Urchin's Weblog

From the far northeastern portion of the northeasternmost state in the US - Maine, it's time for the weather.

In a word...

[More:]

Yep, more snow. We have another storm coming across New England and then reforming over the ocean. That means another 7-14 inches tonight and tomorrow, with high winds all day. This time, the snow will be heavy and wet [which makes shoveling out the TR a real chore]. We'll also have winds at 30 mph and up which will make for a lot of drifting.

Wet, slick snow hampers the TR-7 on the road. The relatively light rear end and weight distribution [high 60-40%] means that the car can have trouble getting started in any deep snow. Fortunately, my engine with 80,000 miles still has good compression and power, so I can get the car to move in 2nd gear even without slipping the clutch very much.

For the past few days, we've had little snow but cold, sunny weather. Most of the paved roads in the state have become bare of snow except where winds blew hard. Then the road becomes snow covered for 1/10th to 1/4 mile. Underneath the snow cover is the ice that never melted in the cold sun. This must be what the Monte Carlo Rally is like - it's a fright to drive at times.

Indeed, while driving back to my island home this weekend, I saw an accident in which two cars, driving in opposite directions on a two lane road, smashed into each other when they hit a large patch of drifted snow. The TR-7 handles these sections well, but you have to remember not to brake and not to accelerate on the snowy patch. As when you ski, keep a steady course and adapt lightly to any changes you feel underneath you. It's all too easy to kick out the rear end of the car and lose control.

In the gusts of wind the TR-7 DHC doesn't seem to swerve or sway, which is reassuring. The tight steering helps, too, as the slightest turn can keep you on course.

When the groundhog saw its shadow earlier this month, it signaled 6 more weeks of winter. That's certainly been the case in New England. Maybe he saw multiple shadows that day!

Jeff Aronson
Vinalhaven Island, Maine
USA