How is Highway 160 in November? (Pueblo, Durango: motel, maintenance, safe)

[carpeliam]

I'm going to be driving across the country from Boston to Santa Monica, starting the first week of November. I plan on picking up HW160 and driving through to Arizona, stopping at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park on my way to the Grand Canyon.

Is there anything I should know about driving through Colorado on HW160? The impression that I get is that road conditions vary, it might snow or it might not, and I should keep checking in with road conditions. Also, Wolf Creek Pass is the spot most likely to give me trouble, if anything would. Does that sound about right? If anyone has any tips, or things to watch for, I'd be happy. I'll be driving a Mazda3 hatchback, standard transmission, with all season tires. I've driven in plenty of New England snow, but I've never driven anywhere near Colorado before. Thank you!

[Robert5]

i estimate 5% you will have any kind of weather problems first week of nov. i have driven it jan and feb with standard tires and low profile 4 drive but cherry picked weather

[Mike from back east]

Check the state DOT site for road conditions as your travel dates get close. I've driven that road in mid-November and it was fine, though any given year it could be shut by snow in November, but even if so it'll be open in a day or so.

[reed303]

In case you have never seen a "snowshed" before, take a look here:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Wolf+...=12,29.87,,0,0

There are several in the Wolf Creek Pass area.

Have a safe trip.........

[Idunn]

As you've surmised, the weather might be anything in Colorado in November. If it seems you have the vehicle, tires and experience to handle it.

Wolf Creek Pass is the one pass of any merit on US 160 through Colorado (La Veta Pass less so). It used to be far more challenging, but for years now decidedly more tame due road modifications. The east approach from South Fork winds up to the summit in a long ascent. That initially from the summit west is more steep with switchbacks. Just slow down and pay attention, but particularly on the west side until the road appreciably levels out on into Pagosa Springs.

If you run into a snowstorm you may wish to hole up for a day or two, or reconsider your route. While snow is most likely at elevation, possible through not only a good part of Colorado but also Arizona. From Four Corners you'll pass through the high desert of the Navajo Nation until Flagstaff, AZ. And Flagstaff often sees a good amount of wet, heavy snowfall in the winter. You really cannot rest easy in this regard until roughly 30 miles west of Flagstaff, where I-40 abruptly drops down off that plateau, quickly losing elevation.

Keep an eye on the weather.

[jazzlover]

From now until late May, snow, possibly heavy snow, can occur just about anytime in the Rockies. Storms are less frequent from now until early January in most of Colorado, but that doesn't mean that a humdinger can't happen. I know all of the highway mountain passes in Colorado (and most of the secondary and 4WD roads traversing passes, too) quite well. Wolf Creek Pass, despite its improvements, it still one for which I have great respect. It is in one of the highest snowfall areas of Colorado and can be very unpredictable in its moods. It is one of the areas in southern Colorado, in particular, where relatively small, localized storms can become quite vicious and do so quite quickly and with little warning. The area got just one of those type storms in the last week or so. The only thing that kept it from being a serious winter event was the fact that is was just warm enough that the precipitation fell as rain, rather than as snow. 10 degrees colder and it would have been a major snow event on the passes.

[sunsprit]

While it's some years ago, my Dad drove out to visit me for Thanksgiving one year and decided to take a route from SoCal through 4 corners to make the trip a bit more interesting.

He made it past Durango to Pagosa Springs in a moderate storm where the road conditions were very manageable in his MB 240D. But Wolf Creek Pass ahead was closed, so he got a motel room for the night. And the pass stayed closed for the next three days. He ran out of time and had to turn back homeward.

Typical for the region, it can be treacherous, slightly challenging, wide open, or totally shut down at this time of the year. All you can do is watch the weather forecasts and road reports to make a decision as close to your trip time as possible.

[RockyMtnXpress]

Originally Posted by Idunn

As you've surmised, the weather might be anything in Colorado in November. If it seems you have the vehicle, tires and experience to handle it.

Wolf Creek Pass is the one pass of any merit on US 160 through Colorado (La Veta Pass less so). It used to be far more challenging, but for years now decidedly more tame due road modifications. The east approach from South Fork winds up to the summit in a long ascent. That initially from the summit west is more steep with switchbacks. Just slow down and pay attention, but particularly on the west side until the road appreciably levels out on into Pagosa Springs.

If you run into a snowstorm you may wish to hole up for a day or two, or reconsider your route. While snow is most likely at elevation, possible through not only a good part of Colorado but also Arizona. From Four Corners you'll pass through the high desert of the Navajo Nation until Flagstaff, AZ. And Flagstaff often sees a good amount of wet, heavy snowfall in the winter. You really cannot rest easy in this regard until roughly 30 miles west of Flagstaff, where I-40 abruptly drops down off that plateau, quickly losing elevation.

Keep an eye on the weather.

x 2

I'll be the first to admit, early to mid November would be a "Push" to see a fair amount of snow through the passes. It can happen. After all, this is Colorado.

I travel 160 west and east quite often, through-out the year, starting at Del Norte (CO) to Flagstaff (AZ). Wolf Creek Pass -admittedly the trickiest part of your travel - is doable for winter passage, as long as you stick to the speed limits and even a little below when there is snow on the ground (or ice on the pavement). If it snows, the road going over the pass is under constant maintenance by snow plow. However, the surface does remain "Frosty" and can prove to test your driving skills if something happens (example: having a car doing a U-Turn 200 yards in front of you while you're traveling the downhill side). Keep an eye open for rocks on the pavement, rock slides and the notorious widow makers since the forest over Wolf Creek Pass has been infested with beetles. Weather plays a major role in having the unexpected to happen. Ice between the rocks can sure ruin your day...Even without all that snow.

Safe travels

BTW: We will be heading over 160 east and west November 6th and 24th and again December 5th and 23rd pulling a cargo trailer with a half ton. In no way am I overly concern about traveling this route, unless I knew there was a winter storm warning, ready to dump 8 inches or more. If that is the case, it has been suggested to "wait a day or two". Words of wisdom...And so is picking up the CDOT app to observe conditions along the 160 route.

[Let's Go Here]

The chances of you running into a nasty storm are slim considering how mild the fall has been so far. Still, chances are you will run into some kind of snowpack at the top of Wolf Creek simply because this pass is known for getting more snow than any pass in Colorado.

Also keep in mind that you have to slow down for 10-12 towns between Walsenburg & Cortez and the traffic in Pagosa can be pretty rough, especially towards the west end of town. It's not big city traffic, but there are A LOT of stop lights. I drove the stretch between Pueblo & Durango many times and even in good weather conditions, it was always a solid 5 hour drive.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Let's Go Here

The chances of you running into a nasty storm are slim considering how mild the fall has been so far. Still, chances are you will run into some kind of snowpack at the top of Wolf Creek simply because this pass is known for getting more snow than any pass in Colorado.

Also keep in mind that you have to slow down for 10-12 towns between Walsenburg & Cortez and the traffic in Pagosa can be pretty rough, especially towards the west end of town. It's not big city traffic, but there are A LOT of stop lights. I drove the stretch between Pueblo & Durango many times and even in good weather conditions, it was always a solid 5 hour drive.

I disagree with the first sentence. So far, the fall in southern Colorado has been very mild temperature-wise, with somewhat higher than normal precipitation in some spots. Due to the higher temperatures, that has fallen mainly as rain or sleet this fall. All of that can change in a heartbeat. A long "Indian Summer" type of fall weather is a poor predictor of when winter will set in with a vicious storm, or what the winter will be like, in general. One of the very coldest and snowiest winters that I ever experienced in Colorado occurred after a long, warm, and dry fall that stretched to Christmas Day in the mountains. Then winter set in with a vengeance didn't lose its grip until mid-April.

So, driving US160 can be a crapshoot as far as weather. A big difference between now and a couple of decades or so ago on that highway is that, back when, most of the winter traffic was local--people who know how to drive in adverse winter conditions. Now, the road is constantly infested with Sunbelt clowns from Texas, California, and Arizona who have practically no winter driving or mountain driving experience. They are now the huge hazard, just as they are on most Colorado mountain highways these days.