Beautiful February morning in November

I dunno. Walking out the door with clear skies and the stars out overhead just seems a little strange for November doesn’t it?

I’ve heard more than a few comments from people wondering if they brought Alberta winters back with them from Alberta.

Be careful out there. The roads will be icy especially on north facing hills or spots shaded by buildings or trees.

The highways are all open today but again be careful, and remember highway 4 requires winter rated (snowflake) tires between October and March. I just got some amazing new Nokian all season tires that are actually ll season. They have the snowflake so can handle some snow and ice but they don’t wear down like a regular set of tires. So if you can’t afford or justify two sets of tires, consider these. We have them on our RAV4 which we do not have seperate winter tires for. They’re fantastic.

Back to weather: This weekend could potentially be very very interesting. We have quite cold air coming in for Saturday (-4C) followed by our strongest rain event of the season (130mm over 48hours) so far on Sunday evening and Monday. It should all end up as rain… But if we start out cold and that cold gets trapped it could look a lot like yesterday or worse.

Consider it a heads up. la Nina is really sockin’ it to us!

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3 responses to “Beautiful February morning in November”

  1. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Chris, I’d really like to see, in writing, where it says I am required to have winter rated tires on my truck for highway 4, actually anywhere in the province, common sense notwithstanding. And the signs on the highway don’t count as they mean nothing without a law or regulation written somewhere, which I have yet to  locate.

    So far as I know Quebec is the only province which REQUIRES snow (rated) tires in the winter.

  2. Chris Alemany Avatar

    Hi Mike:

    http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/LOC/freeside/–%20M%20–/Motor%20Vehicle%20Act%20RSBC%201996%20c.%20318/00_Act/96318_05.xml#section209

    Here is the text from the BC Motor Vehicle Act.  The regulations on Winter Tires is under “Safety Equipment”.

    Section (2) is the key section.

    Safety equipment 208 

    (1) For the purpose of this section, “winter tire” means a tire that is(a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and(b) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe.

    (2) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by public notice or by placing signs, prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with chains, winter tires or sanding devices, or a combination of these the minister considers adequate and necessary in view of prevailing road conditions.

    (3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire.”

  3. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Chris,
     And in Section (3) they make it the responsibility of the defendant to prove a tire is winter rated, but nowhere can I find information on the snowflake/mountain symbol in the Act/Regulations. And some reading now suggests that the symbol is misleading?!?!?! So it sounds like a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I know the All Terrain tires I have on my truck do fairly well in the snow, and if I’m careful (no sudden starts, stops, wheel turns) they can hold onto the ice as well.

    Funny thing is, I don’t need winter tires for around town, it’s just for getting to Port. Oh well, I do carry chains, not that I’ve ever opened the package.

    Cheers!