Dan Robinson
EF5
I don't think this subject gets enough attention. I've seen a lot of examples in recent seasons where many are learning the hard way about the realities of chasing on wet unpaved roads on the Great Plains. This primer should get any chaser up to speed on this subject so they know what to expect and how to prepare if the decision is made to attempt driving on wet, unpaved Plains roads.
In essence, driving on a wet unpaved road in the Great Plains poses a high risk of an expensive and/or long-term (longer than 12 hours) stranding. For me personally, I have decided that wet unpaved roads, or unpaved roads with the threat of rain, are total no-gos not worth the risk. Chasers will have varying opinions on this issue, but I believe that for most that don't have a vehicle well-equipped for off roading *and* the experience driving in deep, rutted mud, are well advised to avoid unpaved roads altogether when they are wet.
The main points for all chasers to know about these roads include:
1.) Bare dirt roads and those with shallow aggregate layers rapidly become rutted and impassable to all vehicles when wet. Unpaved roads in the Plains can have various types of road surfaces. There is a spectrum of gravel/aggregate depth and compacting that both affect the driving conditions. Deeper gravel and better compacting make the road less slippery and more resistant to rutting when the road is saturated by rain. Less-compacted and more shallow applications of gravel have very little resistance to rutting when saturated, and are similar in slickness to driving on fresh 2-3" snowfall.
Example: This road in Nebraska has a shallow layer of gravel aggregate, but is already rutted and treacherously slick after being saturated with rain:
2.) Wet unpaved roads are treacherously slippery. The traction conditions are similar to winter precipitation, the slickness ranging from that of fresh snow to driving on "black ice". There is both the risk of losing control and sliding into the ditch in addition to getting stuck on the road itself.
3.) Plains mud will heavily "cake" on wheels, eventually filling the entire wheel well and restricting the ability to steer or even spin the wheels.
4.) Towing services will refuse to attempt to rescue you when you are stuck on a muddy road. If you try calling a towing service, some will just hang up on you when they learn where you are. This is because their trucks will get stuck just the same!
5.) In most cases, a farm tractor is the only vehicle capable of getting you out and even reaching you in the first place.
6.) Because you will need a farm tractor to get out, getting stuck means you will usually need to spend the night in your car, then walk to the nearest farm or residence in the morning to request assistance.
7.) Unpaved road surface types often change in unpredictable spots. Gravel can end suddenly into bare dirt. This usually will occur at intersections, but it can happen anywhere! It is common for roads to only be graveled to the last residence or farm on that road. Encountering pure dirt becomes more likely the farther you travel off of paved roads.
8.) The sides/shoulders of unpaved roads, even when graveled, are often softer than than in the middle and pose a higher risk of getting stuck.
9.) Vehicles with 4WD, AWD and mud tires can and do still get stuck. All of the big 4x4 behemoths in chasing have been stuck! The general rule is that when these types of vehicles get stuck, it happens many miles farther down the unpaved grid than their 2WD counterparts. That just means a longer walk to the nearest farmhouse to ask for assistance!
10.) Even with a well-equipped 4x4/AWD/mud tires, top speeds on wet unpaved roads often must be kept to less than 35mph due to the risk of losing control on the slick surface (just like during winter weather). This often makes using these roads strategically pointless for a chaser, as they result in far slower travel times than even a much longer route on paved roads.
11.) One or two stuck vehicles can block an unpaved road. Consider this as a major risk during heavier chaser traffic events.
12.) Mapping software and online maps (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc) are often incorrect in their depiction of passable roads and cannot be relied upon. It is common for a bold or thicker-shaded route on a map to nonetheless still be pure mud!
13.) You (and the inside of your car) will get covered with mud during the recovery and any initial attempts to get unstuck. Expect the cleanup to take a long time.
14.) Being towed by a tractor for long distances could cause damage to your vehicle.
15.) If you slide into a ditch, it could result in your car being partially submerged in water.
If you do decide to drive on these roads, you'll need to do the following to prepare:
1.) Prep your vehicle for comfortable sleeping in the event you have to spend the night where you get stuck (blanket, pillow, air mattress, etc).
2.) Carry enough food and water to last you at least 24 hours in a worst case scenario.
3.) Carry enough cash to compensate the farmer who comes to your rescue.
4.) Bring a pair of boots for the long walk on the mud to the nearest farmhouse.
If you inadvertently turn onto a saturated unpaved road:
1.) Back straight out to the paved surface, don't attempt a K-turn.
2.) Go easy on the gas and let up immediately if the wheels start spinning.
3.) If the mud is too slick to get moving after a couple of attempts, stop. Spinning the wheels at this point just digs you deeper into the mud and makes getting out yourself less likely.
4.) Find small objects on the roadside (gravel, rocks, twigs, grass, corn/grain husks) and place them ahead of each drive wheel to enhance traction. Floor mats, cardboard or other large, flat objects can be placed in front of the drive wheels for traction.
5.) Once you get moving, don't stop until you reach pavement!
6.) If you are only a short distance off of pavement, another vehicle may be able to pull you out with a tow strap.
I hope all of this is convincing enough to talk a newer chaser with a regular vehicle into just avoiding unpaved Plains roads when they are wet!
I always ask myself this when tempted with a risky road choice: would I rather lose the storm for 30 minutes taking the longer paved route, or would I rather lose the storm for good, plus potentially the entire next day, when I get stuck 5 miles down this unpaved road? The answer to that question, for me, is obvious.
In essence, driving on a wet unpaved road in the Great Plains poses a high risk of an expensive and/or long-term (longer than 12 hours) stranding. For me personally, I have decided that wet unpaved roads, or unpaved roads with the threat of rain, are total no-gos not worth the risk. Chasers will have varying opinions on this issue, but I believe that for most that don't have a vehicle well-equipped for off roading *and* the experience driving in deep, rutted mud, are well advised to avoid unpaved roads altogether when they are wet.
The main points for all chasers to know about these roads include:
1.) Bare dirt roads and those with shallow aggregate layers rapidly become rutted and impassable to all vehicles when wet. Unpaved roads in the Plains can have various types of road surfaces. There is a spectrum of gravel/aggregate depth and compacting that both affect the driving conditions. Deeper gravel and better compacting make the road less slippery and more resistant to rutting when the road is saturated by rain. Less-compacted and more shallow applications of gravel have very little resistance to rutting when saturated, and are similar in slickness to driving on fresh 2-3" snowfall.
Example: This road in Nebraska has a shallow layer of gravel aggregate, but is already rutted and treacherously slick after being saturated with rain:
2.) Wet unpaved roads are treacherously slippery. The traction conditions are similar to winter precipitation, the slickness ranging from that of fresh snow to driving on "black ice". There is both the risk of losing control and sliding into the ditch in addition to getting stuck on the road itself.
3.) Plains mud will heavily "cake" on wheels, eventually filling the entire wheel well and restricting the ability to steer or even spin the wheels.
4.) Towing services will refuse to attempt to rescue you when you are stuck on a muddy road. If you try calling a towing service, some will just hang up on you when they learn where you are. This is because their trucks will get stuck just the same!
5.) In most cases, a farm tractor is the only vehicle capable of getting you out and even reaching you in the first place.
6.) Because you will need a farm tractor to get out, getting stuck means you will usually need to spend the night in your car, then walk to the nearest farm or residence in the morning to request assistance.
7.) Unpaved road surface types often change in unpredictable spots. Gravel can end suddenly into bare dirt. This usually will occur at intersections, but it can happen anywhere! It is common for roads to only be graveled to the last residence or farm on that road. Encountering pure dirt becomes more likely the farther you travel off of paved roads.
8.) The sides/shoulders of unpaved roads, even when graveled, are often softer than than in the middle and pose a higher risk of getting stuck.
9.) Vehicles with 4WD, AWD and mud tires can and do still get stuck. All of the big 4x4 behemoths in chasing have been stuck! The general rule is that when these types of vehicles get stuck, it happens many miles farther down the unpaved grid than their 2WD counterparts. That just means a longer walk to the nearest farmhouse to ask for assistance!
10.) Even with a well-equipped 4x4/AWD/mud tires, top speeds on wet unpaved roads often must be kept to less than 35mph due to the risk of losing control on the slick surface (just like during winter weather). This often makes using these roads strategically pointless for a chaser, as they result in far slower travel times than even a much longer route on paved roads.
11.) One or two stuck vehicles can block an unpaved road. Consider this as a major risk during heavier chaser traffic events.
12.) Mapping software and online maps (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc) are often incorrect in their depiction of passable roads and cannot be relied upon. It is common for a bold or thicker-shaded route on a map to nonetheless still be pure mud!
13.) You (and the inside of your car) will get covered with mud during the recovery and any initial attempts to get unstuck. Expect the cleanup to take a long time.
14.) Being towed by a tractor for long distances could cause damage to your vehicle.
15.) If you slide into a ditch, it could result in your car being partially submerged in water.
If you do decide to drive on these roads, you'll need to do the following to prepare:
1.) Prep your vehicle for comfortable sleeping in the event you have to spend the night where you get stuck (blanket, pillow, air mattress, etc).
2.) Carry enough food and water to last you at least 24 hours in a worst case scenario.
3.) Carry enough cash to compensate the farmer who comes to your rescue.
4.) Bring a pair of boots for the long walk on the mud to the nearest farmhouse.
If you inadvertently turn onto a saturated unpaved road:
1.) Back straight out to the paved surface, don't attempt a K-turn.
2.) Go easy on the gas and let up immediately if the wheels start spinning.
3.) If the mud is too slick to get moving after a couple of attempts, stop. Spinning the wheels at this point just digs you deeper into the mud and makes getting out yourself less likely.
4.) Find small objects on the roadside (gravel, rocks, twigs, grass, corn/grain husks) and place them ahead of each drive wheel to enhance traction. Floor mats, cardboard or other large, flat objects can be placed in front of the drive wheels for traction.
5.) Once you get moving, don't stop until you reach pavement!
6.) If you are only a short distance off of pavement, another vehicle may be able to pull you out with a tow strap.
I hope all of this is convincing enough to talk a newer chaser with a regular vehicle into just avoiding unpaved Plains roads when they are wet!
I always ask myself this when tempted with a risky road choice: would I rather lose the storm for 30 minutes taking the longer paved route, or would I rather lose the storm for good, plus potentially the entire next day, when I get stuck 5 miles down this unpaved road? The answer to that question, for me, is obvious.
Last edited:
