I finally realized my mistake with Chicago winter car prep
I moved here from Dallas last August and thought I had winter figured out. I kept my car in a garage, used all-season tires, and figured that was enough. Last January I got stuck on Lake Shore Drive for 45 minutes during that sudden squall near Belmont Harbor. A guy in a beat-up Subaru helped push me out and asked if I had winter tires. I laughed and said no, I had all-seasons. He just shook his head and said all-seasons are no-seasons in this city. I went to a tire shop in Lincoln Park the next day and spent $680 on a set of snow tires. The difference was insane, I could actually stop at red lights without sliding. Has anyone else made this same rookie mistake moving here from a warm state? What else am I missing that locals just know?
A buddy of mine from Austin made the exact same mistake and now he swears by his Blizzaks every winter. Word on the street is that a good set of floor mats and a snow brush live in your trunk year round here, not just in January.