Winter Driving On I-5. Please Help!! (Salem, Medford: hotel, house, closing)

[jiffin4java]

What's the drive like in February?

[TheShoeboxDiaries541]

Originally Posted by jiffin4java

What's the drive like in February?

January and February are the two worst months in terms of snow, black ice, freezing cold temperatures, ect. along I-5. November, December and early January have the potential to be unpleasent, but those times are early for any extreme weather.

[jiffin4java]

Originally Posted by TheShoeboxDiaries541

January and February are the two worst months in terms of snow, black ice, freezing cold temperatures, ect. along I-5. November, December and early January have the potential to be unpleasent, but those times are early for any extreme weather.

Well, that sounds wonderful for our Valentine's move! We're moving from TX when hubby finishes school. Hopefully luck will be on our side. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the weather. Luckily, we have a lot of famiy near Sacramento. If I need to hang back with the kids and the u-haul trailer for a day or so until it calms down I'll probably have that option. Hubby has chains for his car and he could go on ahead of us if he can't stay back with us. Thanks!

[Nurse98]

I am from the Midwest and have driven in all kinds of winter conditions. However, I have never driven in the mountains. (Being that the Indiana is flat as a board!) I would have to say to take the train if at all possible. If conditions get ugly you will be hating life. You said you have never driven in icy conditions and that could be a problem. I don't know how it will affect you, but I have been in some nasty storms and arrived safely but a nervous wreck. You can be the greatest driver out on the road and run into the worst driver. Save yourself from a potentially nerve racking drive and enjoy a nice train ride. Remember you also have to drive home. Why subject yourself to unneeded stress at a time of joy. Have a great time at the wedding.
Peace and respect,
Nurse98

[little peg]

Originally Posted by AllYouLeftBehind

I appologize if this question has been asked before (it probably has), but here goes:

On december 15th, I will be driving from Oakland California to Portland to visit my sister for her wedding. My son has a b-ball game that saturday that he can't miss, so I won't be able leave any earlier than 12-1pm, which means that most of my mountain drive will be done in the dark at "night". On top of all that, my car is a little shotty (a 1996 buick regal with 130000 miles on it). I've lived in the bay area my whole life and have no experience driving on snow or black ice. Will my son and I be safe? Are the roads really as treacherous as some have made them out to be? Obviously, my concern for my son is top priority, so if anyone has any information or experience with this, I'd appreciate it. Thank You.

Please take the weather seriously, sliding off the road and dying of exposure and hypothermia has happened, good luck, there are Comet trucks that help stranded motorist. Stay with you car if something happens, people wander off to find help and die, often within yards of help, look at the ODOT website for current conditions.

[little peg]

Originally Posted by TheShoeboxDiaries541

January and February are the two worst months in terms of snow, black ice, freezing cold temperatures, ect. along I-5. November, December and early January have the potential to be unpleasent, but those times are early for any extreme weather.

Snow and valentine's day always seem to go hand in hand on the I-5 corridor

[DBNN]

Originally Posted by Summertime

I vaguely recall a few winters ago,
that motorists were caught in a storm
near Medford or Ashland, and
had to spend the whole night
in their cars. And it was COLD.

In March, 2006, I was stopped by
a storm, at Yreka.. the
road was closed from Ashland
to Redding. The inns were
filling up fast in Yreka, with
travelers from I-5, both directions.
There had been 25 accidents on that
stretch...so it was closed for many hours.

I would not take a chance in December
thru the passes of Oregon or Calif.
near Shasta.

Then again, it might be a piece of cake,
without a snow flurry in sight.

Best to check the link given above,
by Corner Guy, before leaving home.

My family and I traveled from Oregon to California in March of 2006.
Things looked pretty good. We got to the first pass and were coming around a corner and it started down pouring hail. The roads were clear and instantly the roads were coved in white. The only place to go was straight up a hill that was around that corner. (Bad place to be)
Three trucks were ahead of us trying to make the hill and they were coming back down sideways. We were in a van with no chains or studs. I thought, If those trucks aren't making it, we don't have a chance. I screamed at my husband...please don't go up that hill ....please. He pulls over to the side of the road. I was literally praying out loud. I looked over and realized there was a cliff on my side of the road. I looked back at my four children.
My husband was watching cars behind us. To see if they were making it up the hill and to let them break up the ice some.
My husband said, we gotta move off the side of the road. Were going to get hit . I looked back and other cars had pulled over, too. More cars were coming up behind us.
I can't tell you how scary that was to go up that hill. The longest few minutes of my life.
We made it.
Things were clear until the next pass. Snow and ice.
Yes, they have snow plowers up there. But the storm came quick. They were closing down the road on the other side first. We made it just in time before both sides were closed.
Please take the train!!

[jiffin4java]

Originally Posted by DBNN

My family and I traveled from Oregon to California in March of 2006.
Things looked pretty good. We got to the first pass and were coming around a corner and it started down pouring hail. The roads were clear and instantly the roads were coved in white. The only place to go was straight up a hill that was around that corner. (Bad place to be)
Three trucks were ahead of us trying to make the hill and they were coming back down sideways. We were in a van with no chains or studs. I thought, If those trucks aren't making it, we don't have a chance. I screamed at my husband...please don't go up that hill ....please. He pulls over to the side of the road. I was literally praying out loud. I looked over and realized there was a cliff on my side of the road. I looked back at my four children.
My husband was watching cars behind us. To see if they were making it up the hill and to let them break up the ice some.
My husband said, we gotta move off the side of the road. Were going to get hit . I looked back and other cars had pulled over, too. More cars were coming up behind us.
I can't tell you how scary that was to go up that hill. The longest few minutes of my life.
We made it.
Things were clear until the next pass. Snow and ice.
Yes, they have snow plowers up there. But the storm came quick. They were closing down the road on the other side first. We made it just in time before both sides were closed.
Please take the train!!

When we were moving from MI to CA back in April of '03 we hit a really bad storm going over the mountains. We couldn't stop for the night either because all the hotels in the town we stopped at were full. The next town was 2 hrs away and we had to drive through whiteout conditions to get to it. There were hardly any trucks on our side of the highway. There were lots going the other way. That was kinda scary, but we made it safe and sound and by the next morning the storm had cleared. Hopefully we'll be able to dodge any storms on the way up to Oregon in February.

[little peg]

Originally Posted by TheGhostofTomMcCall

Take the coastal route. It rarely snows, but figure on 2 days to get up here.

BAD ADVICE. It generally snows in the costal range, a young family was lost there thanksgiving 06 or 05, trapped for a week, he decides to walk out, sadly died of exposure. Lack of driving experiance should be the clue to take the train as others are suggesting.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by little peg

BAD ADVICE. It generally snows in the costal range, a young family was lost there thanksgiving 06 or 05, trapped for a week, he decides to walk out, sadly died of exposure. Lack of driving experiance should be the clue to take the train as others are suggesting.

Good Grief!! The family got lost on a closed logging road in the mountains, not on the coastal highway. Even a drunk moron could not get lost on the coastal highway.

If it is snowing hard on I-5 (maybe a 10% chance of that happening), just pull off and stay in a motel for night or a day until the highway is cleared. It's an Interstate - it's very well maintained.