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We'll be in a Suburban 4x4 with very aggressive snow tires. It's normally unstoppable in the snow, BUT it will be heavily loaded AND towing another car. Normally we shrug off bad driving conditions but the load and towing adds many unknowns to the mix.
We'd be driving mostly during the day and don't really have any time pressure. The strategy is to make route choices based on weather reports looking out 3-5 days. The assumption is that the possibility of a major storm would be known that far out - not 100% certain, but enough to say "hey, let's go farther south." Here's my assessment of the alternatives from north to south.
I-80: Farthest north, most direct route but greatest risk of heinous weather in The Plains or WY. Avoid unless weather is uncharacteristically mild.
I-70: Maybe a little milder than I-80 but there's the CO front range, Eisenhower Tunnel and ski hoards to deal with. Maybe far enough south to avoid a storm with a more northerly track? I'd time it to avoid weekend skiers. However, once in UT there's the Rt 191/6/89 leg through some real elevation. How heinous can that be expected to be in the absence of a storm? Alternatively there's the option of pressing on to I-15 and heading north on that.
I-40: Least likely to hit bad weather, also the flattest. However, it's a major diversion and probably adds at least a day to the trip.
Any comments or experiences would be very appreciated. Thanks!
With a primary concern about the possibility of winter inclement driving conditions for your heavily loaded rig, I'd choose the route that has the least chances of wintry weather road conditions enroute ... I-40.
Consider that the additional distance and time could still be significantly less adverse compared to delays and likely slow driving if you encounter winter road conditions for the more northerly routes. That doesn't include minimizing your risks with the tow rig on slick surfaces in traffic.
Of course, there's always a chance that you'll have a better weather window on one of the shorter distance routes at the time of your departure. While you can plan for the southerly route, if a northern route appears OK just before your departure, you could take that instead.
We'll be in a Suburban 4x4 with very aggressive snow tires. It's normally unstoppable in the snow, BUT it will be heavily loaded AND towing another car. Normally we shrug off bad driving conditions but the load and towing adds many unknowns to the mix.
We'd be driving mostly during the day and don't really have any time pressure. The strategy is to make route choices based on weather reports looking out 3-5 days. The assumption is that the possibility of a major storm would be known that far out - not 100% certain, but enough to say "hey, let's go farther south." Here's my assessment of the alternatives from north to south.
I-80: Farthest north, most direct route but greatest risk of heinous weather in The Plains or WY. Avoid unless weather is uncharacteristically mild.
I-70: Maybe a little milder than I-80 but there's the CO front range, Eisenhower Tunnel and ski hoards to deal with. Maybe far enough south to avoid a storm with a more northerly track? I'd time it to avoid weekend skiers. However, once in UT there's the Rt 191/6/89 leg through some real elevation. How heinous can that be expected to be in the absence of a storm? Alternatively there's the option of pressing on to I-15 and heading north on that.
I-40: Least likely to hit bad weather, also the flattest. However, it's a major diversion and probably adds at least a day to the trip.
Any comments or experiences would be very appreciated. Thanks!
I-40 is not a viable option to get from NY to SLC. I-40 doesn’t go anywhere near Utah. What route would you use to get from I-40 to SLC? Whatever it would be, you would still be driving through bad weather. You would just be adding an extra 500 to a 1000 unnecessary miles to your trip.
Take the direct route on I-80 across Wyoming. Just be careful of the crazy truck drivers in Wyoming who drive 80 mph regardless of the conditions, and don’t slow down or stop for anything, unless they hit something. If you run into any bad weather just stop and wait it out, for a day or two.
1. I-40 is not a viable option to get from NY to SLC. I-40 doesn’t go anywhere near Utah. What route would you use to get from I-40 to SLC? Whatever it would be, you would still be driving through bad weather. You would just be adding an extra 500 to a 1000 unnecessary miles to your trip.
Take the direct route on I-80 across Wyoming. Just 2. be careful of the crazy truck drivers in Wyoming who drive 80 mph regardless of the conditions, and don’t slow down or stop for anything, unless they hit something. If you run into any bad weather just stop and wait it out, for a day or two.
Uhhhhhh, ok . . . . . . .
1. I know exactly where it goes. You'd basically drive NY to Vegas and north from there to SLC. As I noted, it's farther (though not by 1000 miles) but also flatter and far less likely to have really bad weather.
2. What you describe so well is exactly what I seek to avoid.
1. I know exactly where it goes. You'd basically drive NY to Vegas and north from there to SLC. As I noted, it's farther (though not by 1000 miles) but also flatter and far less likely to have really bad weather.
2. What you describe so well is exactly what I seek to avoid.
With all due respect I don’t think you do know where it goes. You had better check out Google Maps and brush up on your geography of the Western US. Las Vegas is 450 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. You would be coming from the east. Thats a 3000 mile trip vs a 2100 mile trip if you take a direct route.
Also remember that Arizona and New Mexico are not flat. You are still going though the mountains, and you would likely run into winter weather near Flagstaff. We have been discussing this in another thread here.
Yeah, you really need to wait until a week before or so to make an intelligent guess. There could be a warm spell or training storms. Part of your route might be OK and the other half could be freezing rain. That's the nature of January - March.
The best advice I can give you is find a weather app that you like and keep tabs on it during the trip. Make it a point to see the local weather at the motel before you leave each morning. Pack extra food and cash in case you get stuck somewhere. Please note that I-80 can be shut down by the local sheriff if the conditions get too bad. In that case, you are stuck in Podunk -- along with the rest of the drivers -- until the freeway is open again.
For that reason alone, I don't plan distance driving in the winter months. Plains driving is *not* like driving back East. I'm from Michigan originally, and I still had a few difficulties during my first winter. Weather is not hyped out here. When they say road conditions are bad, believe them and plan accordingly.
This is April of 2015, but this is what I mean about dicey I-80 driving:
Yeah, you really need to wait until a week before or so to make an intelligent guess. There could be a warm spell or training storms. Part of your route might be OK and the other half could be freezing rain. That's the nature of January - March.
The best advice I can give you is find a weather app that you like and keep tabs on it during the trip. Make it a point to see the local weather at the motel before you leave each morning. Pack extra food and cash in case you get stuck somewhere. Please note that I-80 can be shut down by the local sheriff if the conditions get too bad. In that case, you are stuck in Podunk -- along with the rest of the drivers -- until the freeway is open again.
For that reason alone, I don't plan distance driving in the winter months. Plains driving is *not* like driving back East. I'm from Michigan originally, and I still had a few difficulties during my first winter. Weather is not hyped out here. When they say road conditions are bad, believe them and plan accordingly.
This is April of 2015, but this is what I mean about dicey I-80 driving:
Thats what I was talking about. That can be avoided by keeping up with the weather reports, and waiting it out, if the roads are bad. Unfortunately those truckers don’t do that.
Thats said, if Wyoming and Colorado are getting hammered by a major blizzard, and all the roads are closed. Then it might make sense to spend an extra two days driving around it all on I-40. But otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense IMHO.
Noted: "Take the direct route on I-80 across Wyoming. Just be careful of the crazy truck drivers in Wyoming who drive 80 mph regardless of the conditions, and don’t slow down or stop for anything, unless they hit something. If you run into any bad weather just stop and wait it out, for a day or two."
Those same "crazy truck drivers in Wyoming" got there on I-80 or by coming across the country on I-70 and headed north on I-25 to pick up I-80 for their travels. They didn't magically change their driving tactics or trucks when they reached the Wyoming border from points east.
It's not uncommon for them to be running 75-80 mph on the interstates, and 80 is legal on much of I-80. Even when the variable speed limit signs post lower speeds, it's not unusual for the truckers to be going faster if they can do so. It's kinda' a warning system to folk who don't know the conditions here well: if the truckers are driving more slowly, it's time for you to really be paying attention to the conditions.
Normal travel time for me on I-80 from Cheyenne to SLC city limits is 6 hours on dry pavement. On slick days with prudent driving at lower speeds, and given the frequent lowered visibility and/or unable to see the roads due to the drifting snow ... not uncommon to have spent double that time. On some of my trips to SLC, it's been two days to reach SLC from Cheyenne (or head home; most of the time if road conditions are that poor, I'll stay in SLC rather than be finding a bare bones motel enroute for more money than a nice place in SLC ... plus SLC has great restaurants which will not be found out on I-80 ... especially in WY).
PS: beware the I-80 Parley's Canyon Derby when you reach those last few miles heading out of the mountains to SLC. Not uncommon to see 80+ mph cars and trucks passing you even in inclement driving conditions. Unless UTHP has recently been running speed enforcement patrols on this section, it's typically quite intimidating with all the high speed folk in that section. I've been in the right hand land at the speed limit and had folk weaving through all the lanes to get past the faster folk in the left hand lane. In many years of driving this stretch, I've rarely seen the majority of the traffic driving no faster than the speed limit or slightly over it.
Both interstates can, uh, have their moments. Three years ago last March I was heading home to Grand Junction after visiting friends in Sheridan, Wyoming. I knew there was a strong Pacific cold front going through Colorado but that Wyoming was in the clear. About noon I got maybe ten miles away from Rawlins when I saw a huge cloud hovering over the town. It wasn't part of the storm that Colorado got--except the wind. The wind was blowing so hard that it was whipping the snow that had been on the ground for some time and it was swirling. Vsisibility at most was about 300 feet for 20 miles.
When you travel rural roads in the west you always have a plan B. In this case all I could do is keep my distance behind a Roadway Express tractor trailor and watch my odometer. Why? I knew exactly how many miles it was from Rawlins to Wyoming state highway 789, which I exit off at. 789 takes me to the Colorado border, on to Craig, Meeker, Rifle, and then Grand Junction. Visibility was so poor that I couldn't read the road signs-period-until I got maybe 50 feet from the signs themselves--seriously. Once I got to 789 and went south I was looking at blue sky all the way home. There are certain spots in Wyoming where the winds are very unforgiving, that spot is just one of many where travel can be nasty.
Whichever route you take, don't make the trip a marathon trip. Allow yourself time in case of bad conditions and road closures. Spending a night in a motel room is much more preferable than running your car off the highway into a snowbank. I know.
I also know about I-40. Kaaboom and Sunspirit are right. Actually I-40 is a fairly easy drive westbound but as you get past Winslow you are slowly and continuously climbing in elevation. Winslow is a scoosh over 5000 ft. in elevation. Flagstaff is 6935 ft. And two years ago last March I got the privilege of staying two days at the Economy Inn in Flagstaff, it wasn't for free either. A huge surprise storm hit the town--32 inches of snow. Yep-32 inches. I was heading to Phoenix for some preseason Major League baseball, got a tad fatigued, and decided to lay over in Flagtown. Big mistake, should have soldiered on to Cordes Junction but A. I don't push it when I get fatigued behind the wheel and B. when it gets dark and I'm on the road I get a room. No marathon driving for THIS bedraggled hippie. I know better.
Plan your stops. Make sure your car is road worthy. Carry blankets, a shovel, a couple 50 lb. sandbags in the trunk also. A couple winter coats, jug of water, a couple flashlights are a good thing to bring along as well. Expect the unexpected. Get out of the car every 70 miles or so and walk around the car a tad. Moving around a bit helps-it always helps me.
I-70. Watch the weather 1-4 days ahead, each day. I've done it the day after a big blizzard, during a blizzard, and the day before. Nebraska was always trouble, but we never got stuck or slowed down much.
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