You have nailed it - more ice. The explanation I have heard is that in most snow belts, the ground is below freezing and the snow tends to blow off before it melts.
Here in the PNW, winter is mostly above freezing and when we get snow, it hits the ground and melts - then if we get a cold snap, we get ice skating rinks on the streets and highways.
Any feedback on the Nissan Murano?
There’s definitely more ice. But I wonder about the theory that the cold ground prevents sheets of ice. Southern California isn’t that cold. Teens and twenties in the mountains (Wrightwood, Big Bear). Of course it’s the mountains. Snowfall is heavier up there than it is here near sea level.
How about this? Since the snowfall is heavier, it builds up a base of compacted snow. Melt water flows to the level of the road leaving compacted snow above it, which is easier to drive on. As the season wears on, the ice melts and/or is mixed with the snow to create slush – which is also less slippery than solid ice. I’ve noticed that even at my current low altitude, a good snow can build up a base and things are less slippery.
RAV4 = Bad. Subaru = Good. Speaking as someone who drives a brand new RAV4 for work, and owns a 2003 Forester. The “AWD” on the RAV4 is terrible, and it mostly only rains here. I don’t want to even imagine trying to drive it on snow. The front tires will often spin a little before it kicks in, even on dry pavement. Sometimes it seems like it doesn’t engage at all, and the front wheels just spin for a few seconds until I let off the gas. I have a pile of other reasons for disliking this car (engine not powerful enough, needlessly heavy, ridiculously small carrying/towing capacity), but basically if you’re buying a vehicle for its 4x4 capabilities, look elsewhere.
By comparison, I took my Subaru to Edmonton in the winter (where they don’t plow residential streets), and I had to work to make it slide. Granted you have said that the nearest Subaru dealer is 5 hours away, but you will probably spend more time than that pulling a RAV4 out of the ditch, so it just might be worth it.
I can’t comment on the Honda or the Hyundai.
(bolding mine)
Huh? We have snow and ice from mid-October through April, and I would never, ever try to drive under those conditions on summer tires (unless I had snow chains). Even with 4WD.
Now this rant may be better suited in one of the mini-rant threads, but every friggin’ fall we have a total chaos at first sight of snow. There’s just this big bunch of stupid who try to get to work on summer tires instead of spending that extra three-quarters of an hour changing tires when they wake up to 10cm of slippery snow on top of the pavement. The ditches are littered with stupid who tried to get to work on summer tires. 4WD gives you better traction forward, but sideways and when you’re braking, you might as well drive front or rear wheel drive. There is no difference. Two days after the snowfall, even stupid has realized that summer tires on snow and ice is essentially a Very Bad Idea™, changed to snow tires and traffic is good again.
Darn, missed the edit window.
ETA: For driving in snow, good tires and ground clearance is a lot more important than 4WD. For driving on ice, good tires (preferably studded if it’s allowed where you live) are a lot more important than 4WD. One of our cars is a small front wheel drive Toyota, and even on studless snow tires I’m a lot safer on snow and ice in that one than what stupid driving a SUV with summer tires is. In that little Toyota I can drive by SUV stupid lying in the ditch, and I can drive by SUV stupid stuck on hilltops.