Been four hours stuck in snow in kent

[Stuckinsnowinkent]

We have been stuck in Chatham now for four hours. Got about 7 miles maybe? Think we will be stuck in the car overnight now.

It snowed about 3-4 inches in one hour.

Yes it will have more power to get uphill. But also more likely to go over on its side. It has a higher centre of gravity.

Lots of four wheel drive car owners are inept. A couple of years ago, we had serious snow, which melted partially, froze and then there was more snow.

A guy in a Landover had 4 WD engaged and had his foot to the floor, trying to get out of a parking space. I made her wait, as I was thinking that eventually, he'd melt his way through, grip the tarmac and shoot away.

I was worried he'd lose control and hit us, or a car. After a bit, he did shoot out, skidding this way and that, before coming to a halt.

And the revving the engine, digging himself in, the prat.

should have gone to this pub!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-63941122

That's really not a lot of snow. I live in the Pennines and we regularly get that much in an hour. Last year we had 10ft drifts from around 18 inches of fallen snow overnight.

The met office warning system isn't about predicting how much snow/rain/wind will occur. It's an impact based system.
The grid plots likelihood of impact v severity of impact. This would never have been a red warning, but my personal opinion is that it should have been upgraded to an amber warning based on increased likelihood of the event happening.
Todays SE grid for an ice warning for an example as how it works.

fannyfartlet

Yes, the RAF was using helicopters to deliver food and water round Alston.

My wife is from a cold country and was utterly bemused, when they had 3mm of snow in London and Heathrow closed.

The local news were interviewing people in Middleton in Teesdale, which over a foot. They spoke to a woman, after she'd driven up a steep hill, in an old Micra.

She was shaking her head, with a look of disbelief and saying, "What's wrong with them down there?"

I know people that live on a main arterial route to a local hospital in Kent. Not a major A&E, but still one that ambulances go to regularly. Consequently it's a major gritting route.

Yesterday I don't know what happened, but for the first time in over 30 years the road was impassable. I think the combination of lack of forecasted snow (yes the Met Office had a weather warning out, but the forecasts didn't actually show it for my friend's area), plus the speed of the snowfall (must have been about 4 inches in an hour) meant the roads (and any grit that had been laid) just couldn't cope.

The ploughs have been along now and all is running again, but the lack of forecast and the speed of the snow just caused chaos.

Glad you managed to escape Chatham OP - it's not somewhere I'd want to be stranded!

The day I overtook a stuck landrover on a snowy and icy hill, in my rear wheel drive, automatic BMW, is one of my proudest days!

(I'm not entirely convinced I could do it again, mind you!)

@Untitledsquatboulder You just proved my point. If they had gritted the roads before the incident, then people wouldn't have been driving on ice and slush and getting backed up or abandoning their cars.

Besides, this was only 3 inches of snow. That's nothing compared to most places. If the authorities had gritted the roads there would've likely been less back ups, collisions, spin outs and dangerous driving conditions. They need to fix their shit.

AtomicRitual

The day I overtook a stuck landrover on a snowy and icy hill, in my rear wheel drive, automatic BMW, is one of my proudest days! (I'm not entirely convinced I could do it again, mind you!)

I bet you could!

There was a gritter, stuck in the jams! Also a snow plough. At hour 6. but they had no chance to get near bluebell hill. I have no idea how the police managed to get into Central Chatham either. Maybe it was already there before it got gridlocked.

What didn't help was any information on how to get to the motorway. So you couldn't tell what roads was impassable. In hindsight Twitter would have helped. Or the local FB pages but I wasn't thinking straight.

@JingsMahBucket no, it's not as simple as that. The effectiveness of grit depends on traffic levels, temperature, the amount of snow and the rate at which it falls. Its not some universal bloody panacea. Whether it would have helped in some of the situations described above I don't know - and neither do you. Fact is, we don't even know where was gritted, and when.

And in which Utopian area do you live?

I have grown up off roading, testing 4x4 to the utter limits and besides ones that have driven straight of cliffs I have NEVER seen one roll.

Also many come with roll monitors, ours all did.

Plus if they roll (aformentioned ones deliberately drivern off cliffs during competitions) theres little to no damage (the danger risk is loose items in the cab that become projectiles) and many can be driven away again once they are rolled back on their wheels as they are built for that risk unlike small cars.

A small car skidding is far more dangerous and common than a 4x4 randomly 'rolling'. I mean what do you think happens in snow that could possibly cause a car litrally designed to deal with mountain terrains (including snow) to suddenly tip over for no reason?

@mam0918 you are wrong. Live in very cold countries. Locals there do not drive 4x4 and laugh at all the tourists who hire them to get about.
You are much more likely to come off the road with a 4x4. Go through the Rockies in early winter. It will be tourists in 4x4 with cars off the road.
4x4 has more power and clearance underneath. But has a higher centre of gravity. You are slightly less likely to skid with a 4x4, but more likely to come off the road.
Best thing to stop you skidding though is proper winter tyres.

Those complaining about the op out in the snow should note that driving in the snow is fine. I did it last night but I use winter tyres. My progress was only impeded by Muppets out on summer tyres either crashing or getting stick or simply crawling at 20mph. We need to take the German approach and ban summer tyres in the winter.

I got stuck one year driving home from work. Was absolutely fine, got to a hill and someone was trying to crawl up it. I couldn't overtake them, so lost momentum and that was it
Had a little Fiat uno at the time and it did great up until then!
Walked the rest of the way home and a usual 30 min journey took me 4hrs
But I started driving when I lived up on the moors and the snow was always awful so I got a lot of practice and having such a small light car paid off

Absolutely correct I was cruising past 4x4 last night in my standard fwd but winter tyres shod estate car. You wouldn't go out in the winder without a coat same should go for rubber choice on a car.

Yes, we alway change to winter tyres on our cars as it is safer. It should be mandatory for all cars

I always think the same when people insist they need a 4x4 to drive around rural muddy areas. Our ancient ford escort was brilliant driving through muddy fields.

4x4 are brilliant in areas where you have to go through streams as they have the clearance. That is when smaller lighter cars are buggered.

People talking and winter tyres...

Do you get two sets of wheels, and change the wheels twice a year?
Go to a garage?

How does it work, practically speaking?

Depends where you live. Normally you'd never need them for more than one day a year in the south of England. Better to stay at home for one day - it's not worth the visits to the garage to swap the tyres over. In the depths of the Yorkshire Dales, it might be different.

Absolutely this. It's a weekend so they probably thought stuff that!!

picklemewalnuts · Today 14:44

^Do you get two sets of wheels, and change the wheels twice a year?
Go to a garage?^

There's a little garage round the corner for us and he advertises winter tyres. He doesn't store the summer ones, but he will help you put them in your boot.

Thanks, Sinner! I'm of the 'stay home' frame of mind at the moment!