Winter is here and with comes all inclement weather we know and love or love to hate. It’s an El Niño year, which means this winter will be wetter and more unpredictable than in recent years. While a wetter winter may sound good at first, considering the California drought, all that water can have a major impact on your ability to travel this year. Rainy, winter weather is nothing you can’t deal with as long you know what to expect and how to deal with it when it hits. To help keep driving safely all year round we’ve assembled some handy winter driving tips.
Driving in Sonoma County is a great experience any time during the year. For me, winter drives around the area are one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon. Of course, sometimes the weather makes a nice drive into a frightful one. Winter in Sonoma County often means more rain, which wouldn’t be that bad if everyone didn’t forget how to drive in the rain. Remember to increase the time you will need to brake, the wet, slippery roads will make it almost impossible to stop on a dime, especially in an RV. To that end, you will want to leave extra space between you and the car in front you. Whatever you do, avoid standing water and don’t drive through any water where the depth is unknown. It doesn’t actually take that much water to make a car get stuck or even to wash a car away. Fog is another common winter occurrence, and you will want to treat fog a lot like you would rain, be cautious. Slow down and play it safe. Use your headlights but not your bright lights. Give the road your full attention. You may think the road is clear, but often fog hides things until it’s nearly too late. Save multitasking for later.
While there isn’t much snow around most of Sonoma County, driving to Tahoe for some skiing is a great activity. Driving in snow, however, can be frustrating. To drive in snow, be very careful. You want to drive not only slowly, but also accelerate slowly as well. Increase your distance between cars by a large amount, and know how your brakes will react in the snow. If the weather is too bad, the safest tip for driving is to simply stay home.
