Warmer weather driving tips

It’s finally warming up in Madison! Who else is excited about this??? We’re excited at Capitol Auto Credit because it means more people to meet on our lot that we can help get into great vehicles.

With warmer weather, however, there develops different driving hazards than what the winter presented us. Whereas in winter we have to be weary of ice and snow, warming temperatures bring their own challenges, such as high water levels or slush.

Enjoy the warm weather – but be sure you change your driving habits as the snow begins to melt! Here are three tips for how to drive safely when the snow begins to melt.

1. Driving over slush
There are different things to look out for when driving over slush (the gray, sludgy stuff) on the road. For starters, slush, unlike ice or snow, “grabs” onto your tires. That in turn ends up slowing your vehicle down, in some cases in very significant ways.

Be careful when driving over slush, and if you get stuck or lose control, don’t panic. Lift your foot off of the accelerator, apply your brakes slowly, and regroup.

2. Potholes
Potholes are huge problems in the warming weather. During the winter, snow seeps into cracks in the road. As it freezes, the ice actually expands, causing those cracks to grow larger. The process repeats itself over and again, eventually culminating in large holes in the road.

The best defense against potholes is just keeping a vigilant eye for them on the road. Keep your eyes peeled for potholes. Don’t swerve violently to miss one – you could find yourself in bigger troubles by hitting someone – but when possible move out of the way to avoid potholes.

3. Animals
Animals are more active during winter months, especially the spring time. Many are waking from hibernation while others are beginning mating season. They often cross roads, especially in rural areas, so you must be on the alert more during these warming times!

Keep an eye on the side of the road, especially at night time. Often you can see animals sooner by recognizing the reflection of their eyes from your car headlights. Using your brights (when able to) on country roads is also a great way to deter animals from trying to cross your path.

Make sure you drive safe this spring! Take these tips and others to heart, make sure you always buckle up and pay attention to the road.

Has it ever been colder in Madison? Yes...MUCH colder!

The weather in Madison has been exceptionally frigid. OK, let’s not kid ourselves – it’s been dreadful.

With low temperatures and strong winds, we’ve seen wind chills go into the negative-double digits. The next few days will seem like a heatwave compared to the last few we’ve had to deal with. In reality, it won’t be that much better:

Forecast from weather.com

It’s been a pretty cold week or so, and the next five days will remain cold. But the coldest day in Madison? For that, you have to go more than 60 years into the past.

January30, 1951 saw temperatures of -37°. That’s without wind chill. How did it happen? Here’s an article from Madison.com in 2011 that explains the two conditions that were needed:

First, a fresh and relatively deep snow cover is a great help as snow radiates infrared energy exceptionally well. With the long nighttime hours of mid-winter, by the end of the night, a lot of energy [had] been radiated away from the surface of the snow, chilling the air just above it. ...

Second, crystal clear nights are needed to maximize the amount of energy loss near the surface. The night of January 29-30, 1951, was crystal clear in Madison as a strong surface high pressure system was centered over Dubuque, Iowa. ... In fact, on the morning of January 30, the air temperature about 2 miles above the ground was minus-18 — a full 20 degrees warmer than the air at the surface.

It’s been pretty cold lately, but let’s be thankful it hasn’t been -37° cold...yet.

This day in history: National Weather Service -- a longtime dream of a Milwaukee scientist -- founded today

Increase Lapham

On this day in Wisconsin history, the National Weather Service was instituted by President Ulysses S. Grant. While many of us enjoy the advantages of having a NWS on a daily basis, few of us might realize the Wisconsin roots that the service has.

From the Wisconsin Historical Society:

On this date President Ulysses S. Grant signed a joint resolution authorizing a National Weather Service, which had long been a dream of Milwaukee scientist Increase Lapham. Lapham, 19th-century Wisconsin's premier natural scientist, proposed a national weather service after he mapped data contributed over telegraph lines in the Upper Midwest and realized that weather might be predicted in advance. He was concerned about avoiding potential disasters to Great Lakes shipping and Wisconsin farming, and his proposal was approved by Congress and authorized on this date.

And you thought today was just another Monday.

Winter Driving Tips

Driving in the wintertime can be scary for some folks. Yes, in Southern Wisconsin we can take some pride in knowing how to make it to work after a night of heavy snowfall. But a refresher in safety isn’t a bad thing.

The Twitter account @CapAutoCredit offers a different #CarTip every day. Here are five tips you can do in the winter to make driving a little bit safer (most of these tips derived from the Ready Wisconsin website).

1. Slow it down!

Give yourself ample space between you and the car in front of you. In especially slippery situations, double the space you are normally used to – stopping times vary in certain conditions, so giving yourself enough time to react plus extra time to execute is key to preventing accidents.

2. Pack an emergency kit

Emergency kit / ReadyWisconsin.WI.gov

We’re all told this trick of the trade in driving school, but how many of us actually do it? Make sure you’ve packed emergency items in your car during the winter. Don’t pack them in the trunk – it can get jammed or stuck in winter weather.

A warm blanket, a crank or battery powered radio, cat litter, flashlights (with batteries), and first aid items should all be considered when making this kit, in addition to extra gloves and hats. A full list of suggested items can be found at ReadyWisconsin.WI.gov.

3. Stuck in a snowbank? Don’t run the car too much

Stuck in the snow, waiting for help? Getting fresh air is just as important as staying warm. If you have to run the car, only do it for 10 minutes at a time per hour. Snow can be blocking your exhaust pipe without you even knowing it, and other problems with your exhaust could be happening if you crashed your vehicle. Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by running the car only occasionally, or if need be by leaving the windows open a crack.

4. Stay with your vehicle

If you find yourself in storm conditions, stay with your vehicle. Don’t get out and attempt to walk somewhere unless your destination is close by. Overexerting yourself by trekking too far is dangerous, and can result in hypothermia if you sweat too much. Stay with your reliable shelter if you can – your car.

5. Don’t panic

You don’t want to lose rational judgment when you’re in a tricky situation. Keep yourself as level-headed as you can, and devise a plan for what to do. Being prepared for worst case scenarios is your best bet. But if you find yourself in an emergency situation, stay calm and remember what to do with your preparedness!

Snow, cold on its way...

Here’s a visual weather forecast from Weather.com. It's going to snow in Madison today, and get colder tomorrow afternoon.

And here’s what Channel3000 has to say about it:

Today will be mostly cloudy and not as cold with light snow developing in the afternoon. High temperatures will reach the upper teens. Snow will taper to flurries later tonight. Light snow accumulations of 1-3" will be possible, with the highest totals north of Madison. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance for light snow or flurries, mainly south of Madison. It will become breezy and turn colder with high temperatures reaching the upper teens Wednesday morning, before temperatures slowly fall in the afternoon.

Read their extended forecast here.