find what works for you, in your particular situation and go from there. 

[Paul Bonneau]

It actually depends on where you live, your specific situation.

For the most part, 2WD works just fine in Wyoming, and I can easily drive from our house back and forth to Cody, and all over the place. However the last bit by our house, going uphill on gravel with packed snow, I've often wished I had 4WD. But I never wished for it enough to actually go out and buy one. Instead, on those days I can't drive up to the house, I just park on the highway and walk up. It's usually a nice walk. Now, that wouldn't be viable if the walk was a couple miles rather than a couple of tenths of a mile.

One pattern I've seen over and over is that it's clear sailing on the highways, packed snow in town. In town there is more traffic and when it snows it immediately gets packed down, while out of town the wind more easily blows the snow off the road.

I wouldn't buy 4WD unless I tried going without it for a while, where I was going to live. Unless you really just like having it, which is a different thing.

<later> Sheesh, I see I already posted on this one. I need to pay attention more...

[KTKEWW]

At least you are consistent Paul, you are allowed to forget what you have said if it was the truth, and it will always come out the same.

[manfromnevada]

Where I live, having a 4WD truck with chains is mandatory. I have to plow 2 miles of road and my driveway is a 20% grade.
Also use it during the summer to drag trees to burning locations after I cut them down. A 2WD truck won't even go up my driveway in dry conditions without throwing rock out into the next county.

Living in town on plowed level streets is a totally different situation.

Mac