Originally Posted by
tjspiel
I'm sure many will disagree but in spite of all the snow we've had this year, it's been relatively nice for commuting. No long stretches of bitter cold (so far), and aside from a few days after the 1.5 ft snow storm, the roads/trails have been pretty good.
Many of our major snows came on the weekends so that's helped. Also the city quickly banned parking on the even side of most residential streets which has meant better plowing and more room.
With the nastiest winter month (at least here) pretty much behind us and the gradual lengthening of days, there's light at the end of the tunnel. Usually I keep the studs on until April 1st but March snows don't linger on the roads very long. With all the snow to melt though there will be a lot of ice and mud this spring.
I'm sure Boston is not as brutal as Minneapolis, but we have had a lot of extended cold days, which I define as freezing my water bottle solid, usually at 15 degrees for my 14 mile commute. My gear has been comfortable though.
Most of our snow emergencies have occured on weekdays, which I think can be a good thing because there is probably more plowing done urgently for the commuters than on a weekend. The plowing has made my Marathon Winters the tire of choice. Weekday snow emergencies also give me bragging rights at work, though I think the repeated snowfalls are making car drivers cranky and less amused by cycling commuters (and runners). Maybe because we're the only ones having fun out there.
Nonetheless, the snow banks have effectively obliterated most shoulders for riding on my major thoroughfares. With the possibility of extended melting and early morning freezes, I'll keep my studs on until mid-April, as I usually do anyways given the unpredictability of Spring here.