Road condition between anchorage and palmer? (Wasilla, Hope: relocating, home, rent)

[swanson2]

I will be relocating to Anchorage to attend UAA. I will be making regular trips a few times a week between Anchorage and palmer between September-December. What is that route like during those months? Basically is there any problem with a small car such as a honda making that drive? I have absolutely no clue what to expect on that route such as snow and terrain. I do have winter driving experience, but that is Chicago winter not Alaska winter. I'm hoping the worst wont be until after december when I no longer have to make that trip.

[Arcticthaw]

Originally Posted by swanson2

I will be relocating to Anchorage to attend UAA. I will be making regular trips a few times a week between Anchorage and palmer between September-December. What is that route like during those months? Basically is there any problem with a small car such as a honda making that drive? I have absolutely no clue what to expect on that route such as snow and terrain. I do have winter driving experience, but that is Chicago winter not Alaska winter. I'm hoping the worst wont be until after december when I no longer have to make that trip.

Most of the way is 4 lane highway, there are some 2 lany roads, but this is heavily traveld roads so should be fine. Hopefully an Anchorage local will pipe up with details.

Having driven in Illinois in the winter in a 4x4 pickup and getting hit by what I am guessing as lake effect, driving on the freeway and discovering that there are only two cars on the road almost instantly from 50 or more. Then when I get close the the jeep cherokee and discover he is from out of state too! We both were looking to find a way off the freeway but the visibility was so bad all we could tell when we missed and exit was the let up in the snow as we went under the overpass. We had 18" of snow hanging off the right fender and door. This is not an exaguration either.
If you have driven in the above you should have no problem with the drive to Palmer. Our roads tend to be a bit more icy I suspect but there are lots of Hondas on the road.

[Superbecky79]

The road is not too bad in winter, but snow tires help!

[Glitch]

As someone who drives between Wasilla and Anchorage on a daily basis, I can confirm what everyone else has said about the road conditions. It is a well maintained four-lane highway that is well traveled.

Just make sure you leave some extra room between vehicles in the winter, and watch out for moose on the Palmer Flats.

Personally, I take the day off on the first day snow sticks to the ground and let all the new-comers get the experience of ditch-diving for the first time. Studded tires is highly recommended.

[Blueberry]

As Glitch stated, the drive isn't too bad if you have appropriate studded tires. Be sure to drive at a reasonable speed for the conditions (always remember ice might be present), and don't make any sudden moves. Be cautious on the Eagle River hill; that's where most of the ditch diving occurs during severe weather.

Be aware that four-wheel-drive does not enable a vehicle to stop quickly or drive without sliding which is contrary to popular opinion. So, you might want to be careful around 4WDs because most of their drivers think they can drive with impunity. Another thing that happens in some vehicles during the coldest weather is a thin layer of frost forming on the inside windshield; the defroster doesn't help much when this happens. A great device for cleaning the windshield in such cases is one of those orange and yellow plastic dish scrubbies; just be sure it's within reach while driving!

Freezing rain is a major pain in the patootie if you are driving. If that occurs, it becomes necessary to pull off at every off-ramp and clean the windshield; sometimes you may have to do this between ramps. While windshield wipers have no problem with most snowfall, ice forming on the windows during freezing rain makes visibility nearly impossible. So, make sure you have a good ice scraper with you at all times because the ones that come on snow brushes are usually pretty worthless on ice. Also, be careful exiting and entering the highway. Other drivers are doing the same, and many can't see because of ice on the windshields. Also, the change of speed exiting and entering (if too abrupt) can cause your vehicle to spin out of control (even with four-wheel-drive and studded tires).

Some people have told me they also encounter problems at the Knik bridges. Apparently, fog lifts off the river and sometimes coats the windshield with ice. Personally, I never had that problem, but I didn't drive it daily. Something that is more frequent is the fog/steam rising off the river and coating the roadbed of the bridge. When I lived in the area, this was a scene of many accidents for this very reason.

Once you get past Eagle River, highway lighting becomes scarce. Therefore, it's very difficult to spot moose that may be near the road. Keep your eyes open and drive more slowly through the dark stretches.

With all the negative said, I've got to encourage you. First, most of the things I've mentioned don't happen very often. Second, the drive between Anchorage and Palmer can be breathtakingly beautiful, especially during the Fall. One of my favorite memories is driving toward Eklutna (between Eagle River and Palmer) and seeing the huge, bright orange harvest moon rise over the mountains. Trees lining the road and on the mountains were snow laden, so this view was absolutely gorgeous!

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Blueberry

Freezing rain is a major pain in the patootie if you are driving. If that occurs, it becomes necessary to pull off at every off-ramp and clean the windshield; sometimes you may have to do this between ramps. While windshield wipers have no problem with most snowfall, ice forming on the windows during freezing rain makes visibility nearly impossible.

When this happens I just use my psychic powers and "feel" my way along the road.

[Blueberry]

Originally Posted by Blueberry
Freezing rain is a major pain in the patootie if you are driving. If that occurs, it becomes necessary to pull off at every off-ramp and clean the windshield; sometimes you may have to do this between ramps. While windshield wipers have no problem with most snowfall, ice forming on the windows during freezing rain makes visibility nearly impossible.

YIKES! So, you're one of those!

Swanson, did I happen to mention the need to drive defensively? Sometimes, other drivers defy comprehension!

[Glitch]

Hey, sometimes those psychic powers become necessary. Particularly around January or February when nobody has any idea where the lanes on the road actually should be any more and everyone is just following the tracks made by the vehicles in front of them. You think you are in your lane, following everyone else, then you catch a glimpse of a solid white line crossing your path and you realize that you, and everyone else, have been driving on the shoulder for the last two miles. Or when the three lanes going up the Eagle River hill suddenly becomes two lanes because nobody wants to risk driving in the freshly fallen snow and end up in the ditch.

Blueberry is right, however, you DO want to drive defensively. After all, I might be in the vehicle behind you!

[Arcticthaw]

Well I don't go to Anchorage very often and now I think I know why.
Up here we get the freezing rain only like twice a year and then it normally lasts maybe a day or day and a half.
From the perspective of someone that doesn't drive in Anchorage too often, the thing I notice is that the snow is more brown form salt and dirt. This tends to build up on the headlights of the cars there or from following a long stream of cars during the slushy times. So remember to clean your headlights and tail lights. As for ice building up on the windshields we use a -20 to -40 windshield wash fluid, normally this has a bit of methanol or alcohol in it which will melt ice on the windshield. So keep the resivour full and don't be afraid to libberly apply it. As for inside fogging up I keep a window cracked open a bit, can't explain what it does for the humidity but seems to help. Ice on the inside of the windshield? Some one needs a better heater! I would also recommend a vehicle with a V6 or V8. 3 to 4 to get down the road and the rest to make heat! Most newer V6 do fine even at -30 bellow. Extra steps required for colder temps.

BE thankful if Glitch is behind you! That way he wont be in FRONT of you making a pile of cars!

By the way I was once told by a dealer to turn on the AC when first warming up the car in the cold. Not sure if we are dehumidifying or just forcing the engine idle up.

[Glitch]

Excellent advice Arcticthaw. Fortunately, we don't use salt on our roads in Alaska or everyone's vehicles would be rotting out. Keeping those headlights clean is critical if you don't have psychic powers like me. Fogged up windows occur when there is an imbalance of hot and cold air and high humidity, so cracking open a window just a bit will help return the balance and keep your windows from fogging up on the inside. A lot of road spray is kicked up when it begins to thaw a bit, and you can easily go through a half gallon of windshield wiper fluid in an hour's drive. Which is another reason why you want to keep a little extra distance from the vehicle in front of you. Keep an extra gallon handy in case you find yourself running low on the way home.