Snow driving question

[Mojooo]

I need to do a journey tonight.

Southampton to Heathrow Airport.

It is snowing heavily in Southampton now.

We were going to leave at 5 (normal weather) but will now have to leave at 3 I think and go slow

Question is are we betetr off going in the snow while there are less cars or is it better to wait til later on and more cars have already gone over it all?

Do you thin kthe motorways wil be ok at 3/4am or will they set like normal roads? or worse will they be all crushed/compacted like they get when trafffic starts as normal?

[FasterFreddy]

Have a look at the traffic cameras:

http://www.trafficengland.co.uk

If it was me and I really had to make the journey, I'd do it when there was minimum traffic, but it would also depend on what car and tyres I had.

Also consider the return journey. It just takes one jack-knifed truck to spoil it for everyone...

Edited by FasterFreddy on Thursday 2nd December 00:21

[EDLT]

You may run in to cars that are planning on being stuck/abandoned overnight.

[Some Gump]

Earlir the better. sfter all, it's never your speed that slows down a winter journey, it's "all them other tossers".


Hope you hav a safe journey and a good flight.

[Efbe]

earlier the better. before dark sets in and the vampires come out. (also frost+ice)

[Mojooo]

I am just dropping someone off. but we are unsure if the flight will get cancelled!

I am prepared to be stuck in traffic on the way back

I am a bit paranoid about driving in the snow as I have had some near misses last time. My car is not great in it either (fiesta)

I had a look at some traffic cams but they dont show the kind of detail i hoped for.

cheers

[Gizmo!]

Far better to go earlier. In fact - go now. Take it hugely, massively easy.

Beware above all, sheet ice under fresh snow.

[groomi]

Go when there is least traffic. You need to keep (slow) momentum in snow and that's impossible in stop-start traffic.

[Bristol Rover]

Early, before the Mongs get on the road

[dipstic]

stay at home,I have been home for half an hour (winchester area)Its bad out there even the M3 is hairy, good luck if you decide to risk it.

[Mojooo]

what parts of the M3 have you been on?

its always hairy near winchester, must be the altitude?

i did winchester to southampton to portsmouth yesterday and it was only snowling like mad in winchester!

[dipstic]

hi Reading to Winchester via Basingstoke to be fair the snow got worse the nearer I got to Winchester but according to forecast the snow is moving towards Reading/Heathrow area and there was only one clear lane on the motorway and that was over a hour ago and its still snowing here (Winchester). After being out in the snow this evening I would advise you to stay at home,unless your Fiesta is one of the rare 4 wheel drive ones

Edited by dipstic on Thursday 2nd December 01:19

[obscene]

Fiestas are fine. Just take it bloody slowly. Did reading-Newcastle today... Took 9 hours though!

[Mojooo]

m3 is closed eastbound due to a jacknifed lorry

is eastbound going up or down!!

[Gwagon111]

Eastbound is towards London. I'd avoid it if I were you. Try the A3 there's less mongs crashing on the A3 in the wee small hours.

[K77 CTR]

I would avoid the A3, last year when it snowed it was horrendous. In all honesty I wouldn't even attempt it but if you really have to, I would go as early as possible. Snowing very heavily around Fareham, have approx 5-7cm already.

[Mojooo]

if i cannot go on the m3 then i wont bother, wont attempy to touch any of the roads running parallel

will have to be the train but i dont think we can get to waterloo in time!

most frustrating is that the airline (Qatar) havent annouced any cancelltions so we are unsure)

person that is going can stay in england longer but doesnt want to risk losing financially for not turning up to flight.

[Gwagon111]

The trains are even more Fubard than the roads. Welcome to useless Britain in the snow.

Edited by Gwagon111 on Thursday 2nd December 01:51

[Mojooo]

traffic england now showing nothing on the m3. before it said it was closed til 5am

bbc website still showing a closure

[SLCZ3]

Mojooo said:

My car is not great in it either (fiesta)

Had a fiesta for awhile earlier this year when all the snow fell, excellent in snow, with quite new sp sports tyres, never had a problem at all. Even my daughter with only 6 months driving experience had very little trouble navigating through the different snow/ice/stranded car and truck situations.