Drive from Denver to Las Vegas at the end of February. (Grand Junction: purchasing, car)

[shine300]

Hello,

I'm looking at purchasing a rear wheel drive sports car in Denver. I was thinking of flying out and driving it back to San Diego near the end of February this year 2010. I looked at Road Trip Planner : Weather Underground to get an idea of conditions from Denver to Las Vegas (the hard part of the trip). Regardless of what that site says, I'm nervous. I've driven from Mammoth to LA before during bad snow storms in my front wheel drive sports car. My friend put the chains on for us. It was slow and intense driving. Can anyone that knows this route offer any suggestions. Aside from my Mammoth drive I am not used to driving on snow.

Thanks
Brian

[EscapeCalifornia]

It could be fine, it could be a raging blizzard. No one will know until it happens. Plan B would be to go to I-25 to get as far south as quickly as possible. There's still mountain passes but not as bad as I-70, I believe. It would add a couple hundred miles to your trip.

[bhcompy]

cotrip.org and the utah dot website have comprehensive road conditions updates. I've made the trip in Feb and March for the past few years and haven't had much trouble. When there was a storm that I wasn't comfortable with (only happened once because of no visibility), I just pulled off the road at the next exit to wait it out

[StillLookingToo]

Check mapquest, but if you are worried about the snow take 25 south to Albuqueque and take the 40 to Flag, 17 to Phoenix, the 10 to 85 to the 8 about 18 hours drive time.

[fsufezzik]

I concur with the suggestions about the southern route. I drove from San Francisco to Denver in late March 2009, and while I wanted to take I-70/I-80 straight through the Rockies, the weather was bad. Instead, I went down I-5 and came across on I-40 to Albuquerque and up I-25 to Denver. It's a longer distance, but definitely shorter time with the weather.

So, plan on the direct route, but if the weather is bad the week of the trip, then audible to the southern route.

[shine300]

Thanks for the great advice guys.

[80skeys]

Plan on using one of two routes, either I-70 through Grand Junction, or I-25 down into New Mexico. Don't decide which until you get to Denver. When in Denver, check the weather conditions and forecast for I-70. If it's clear, just take I-70. They keep this one well plowed, which means that if the weather is clear, it will be dry and you won't have problems. Pay attention to the forecast and conditions for Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass, these are the two most problematic areas of I-70. If snowstorms are forecast, take the I-25 alternate route.

[DOUBLE H]

80'skeys is right. I-70 is a major commercial truck route and C-DOT's drivers work that route constantly. If you take that route keep in mind that the stretch between the Colorado/Utah state line and Salina is a lonely one indeed. The stretch from Green River, Utah to Salina is 110 miles with no services. 30 miles west of Green River you get up on that high desert and conditions can change quick in a storm. Also a stretch to watch for is when I-70 dead ends at I-15, the stretch from Beaver to Parowan on 15 catches it a little.