Considering moving to Eden Prairie/Plymouth/Minnetonka (Minneapolis, Wyoming: house, neighborhood)

[analog99]

Hi,

I have a job offer from a company in Minneapolis and my company is located in Eden Prairie/Plymouth/Minnetonka area. Currently I am located in San Francisco bay area. I have been thinking about to take up the offer for the last 1 month. Here are my concerns

1) Winter , Winter , Winter - This is my main criteria. I had never lived in snow area and MN winter really scares me.

2) my younger son has Asthma and wheezing. When he has cold and climate is dry then it is we have to take him to emergency. This is happened in 4-5 times in last 1 year. How dry the weather will be in winter? His pulmonologist doctor said there is no problem for him to move to MN.

3) I have no experience in driving in snow. How difficult would it be driving in snow.



The good part about that area is school. All the Elementary school in that area have good ranking.

Please provide your thought/suggestion in this matter.

[golfgal]

I would suggest you sign up for some drivers education classes when you get here, during the winter to practice--or find a friend here that can teach you. For the most part the roads are plowed very quickly and you won't have to worry.

Asthma, actually much of the winter here is quite humid but because of the air temperatures it feels dryer. Our kids have asthma and rarely do they have issues in the winter, more likely the hot, hot humid summers are going to be an issue for him. Good thing here is that there is top notch medical care and perhaps they can come up with a plan to keep his asthma under control.

I agree, schools are not an issue on that side of the metro. Just keep in mind that the high schools in those towns are HUGE. If that is a concern down the road, you might want to look into moving to a smaller community near by.

[danielle_pal]

The most important thing about driving in the snow is braking. When you want to slow down, gently "pump" your breaks. Do not slam on your breaks as your car will start sliding and it is hard to control it when that happens. After a big snowfall, MN drivers slow down and the commute takes double the time so leave early and drive slow. Consider getting an AWD vehicle. Some people get snow tires. Leaving San Fran weather would be hard but you will get a lot more house for your dollar and our health care/schools are top notch.

[moving123456]

Originally Posted by danielle_pal

The most important thing about driving in the snow is braking. When you want to slow down, gently "pump" your breaks. Do not slam on your breaks as your car will start sliding and it is hard to control it when that happens.

Isn't that considered to be old/bad advice for many modern vehicles with anti-lock brakes and/or traction control systems?

[Kebinminn]

Originally Posted by moving123456

Isn't that considered to be old/bad advice for many modern vehicles with anti-lock brakes and/or traction control systems?

Yeah, with anti-lock brakes the last thing you want to do is pump them. They pump themselves.

Give yourself more time to stop, make sure there's plenty of space in between you and the person in front of you. One thing to keep in mind is bridges will ice faster. The freeway will slow down a lot so it's not that bad to deal with, it just takes forever.

You'll get used to the snow, I'd suggest the first few times cruising around your immediate neighborhood. Go to an empty lot and hit the brakes and get a feel for how the car responds.

[danielle_pal]

"Ironically, slowing down on icy roads can be dangerous as well. That's because braking on ice can easily put your car into a spin if not done properly. If your car has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), you should maintain a steady pressure on the brake pedal; your car's ABS will handle the braking for you and adapt to the road conditions. When your car engages its ABS, you'll feel a pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsing results from the ABS applying and disengaging the car's brakes, so make sure not to take your foot off the brake once you feel the system engage.
If your car doesn't have ABS, you'll likely need to pump your brakes to avoid sending your car into a skid. If you do start to skid, remain calm and steer gently into the skid until your tires regain traction, and make sure not to press the brake until you've re-established control."

Effects of Ice on ABS

• On roads that are partially covered by ice, ABS can help the driver stop and steer the vehicle more effectively, provided he keeps the brake pedal depressed, and does not pump the brakes. Under severe conditions when the entire road is covered with ice, all four wheels may lock simultaneously. Unless at least one wheel is turning, the ABS will react as if the vehicle has stopped. When this occurs, the ABS is defeated, and the driver will need to go back to the pumping technique.
  
  

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Read more: How Do ABS Brakes Work in the Ice & Snow? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6162289_do...#ixzz1ckOW8HzT
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[moving123456]

This is a better explanation of what people mean when they say "pump the brakes" on a non-ABS vehicle...

Originally Posted by Threshold Braking

Emergency braking with non-ABS brakes requires a sensitive touch on the brake pedal, using a technique called "threshold braking." Threshold braking is what most of us would call "pumping the brakes." But that's not really what it is. Awkwardly pumping the brakes with no "feel" for what the wheels and brakes are doing is counterproductive in a situation where maximum braking effort is needed. Threshold braking means applying brake pressure right up to the point of a skid, backing off just enough to prevent the skid, then constantly adjusting throughout the stop to keep the braking effort right at that point. This is not easy. You have to acquire a "feel" for it, literally. What works one millisecond won't work the next, and you have to be quick enough on the pedal to stay on the edge of a skid, without actually locking your wheels. Once mastered, the technique will stop you faster than any other way. But it takes practice to master

[kooks35]

Also, try to brake when you are pointed straight down the road. Even just barely touching the brakes in the middle of a turn can put you into a spin in the right conditions. Try to slow down before a curve/turn and then glide through the turn. No brake or gas.

[uptown_urbanist]

Sounds like you're still in the consideration stage, but if you take the job and make the move, I highly recommend flying here, not driving, or else be very wary of the route you take! When we moved from SF to Minneapolis we rented a car and drove out; it's an amazing drive (took I-80 and then I-90), very scenic, well-worth doing sometime in the summer, but there is absolutely NO WAY someone with no winter driving experience would ever willingly want to take that on during the winter or early spring. I remember being impressed with all the "snow chains required" signs along the way, as well as the permanent signs set up to warn of highway closures due to inclement weather. Lots of mountains and high deserts. There were even some lingering snow piles on the ground in Casper, Wyoming -- in July. Just an FYI.

My friends from warm weather climates have all adjusted fairly quickly to driving in snow and ice, and they do clear the roads fairly quickly around here.