Valerie

I was wondering if anyone has driven from NYC to QC in the middle of winter and how are the driving conditions, ie snow, etc. I have done the drive in Spring and Fall so I know the route, just don't know what it would be like in January. Thanks for any replies.

Daniel Williams

Hi Valerie,<BR><BR>It snows a lot in Quebec in wintertime. However, since this is the case, snow removal in Quebec is rapid, particularly within the cities and on the autoroute going from Montreal to Quebec. Life goes on and Quebeckers (and others) depend on those highways being cleared. The Northway (Albany-Montreal) is usually cleared as well from my understanding. Snow, these places can handle and clear...ice storms are another matter but not particularly frequent in my years in Montreal (although there was a doozy of an ice storm in 1999).<BR><BR>You'll want to make sure your car has appropriate tires and other snow-driving precautions apply; you'll want to keep it in a heated garage in Quebec for sure. A lot of people plug their cars in, in colder parts of Canada and the USA.<BR><BR>DAN

Lynn

HiBR><BR>Driving in the middle of winter is iffy, check the local weatherforecast and road conditions prior to departure. I live in Montreal and have driven to N.Y. in the winter. The only thing which I would avoid is driving when freezing rain is forecast. I do not have a garage nor do I plug in my car during the winter. I make sure the battery is in good condition though.

Donna

It's definitely iffy...and can be very scary if you're driving in precipitation. You could run into snow, icy roads, very low visibility. We used to drive to Montreal from southern New Hampshire every year. You just never know about the weather and the road conditions. We've never had any serious problems, but we're used to driving on messy roads. I would disagree that snow removal in the province of Quebec is rapid. I'm guessing the plows go out only after a certain amount of snow or in the daytime, whereas in NH we're used to them going out right away even if the snow starts in the middle of the night. One year in Montreal, it snowed nearly a foot over three days and the streets were never plowed. Perhaps less than a foot is not worthy of sending the plows out. And, we've driven the highways unplowed on several occasions. Whatever you do, have a good map along and stick to the interstates, particularly if you don't speak French. It's also handy to have a cell phone (we saw dozens of cars that slid off the highway one year - mostly those SUV's that whizzed by us earlier as if the roads were dry) and a hotel guide, such as AAA, should you decide the weather is too treacherous to continue - although, it could be just fine a few miles farther along. All in all, if you're going to drive, you have to assume you may run into bad driving conditions on the way up or the way back and have a contingency plan.

Daniel Williams

Hi<BR><BR>I have to stand up for my assertion that roads are cleaned up rapidly in Quebec. I lived in Montreal for 5 years and they really do get to it right away, whether in the middle of the night and certainly before less than a foot, even the sidewalks. Believe me, people have to get to work and Montreal & Quebec City do not have such things as "snow days"; you're expected at work on time even during the heaviest of snows...a blizzard is no excuse. I DO remember however there was a snow removal strike for awhile one year; that's the only thing I can imagine Donna must be talking about. I remember that year, how odd it seemed to be trudging through foot-deep snow on the sidewalks on my way home because it WAS so unusual!<BR><BR>Definitely though, it can be a tough ride with low visibility, ice, etc...and let's hope those snow removal people don't go on strike again. DAN