The only times I have felt it unsafe to drive is during white-out conditions (extremely limited visibility due to blowing snow and/or high snowfall rates). Usually the worst white-outs are during snow squalls, although I have seen really bad white-outs in the country (where there are farmers fields) after a snowstorm, only because of wind driven snow drifting over the road from the fields.
It's all just experience. You develop a sense for where travel conditions will be bad - mountain passes, steep hills, open countryside with drifting snow, roads near lakes or oceans with onshore winds producing squall activity. On a long road trip, the danger areas might constitute only 5-10% of the trip.
For example, on a trip from Halifax to Moncton during a snowfall, you can pretty much expect this scenario:
1) - Halifax to Truro - rain
2) - around Truro to Debert - some squall activity off of Cobequid Bay
3) - Cobequid Pass - accumulating snow due to increasing elevation and slippery roads on the hills
4) - northern Nova Scotia to Amherst - improving conditions due to flatter terrain and distance from the seacoast.
5) - Amherst to Sackville - very windy on the Tantramar Marsh, lots of drifting and maybe some squall activity.
6) - Sackville to Moncton - falling temperatures, elevated terrain and maybe wraparound squalls from the Northumberland Strait leading to increased snow accumulation and worsening road conditions.
And, as le Calmar said, freezing rain is far worse than snow. At least your tires have some traction on snow. Freezing rain produces a skating rink. If you hit black ice, all you can do is take your foot off the gas pedal, gear down (if possible), steer very gently, and don't apply your brakes unless you really have to.
Maritime storms usually start out with a brief shot of snow, transitioning to freezing rain, then rain, then back to snow as the trailing cold front passes through. You learn to pay close attention to the detailed weather forecast so that you know the exact best time to get on the road. Even an error of 30-45 minutes can make all the difference.
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