OMG! It’s going to SNOW in Charlotte….
becomes a popular post you might see today… over and over again. With all the fun with the “snow” there
are some important tips you should know. As Realtor, people moving here always ask, “How many times a does it snow in Charlotte?”
I would say on average we might get two good snow falls a year. Today is one of those days…. be careful out there.
Snow Charlotte Tip ONE:
Your 4- wheel drive snow proof car doesn’t make you invincible in the snow. Four wheel drive is going to give you more tourque to make it through the snowy conditions, it isn’t going to be SUPERSUV and help you brake faster when you are driving too fast in the snow.
Snow Charlotte Tip TWO:
Preparing your car for snow. Hopefully, you’ve planned in advance for this day. Otherwise, ……To ready your car for the winter, check that each of your tires has at least a 6/32-inch (4.8-millimeter) deep tread. All weather tires can handle most conditions. Check your antifreeze levels and battery power and make sure that your defroster and rear window defogger work. As far as the inside of your car goes, purchase a snow shovel and kitty litter or sand for digging yourself out of a jam and giving your vehicle traction. Flares, a flashlight and a snow scraper should also be kept in your car. Also good to have the snow scrapper outside your car, cause when your trunk is iced in that isn’t going to help you. Finally, you can always ask a friend who is a snow expert for their advice.
SNOW Charlotte Tip THREE:
Driving too closely. This might sound like common sense. But, you actually want to double (or if you want to be really cautious — triple) your normal distance between cars, giving yourself a minimum braking distance of six seconds. Put another way, for every 10 mph (16 kph) you’re traveling, you should give yourself four car lengths of space. So if you’re traveling at 30 mph (48 kph), you should have 12 car lengths between you and the vehicle ahead of you.
SNOW Charlotte Tip FOUR:
Slamming on the brakes. YIKES! Don’t do this.
When you feel your tires start to slip, it’s easy to panic and slam on the brakes. Don’t do it — this removes traction from your tires, taking away your ability to control your vehicle.
Once you’ve lost traction and your wheels are locked up, slamming your brakes won’t change the situation. What you should do when you feel yourself begin to skid is ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down on its own. A moving tire means that there is still some traction, which is what you need to steer yourself out of a collision.
If braking is required and your vehicle comes with an anti-lock brake system, brake with steady, even pressure. If your car doesn’t have ABS, then you should pump the brakes by quickly braking again and again.
When handling snow-covered corners, you should begin a steady braking as you approach the turn. Once in the corner, ease off the brakes and use the car’s remaining traction to steer through the turn.
Now for the fun part!
FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE SNOW, CHARLOTTE
Other than making a traditional snowman, or snow ball fight I wanted to post some cute pictures you can try on your own! I would love it you come up with your own creative snow artwork and post it to my page!!
Danielle Edwards is a Realtor w/ REMAX EXECUTIVE, Charlotte, NC. If you are looking for a Realtor or just want information on living in Charlotte she is happy to help!. Danielle covers selling, buying, renting AND can refer agents across the world and commercial real estate.
704-604-2999
danielleedwards@remax.net