The first snowfall of the 2025-2026 school year occurred Nov. 10, which led to an unscheduled late start and altered driving conditions. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a winter storm dropped approximately eight inches of snow in the Chicago area, challenging drivers during the holiday weekend. Driving safely and knowing how to drive in adverse weather conditions is key to remaining safe on the snowy roads.

According to physics teacher Anthony Comstock, snow and ice reduces friction by 50 to 80 percent, which means that car tires have a harder time gripping onto the roads and take longer to brake.

“Half the friction means twice the stopping time,” Comstock said. “Friction is required to accelerate, stop and turn a car. You simply can’t drive the same way you normally would. You have to give yourself longer to stop, take turns at slower speeds, and accelerate slower when driving, along with the normal, responsible rules of the road. It is better to be late than dead.”

Drivers Education teacher Bryan Wittersheim says that when teenagers are learning to drive, it’s important practice in snowy conditions and make sure your car is prepared to drive in the snow. Wittersheim explains that on the first day of winter, drivers should check the tread on their tires to make sure they can properly provide traction between the car and road.

“There’s a wear strip in between the tread,” Wittersheim said. “The old way to do it is you put a penny in and if you could see the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head, that means the tread is too low.”

Once it has snowed and you are about to begin driving, additional preparation must be completed before getting onto the road.

“Make sure that your windows are clean so you [can] see from the outside, so scrape them clean… ahead of time,” Wittersheim said. “Then make sure your air defroster and defogger are on and that the fresh air is coming out faster than we’re breathing. That’s how you keep the moisture off and have the air conditioner on.”

Senior Casandra Beldie drove in the snow for the first time on Nov. 10. She was not prepared for the difficult driving conditions and ended up in a minor accident.

“I had never driven in the snow and never thought anything of it,” Beldie said. “I didn’t think I needed to be prepared and I thought it would be the same, but it wasn’t. I was driving for not even half a block and all of a sudden my brake wasn’t working. When I broke, I pressed down very hard because I realized that my car wasn’t stopping so then I began to panic and started just pulsing my brake frantically. I was going so slow, and I slowly went into another car.”

In case all other steps fail and your car begins to slide, it is crucial to understand what to do to avoid an accident.

“If you start to slide on snow, you should remain calm and turn the wheel the way the back of your car is going,” Comstock said.  “If your car is turning left and you slide, turn the wheel gently to the right. If you slide right, then turn gently left. If your car is sliding left, keeping the wheel left just gives you super left, otherwise known as your car spinning wildly out of control. If your car is sliding left and you turn right, they cancel each other out and make it straight.”