Snow Chains

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Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 06:41:10 -0800
From: "Roger Brown P.E." 
Subject: Snow rating
To: Toy4x4@tlca.org

Don M. West wrote:

> Hey, speaking of chains, any of you Calif folk get checked for snow chains
> when going to the Sierra? I don't have chains for my 31" and I hope to get
> up to the snow before Spring.....more stuff I guess I need to buy, eh?


Types of Chain Controls

During the winter months motorists may encounter chain controls in the mountain
areas of California. When chain controls are established signs along side the
road will be opened
indicating the type of requirement. There are three requirements in California.

Requirement One (R-1): Chains are required, snow tires are allowed.

Requirement Two (R-2): Chains are required on all vehicles, except four wheel
drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels. (NOTE: Four wheel drive
vehicles must carry chains in chain control areas.)

Requirement Three (R-3): Chains are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.

Full details at:
	http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm


Only one axle is required to be chained for autos, although as luck would have
it, the guy I bought my truck from didn't know this and so the truck came with
2 sets of chains (that just barely fit my 33x9.50s.  At least on highways in
the Lake Tahoe area, I think I've only seen R-3 once in 18 years, usually its
R-2 then closed if conditions deteriorate.  One tip I learned last winter was
that if you are within a closed section of highway, its OK to enter the road
from a non-closed exit.  Case in point, we had driven to a ski area on DOnner
Summit on I-80 last winter.  Later that day, the road was closed to the east
and west, but the on-ramps within the closed area were not blocked.  So, we
were able to drive home on a nearly deserted freeway.


- -- 
    Roger Brown, P.E.        mailto:rogerb@sgi.com
    +1.650.933.1898 (vmail)  +1.650.932.1898 (fax)
    http://reality.sgi.com/rogerb/

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