OK, here's another question. I always rent a car when I go to Des Moines. In case they are needed (fairly decent chance), would the rental company supply tire chains? Do they put them on if there is snow on the ground?

My first thought is no and no, but you could call the local office & ask, if you are a AAA member they might rent you a set . . .

Enterprise does not provide them nor do they allow them to be put on their cars. I'm not sure what the heckity schmeck you're supposed to do if you get into an area where they're required. I noticed this when I rented in Reno last year, Tahoe roads often have chains required and the airport closest is Reno. I just looked and Hertz is the same.

I get why - if they come loose or you don't put them on right it can really mess up the car but I don't know what you're supposed to do if you're renting in an area that has snow.

No one uses chains in Iowa. There are no mountains. The only places I've seen chains used are in the mountains. People in cold climates either have all-season tires, or switch to some sort of snow tire for winter.

Thanks! I have never had to use chains in my life, so this is a new topic for me.

Heh, You can't tell it from looking at your screen but I'm laughing at you. Get a nice FWD or AWD car and you'll be fine. Oh, and if you need it check the glove compartment, many rental companies toss an ice scraper in there.

When driving don't use the recycled air option it will fog up the inside of your windows.

And always remember, power slides in snow are both easy and fun!

Ok, if you're that inexperienced I'll share a story to help you avoid embarrassment.

Lani spent 20 years in Hawaii and then moved here to California. Not much cold weather experience (and none as an adult). A couple years ago we get a pretty hard freeze (for around here) and there's frost on the windshield. Enough that I should probably scrape it but not enough that I can't drive without doing so. And I'm lazy.

But Lani is in the passenger seat and the frost annoys her. So she reaches over without saying anything and sprays wiper solution thinking that will help melt the frost. Super slomo of me screaming "nooooooooo" and reaching for her hand, but not in time to stop her before there was a solid sheet of wiper solution ice covering the entire windshield as I'm driving down the street.

So the moral of the story is: Don't get married.

Well yeah that and Don't fill your wiper reservoir with water.

You can pretty much assume rental agencies outside of Hawaii and CA use a good De-icer in their wiper reservoir so feel free to squirt away.

Well, I deserve it.

Thanks for sharing. I knew that one, but I appreciate the heads up!

Btw.... on the topic of driving on snow:

Even if you have AWD and snow tires on an SUV, keep a slow pace. I recall numerous idiots with their SUVs in ditches alongside the road, because they thought snow tires and AWD meant they were immune to the sideways action of snow and ice. I'd putz right on by them and laugh my ass off, because it was usually the people I'd see pass me at 30 mph. (Seriously, that's all it takes in some conditions.) And, I only had regular tires and FWD on my little Dodge Shadow. Now, if the roads are plowed and well-salted, you can move a bit more normally, but if it is actively snowing at the time, don't even try it.

So, allow more time for where you need to go, and don't even hope to get there faster. Speed can turn you into an uncontrollable sled in the blink of an eye.