Whats the Best winter route from North Carolina to Utah? (truck, traveling)

[bcarr2010]

So we are getting up and leaving at the end of January, and are looking for the safest, and quickest route from Raleigh,NC to Salt Lake City, Ut. Any help would be great!!!

[RikkiTikki]

The quickest way is across I-70 from St. Louis. If you're trying to avoid winter weather, the safest way is using I-40 to Las Vegas and then head north on I-15.

Winter weather isn't much of a traveling concern anymore except in the most extreme conditions in the Rockies and on the Plains. Even then the interstate rarely remains impassable for more than six hours.

[stillkit]

You're not going to avoid winter weather in January, no matter which route you take, so chose your poison.

Personally? I've always tried to avoid I-70 west of Denver during snow season. Vail and Loveland Passes are pretty high and both often have white-out conditions.

My preferred route would be I-40 to Gallup, NM. You'll be likely to encounter snow or ice anywhere along that route, but it's better than going straight through the Rockies. At Gallup, go north through Shiprock, NM and Cortez, CO to Monticello, UT. That route used to be US-666, but I think they've changed the number since the last time I went that way. Somebody help me out, please.

At Monticello, you'll turn right onto US-181 and go up through Moab to Green River, UT. It's all two lane and very scenic, but for some reason, you're far less likely to encounter major snow along that route. I don't know why. From Green River, go west on I-70 a few miles and take US-6 west, which leads up through Price, UT and over Soldiers Summit where it will probably snow like hell. However, it's a much lower pass than either Vail or Loveland and they keep it pretty well plowed. Eventually, you'll come down to I-15 which you can take right into Salt Lake City.

I've driven that route in the winter many times in a big truck, so if I can do it you can too.