Driving I-40 in Feb/Mar in Arizona..New Mexico (Phoenix: foreclosures, hotels)

[crossd]

How does it compare to driving I-70 thru the Rockies around Denver and west..

donc

[observer53]

Originally Posted by crossd

How does it compare to driving I-70 thru the Rockies around Denver and west..

donc

Much lower elevation for most of it, so less likelihood of snow. Not as mountainous, so more of a straight shot. Can be a lot of crosswind.

[OurNextAdventure]

There is allot of crosswind through New Mexico. It is a very boring drive. I have made the drive once, in February 2008. It was horrible. Once you get out of Flagstaff, there is virtually nothing to look at, It is pretty much a straight shot all the way through to NM. There is not much there in Navajo Nation, the government really screwed the Natives.

[EDnurse]

I drive from Phoenix to west Texas every two weeks. I drove on I-70 a few years back. The I-40 is an easier drive.

Get gasoline in Flagstaff. There is a Shell gas station on I-40 just outside of Flagstaff that you'd be wise to avoid. Their gas is like 0.10 more than everybody else's.

The drive from Flagstaff to Albuquerque is boring and dismal. Try to drive straight through that section. Last time I stopped at the Walmart in Gallup, saw about 4 people smoking meth in the parking lot. Really sad. If you have to stop for gas, bathroom, etc, stop at the "Dancing Eagle" casino/travel center.

BTW, beware of signs along the I-40 between Flag and Albuquerque. There are lots of ads for all sorts of things (restaurants, gas stations, tire shops), then when you get there, there is NOTHING, zilch, nada. Boarded up, abandoned business.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by EDnurse

I drive from Phoenix to west Texas every two weeks. I drove on I-70 a few years back. The I-40 is an easier drive.

Get gasoline in Flagstaff. There is a Shell gas station on I-40 just outside of Flagstaff that you'd be wise to avoid. Their gas is like 0.10 more than everybody else's.

The drive from Flagstaff to Albuquerque is boring and dismal. Try to drive straight through that section. Last time I stopped at the Walmart in Gallup, saw about 4 people smoking meth in the parking lot. Really sad. If you have to stop for gas, bathroom, etc, stop at the "Dancing Eagle" casino/travel center.

BTW, beware of signs along the I-40 between Flag and Albuquerque. There are lots of ads for all sorts of things (restaurants, gas stations, tire shops), then when you get there, there is NOTHING, zilch, nada. Boarded up, abandoned business.

the most SCARY road trip I ever made was in February 2007 heading East on I-40 over Gallup (7,000').
Heavy rain mixed with snow and ice pellets, couldn't see more than a few feet ahead. It can be very unpredictable.
Now just a few hours earlier, Vegas and Kingmann were clear and 75F

There is a huge meth problem in all of the Rt. 66 towns between L.A. and the Midwest due to insufficient work, foreclosures, etc.
We need nuclear power plants and clean coal all along I-40 for good jobs in these areas and to save us from foreign oil.
Local Rt. 66 city mayors are at the mercy of the misguided far left environmentalists who wish to shut down all of northern AZ and northern NM (especially Flagstaff) to mining, energy, and timber, the backbone of the US economy ever since this nation was founded.

A Contract with the Earth

[crossd]

..i have not yet driven I-40 to LA but after doing it thru Denver on I-70 i said no way..and I-70 is boring too after Grand Junction,CO..but hearing about lower elevation and little chance for snow encourages me..thanks.

donc

[altus2006]

Flagstaff gets a lot of snow and we have been stranded in hotels there many times over the years.

New Mexico is pretty good travel wise across the I-40 except for the mountain areas close to Albuquerque which can be snowy and icy in the winter.

The trip is boring and much of the scenery is what I would expect to see on the moon.

altus2006

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by altus2006

Flagstaff gets a lot of snow and we have been stranded in hotels there many times over the years.

New Mexico is pretty good travel wise across the I-40 except for the mountain areas close to Albuquerque which can be snowy and icy in the winter.

The trip is boring and much of the scenery is what I would expect to see on the moon.

altus2006

Flagstaff does has major infrastructure problems in clearing its roads within the City Limits, although the interstate uses salt sometimes.

I-40 is a neglected highway in terms of road safety. And much more economic development could occur in terms of mining, timber, and energy (coal, nuclear). However the so-called environmentalists want to block all of northern AZ off to everything it is a very sad scenario for everyone.

[Idunn]

In winter I-40 would generally be the preferable route to I-70, with less chance of snow. The wild card is wind. I-70 is more prone to closure on the plains east of Denver, CO then to the west in the mountains. Closures in the mountains primarily due the occasional accident due bad driving, generally cleared in hours. Closures on the plains due wind and blizzard conditions can last even a day or more.

If with more potholes than should ever exist on a major interstate, I-40 east is fine until near Flagstaff, AZ. One could encounter snow at the higher elevations of Flagstaff, but the real issue lies east between it and Albuquerque, NM. The better part of that route is fairly flat and barren. It is susceptible to wind and blizzard conditions, and can be closed in sections for significant periods of time for just that reason. The vicinity of Grants, NM is one area that problems might be encountered. None of this is a given, only possible.

In short, pay close attention to the weather.

[crossd]

Thanks all for the replies..I did get caught 2 years ago in a strange blizzard in thr Rockies coming back to Denver from LA on I-70..odd because it was May 1st!!..i do not want to experience that again..so i probably will choose I-40 as the lesser evil as i am coming from the east