A friend moved to the Western Virginia area from Minnesota. He asked some of us shortly after getting here how much snow we got and we told him it varied year to year between 10"/year to 60"/year. We mentioned that sleet, freezing rain and wet heavy snow was more common here and it was very hard to drive in going up and down the hills and mountains in the area. He of course said since he was from Minnesota he knew all about driving in it and it would be no problem for him.
First morning of the first snow of the year I found him in the ditch at the first downhill slope he came to out of our little neighborhood and of course I stopped and took him home. He was amazed at how slick it was and of course he had never been up a hill or down a hill steep hills in Minnesota.
I have been to Minnesota in the winter and that super cold dry snow is much easier to drive.
Much like the rest of the country, when we get that super-slick freezing-rain wet-ice road conditions, we get dozens upon dozens of cars that pile into each-other as well.
Really, our biggest hazard out on the highway is wind/poor-to-no visibility, much moreso than "slick". I have a full set of 4 tire-chains for my pickup but I can only think of 1 fried who also has chains, everyone else says they don't need them, which is true, until it's not.........
