Best lighting for snowy conditions

arz

Adventurer
Driving home the other night from class in what ended up as near blizzard conditions, made me realize that I want/need some auxiliary lighting. Headlights became coated in semi-frozen slushy ice spreading the beam everywhere. Had to stop twice in 10 miles to clear off the headlights.


What's the best type of lighting for snowy conditions? The reflectivity of snow doesn't necessarily mean more = better.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Any light, that I've used, warm enough to melt slush is going to be too bright for roads with other cars on them.

I have the same problem every winter, but never need to wipe twice in 10 miles!!! I use Rain X on my lights to help them shed slush.

I usually don't need much light to drive in snow anyways. Being that it's white and light gets reflected more, especially since we have white cloud cover as well.

In fact in Ohio, in suburban areas during a snow fall, it can be as bright outside at midnight as during the day due to all the reflected light. I've driven entire weeks with a coating of slush on my lights. LOLz. When the snow fall blinds me with reflected light, and there is no oncoming traffic I'll even turn my headlights off and just run markers.
 

Schattenjager

Expedition Leader
Two bits of advice for you:

1) Aquapel your windshield, side glass, headlights AND tail lights. Will need two applicators. It is head and shoulders over Rain X in performance and lasts about 20X longer to boot. Just trust me on that. It is very popular here in Alaska with pilots and 18 wheelers and it makes an AMAZING difference in slush accumulation. I would delay my road trip out of here if I needed to find it first.

2) Light Force makes mighty fine lights. Their nice selection of filters makes them mightier finer! :sombrero: Depending on conditions, the Yellow or Blue lens make snow driving very nice. If you switch them independent of the headlights, you can use them solo when appropriate and avoid the headlight reflection.
 

VanIsle_Greg

I think I need a bigger truck!
KC Lites makes a great kit, the 57 Series kit with 3 different lenses (Driving, Fog Amber and Fog Clear), wiring harness with fuses and relays even a decent toggle. Mount them low so they light up long and far out front, aim them correctly.

Fog beam is wider and has less distance, driving is narrower beam and longer beam. Experiment, you will find the amber cuts the glare really well.

I have had a set on my Jeep with the driving lenses on for the better part of 3 years, they look new still with minimal fade.

Of course you could go much brighter with some HID's in both your new Driving/Fog lights and your headlights, but as stated more is not always better. Better is better!

IMG_20110723_171526.jpg
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
What's the best type of lighting for snowy conditions? The reflectivity of snow doesn't necessarily mean more = better.

Real halogen foglights, like Hella or Cibie, with selective yellow tinting, will help you see in fog and snow.
Avoid any manufacturer that claims that a blue filter helps you see better anywhere (hello, Lightfarce).
Also avoid amber filters (hello Lightfarce again and some Chinese brands).
Avoid green and red filters (is that you again, Lightfarce?) since they're illegal on the road anyhow and of no benefit. The blue ones will get you a ticket in many areas as well.

Follow the links in the Dan Stern link for some interesting tests to prove the benefits of selective yellow.

I tinted a pair of HIDs to selective yellow and they worked pretty well in snow/fog. The color wasn't ideal though due to the nature of the HID bulb I had ---- but it worked.
 

overlander

Expedition Leader
Two bits of advice for you:

1) Aquapel your windshield, side glass, headlights AND tail lights. Will need two applicators. It is head and shoulders over Rain X in performance and lasts about 20X longer to boot. Just trust me on that. It is very popular here in Alaska with pilots and 18 wheelers and it makes an AMAZING difference in slush accumulation. I would delay my road trip out of here if I needed to find it first.

Great info! Thanks. I'm going to take that advice.:ylsmoke:
 

r_w

Adventurer
Same as fog--low and maybe yellow/amber. Something good with a real good cutoff to the pattern to minimize backscatter to you. Hella FF series (pick whichever fits your budget and mounting space best) with the optilux yellow bulbs work great for a low price. www.rallylights.com
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
Same as fog--low and maybe yellow/amber. Something good with a real good cutoff to the pattern to minimize backscatter to you. Hella FF series (pick whichever fits your budget and mounting space best) with the optilux yellow bulbs work great for a low price. www.rallylights.com
The yellow Optilux aren't all that good; you'll do better by tinting the lens of a good foglight.

Duplicolor Metalcast Yellow paint, two light coats, is a good approximation of selective yellow on a quality lens.
The Hella Micro DE, Bosch Compact 100 ---- both good foglights if you don't want to pony-up the money for Cibie Tangos.
 

beast1210

Adventurer
I must say I really enjoy the cut off of my projector lenses last night when I had to drive 15 miles through ice fog to get home. the cut off doesnt bleed light to bounce back at me. At the moment I dont have any Aux. lighting on the truck and didnt miss them last night.
 

NothingClever

Explorer
Hilldweller, his light recommendations and his links to the Dan Stern webpages are going to get between me and my wallet....those Cibie lights are the bomp-diggity :smiley_drive: .
 

Prybry

Adventurer
Can you mount behind the grill?

I have a set of lights mounted just behind the grill on my dodge and I've never had them ice up yet... plenty of bad weather in MN and WI.
It is either warm enough back there or the snow blows around the grill... what ever works.
PWfront.jpg


I like the RainX idea too...
 

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