Driving in cold weather/snow for the first time.

Another WI native says:

Bring your cell phone power adapter.

Put low-temp wiper fluid into the wiper fluid tank. The usual warm-climate stuff can freeze, which may damage the pump.

Accelerate and brake slowly. Carry a bag of sand in the trunk. Make sure that the two best tires are in the rear, to help prevent fishtailing.

Remember that the Prius is not a snowplow. If you forget this you will get stuck or damage the grille or undercarriage shields.

 

I disagree. You can get away with all-seasons in a light snow on flat terrain, but if you're driving in real snow, you need real snow tires. All the driver skill in the world cannot make up for a poorly equipped car.

Me too. It's not my driving skills I'm worried about, it's everyone else's. And their poorly-equipped vehicles.

 

Once snow starts to hit the undercarriage of the Prius, it will be very difficult for the car to keep moving. Being a smaller car and lighter, I would wait until all the snow plows had done their job. If I don't have to go in an emergency, I'll usually camp in .

 

That is how I got stuck twice last winter at my hobby farm. As long as the snow was fresh and fluffy, I had no problem charging down the gravel side road.

Once I got closer to the highway, where most of the neighbors live, I hit the ruts and churned up snow caused by vehicle traffic. That was when I got into trouble

By the time I got to the highway, which was drifted over, I ground to a stop. It's weird to hear the hard snow crunching and scraping underneath the car. When I came to a stop, I could *not* rock the car, it refused to do so. I had to call a neighbor for help. Good thing MTS has reliable digital coverage in that area