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Old 11-28-2008, 10:19 PM
 
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So I was thinking of driving from Colorado to CA for a mini vacation. With gas as cheap as it is, it'll be cheaper to drive vs flying, renting a car, etc.

I was planning on driving out there next month. But my mom was telling me that it may not be a good idea to drive during winter, due to possible snow storms, etc.... What do you think?

I know in CO springs I could always check the weather and if it's clear for the next few days, that'll probably be a good time to leave.. But do you think I'm likely to encounter any weather problems on the way? Like if it's clear sunny days in colorado springs for the next few days, do you think once I start driving down the 70 highway it might all of a sudden change? And I could get stuck in a snow storm or something like that?

I've never driven on a mini road-trip before during the winter, so I have no idea what it's like.
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Old 11-28-2008, 10:33 PM
 
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Its more likely than not you'll hit some snow, or at least some icy roads on your trip. You have to watch the weather channel to see what to expect, and then be ready for bad weather even if everything looks good. Even if the weather is clear, there can be freezing fog along the Colorado River if its cold enough, and you have to watch for ice in areas that get a lot of shade during daylight hours.

Have you checked the price of train tickets?
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Old 11-29-2008, 06:40 PM
 
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My boyfriend and I drove from CA (San Fran) to CO (Brighton) July for our big move and it took us two days. (about 12 hr daily stopping at least twice fro about 1/2 each time only to eat and stretch our legs and give our cats a little bit of relaxed non moving time.

From our experience, it's fun only if you are going to make it a trip and stop at many places and drive for over three to four days. SLC is the best way to go..other than that, the drive could be pretty boring and exhausting but is up to you
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Old 11-29-2008, 07:28 PM
 
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We drove to SF early march this year. We had some light snow, but very heavy winds going through the plains of Wyoming/Utha...esp. coming down the mountains to Salt Lake City (if this is the route you will be taking).
We drove the way with a 2 year old toddler, just for staying 2 days in SF and then go back home again...and he did great. So if that trip was okay with a toddler in the car, you will survive it for sure without
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Old 11-29-2008, 08:15 PM
 
Location: Avondale, AZ
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We are currently in Grand Junction, on our way back from Las Vegas to Monument. The road conditions were fine today, at least from LAS to GJ. I-70 to the east does not look as good. There is slush and icy patches and chains are required on commercial vehicles. So we will spend the night here and do the rest tomorrow. Parts of I-70 can be hazardous anytime of year. 2 Months ago there was a dozen cars spun out on the west side of the tunnel. I guess they did not expect the snow and ice when they popped out of the tunnel. We've went thru the tunnel in June when the east side was sunny and nice and the west side was snowing.
If you go, watch the forecasts and check out the road conditions on Cotrip.org. If I-70 is bad check out I-40 thru Albuquerque. It can take a couple hours longer, but the weather is usually better.
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Old 11-29-2008, 08:44 PM
 
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And sometimes I-40 through Albuquerque is no sure bet either. There have been several times that I've gone down to Hatch, take the cutoff road to Deming, and roll on in on I-10. Yea, it is a ways out of the way. The part of I-40 that is concerning is from Holbrook to Flagstaff as it can snow a foot in Flagstaff in no time at all. And the state patrol will not hesitate to shut down the highway overnight, wait for the storm to pass through, and re-open it in the morning.

That has happened to me a few times. The good thing is that route traverses Route 66 and there is an abundance of mom and pop motels through there and ARE affordable. Don't try to outrace a storm. Also a good idea when traveling in winter is bring a shovel, blankets, and extra warm clothes.
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Old 11-30-2008, 01:31 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
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We drove COS to LA one year to spend Christmas out there with family. Luckily we had rented a Chevy Trailblazer with 4WD. On the way to LA, weather was gorgeous, no problems at all going through Vail Pass. (We took the north route through Denver, Utah, Las Vegas, LA). Coming back however was a different story. A snowstorm had moved in while we were in LA and made Vail Pass miserable. We were only able to get through because we had 4WD and even then it was hairy. It took us an extra 2 hours just to get through the mountains.

Make sure you have a 4WD vehicle and a backup plan in case you can't get through Vail Pass (i.e. a hotel reservation!)
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Old 11-30-2008, 09:07 PM
 
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CS to CA (it's a rather large state- where in CA?) is not really a mini-road trip for the first timer. I do/done many a a trip Phoenix to CS and it's a solid 12hrs. For the first timer, are you really up for 12hrs of driving to find yourself only a bit west of Flagstaff? You're hardly to LA and certainly nowhere near the Bay Area!

As mentioned, I40 is fast and easy when clear but blowing snow and cold will shut it down pretty quickly with white outs. I'd look to what the weather is in SoCal a few days before you plan to leave and figure it's working its way towards YOU. The southern route is probably your better choice for the time of year over mid Utah, albeit perhaps less appealing.

I'd also suggest the more common I-25 to I-40 route to begin with. Personally I do some back roads but for you and questionable weather the main drag is a good plan. And if you do get stuck there are places to stop. Can you afford to be snowed in for a day in Gallop? Or Holbrook? Or even in Raton?

Plan the trip. Tell others where you'll be. Don't expect full cell service. Pack some blankets, extra gass, food and water. With luck you'll never need any of it. On the other hand....SW from DIA to LAX....$$???
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Old 11-30-2008, 09:49 PM
 
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Hey, thanks for the responses all..

I'm going to be going to southern cali, so the I-40 route would work well too. And as for the I-40 route, is Flagstaff the only real place that snows along that route? And how predictable is the weather in Flagstaff? Say if I where to check the weather there and it says "clear sunny days" for the entire week. Would that be a good time to go? Or is the weather along the I-40 just as un-predictable as weather along the I-70?

Because during the winter time though, I wonder that even if the conditions say "clear days" along the I-70 in places such as grand junction, etc, I know Colorado weather can be very random weather, so it could change in no time and I don't want to all of a sudden run into some Ice or slippery roads along the I-70 in my front wheel drive car and risk getting stuck. And paying for a hotel would end up voiding out any savings that I was getting from driving.

If I where to travel the I-70 to I-15 route, what cities would I need to check the weather forest for in order to get the most accurate idea of how the conditions are along the entire I-70 route?

And same for the 25 to the 40 route, what cities along the I-40 route would I need to check the weather forecast for to get the best idea of how the conditions are on the I-40?
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Old 12-01-2008, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
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There is a website for CO at least, www.cotrip.org
It has real time camera shots at various points in the state, several along I-70.

I only know about I-70 to I-15 to Vegas and then LA, so here's that info:

Once you get into UT, I would look at Green River, Salinas and then St. George's weather forecasts. (You have to eat at In-N-Out! I have heard there is a new In-N-Out in UT along I-15 somewhere!)

Next cities in NV would be Mesquite and then Vegas.
After Vegas, look at Barstow, San Bernardino and then you're pretty much in LA.

If you have a very open schedule (meaning no set departure/return dates) and can drive/leave when you see a good opening, weather wise....as long as you know about the dead zones (no cell service) through much of Utah and the CO mountains....and that it will take you about 16 hours with NO traffic from COS to LA....just make sure you are prepared with blankets, food, water, LOTS of windshield wiper fluid....I would feel better if you drove with somebody and weren't alone :-)
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