The driving snow

Even though I've lived through snowy winters before, this is the first time I've ever had to commute in one. And let me tell you, it is not pleasant.

This morning, the weather lady mentioned that Boston was expected to get 4-7 inches of snow, most of it landing right during the morning commute. She said, "New Englanders can handle 4-7 inches, no problem!" I, however, am not a New Englander, so I was a bit petrified at the thought of driving to work while blinded by the white stuff.

So, I got up hecka early and left my house around 6:15 this morning to drive to work. Mother nature had already been doing her thing, so I had to spend the first few minutes brushing a layer of snow off my car before gingerly exiting our parking lot. 6:15am, it turns out, is also about the time the snow plows get deployed, so some of the roads were clearer than others. I also got stuck behind a train of about 10 plows, all headed onto the highway. This actually gave me a sense of relief because I couldn't be blamed for the snail's pace at which we were traveling.

Once I got onto the freeway, all the snow on my roof slid down to cover my rear window, making it nearly impossible to see out the back or the sides (thanks to the nearly horizontal sheets of snow). So, I poked along in the slow lane and let everyone zoom past me at 25 mph.

I definitely lost control of my car a few times along the way, and that was very disconcerting, but it was nice that the car sort of corrected itself, thanks to the grooves in the snow from travelers in front of me. I'm thankful I didn't slide into a snow bank or off a bridge, but this is not an experience I need on a regular basis.

It seems like even native New Englanders also get freaked out about driving in these conditions. Some colleagues commented on how unnerving this morning's commute was and another encouraged me to get a four-wheel drive. He said, "You know how you lose control on the road all the time? In a four-wheel drive, that happens only about a quarter the amount as you experience in your car." Actually, he said "cah."