How to drive in the snow...

In my backyard with my pups Brutus (pug) and Breaker (lab). They give me kisses.

Welp. It is finally happening. I was a little bit jealous of the west side of the state (greater Seattle area) because they were kicking our bootays earlier this week in the snow-department. Hrmph. That's our job! This is precisely what the inland northwest is KNOWN for. Snow. Lots of it. Hrmph.

(insert dramatic operatic music here)

SNOW DAY!!!!! Even though the Seattle area is facing a combination of "Snow-pocalypse 2012" AND an "ice storm" at the moment, we're getting ours. Boo ya. Spokane Public Schools hardly ever cancels school, and today they did it. My prayers have been answered. I feel so much more justified today as I sleep in, sit on the couch, and "grade papers" (ok...let's be honest...watch Dexter on DVD).

The only negative? We were going to have a Semester Break Day on January 30. This is actually a very, very valuable day (teachers, I know you understand). It is a day when I can actually finalize grades, write real comments instead of picking pre-made cheesy ones, and prepare for a new semester. Unfortunately, it also served as a snow make-up day. So we'll lose it to make up for this one. Bummer city.

{Oh yeah...the title of this post. Almost forgot.}

This is a pic I took from my car window yesterday afternoon.

Driving Tip #1) In the words of my father, when driving in the snow, "Be a steady Eddie, not a frantic Fred." Well said, Pops.

Driving Tip #2) Keep your foot on the gas. Don't be a weenie. Be bold. Cocky, almost. This will help you.

Driving Tip #3) If you don't have anti-lock brakes (does this even apply to anyone anymore?), pump 'em. If you do have ALBs, don't pump. Let the ANTI-LOCK feature do that for you.

Driving Tip #4) Steer through it. This is pretty important on turns. Just go for it (See Tip #2).

Driving Tip #5) Avoid stopping on a hill at all costs. In Spokane, you can pretty much plan an alternate route for anywhere you want to go that won't involve hills. Sorry Seattle-ites. This isn't really an option for you...

Driving Tip #6) If the light is yellow and about to turn red, keep going. Even if they snap a photo of your car with one of those fancy-schmancy red light cameras, isn't your license plate completely covered in snow? Don't worry, they won't find you.

Driving Tip #7) Make sure you carry with you at all times: A hefty car scraper. Nice gloves. Boots.

Driving Tip #8) Don't be afraid to drive five to ten miles per hour UNDER the speed limit. No one needs to be a hero. Take it down a notch.

By the way - even though we do own a Chevy Silverado w/a lift kit, I usually drive my trusty Honda Civic Hybrid in the snow.

I feel like I have more control with this little front-wheel drive car (it has snow tires - not studs - snow tires). It suits me just fine.