moveing to portland in december (motels, closing, moving van)

[jimmyratts]

i am moveing to portland from PA in december and i am worried about winter weather travel. any suggestions concerns? wondering what to expect.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

A dependable car with no leaks, good brakes, good wet weather tires, new windshield wipers, a good windshield defroster and maybe some tire chains will do ya just fine.

Mostly rain, but maybe some ice or maybe a little snow in December-January.
A hell of a lot better than PA.
The key word is wet. And some more wet. And then a little more wet. then finally, wet some more.
We could get a stretch of dry cold weather about then, with ice or snow on either end of it.

[davemess10]

I assume you're driving out, so you're asking about the trip, as a whole?

I think The Central states (Kansas, Nebraska, S. Dakota) is where you will run into the most trouble. Potential for some big, road-closing storms in Dec. in a number of states. But sometimes you'll be just fine. Just depends on luck of the draw.

What route are you thinking of taking?

[aroseinrain]

...and are you bringing a moving van or just a car?

[jimmyratts]

i am traveling in my car. mostly i am worried about middle america. thanks for responding!

[jimmyratts]

i dont really know! any suggestions!thanks

[jimmyratts]

yeah i have a vw gti good condition, no worries. thanks for the response, i cant wait to get out of this dump and finally get there!

[philwithbeard]

Depending on your route across the Rockies, winter travel may be mild, or delayed by winter storms. January would be worse, IMHO.

Be aware, if you take I-80, (and then switch over to I-84 in Utah) the state police in Idaho will block traffic on some of the some of most lonely stretches of I-84. There are a few motels, IIRC, but these are not large places. Really long stretches of expressway, with no exits, no villages, nothing. Yes, I have traveled the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Baltimore, but I-80/I-84 is much, much worse for long lonely stretches of empty country side.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by philwithbeard

Depending on your route across the Rockies, winter travel may be mild, or delayed by winter storms. January would be worse, IMHO.

Be aware, if you take I-80, (and then switch over to I-84 in Utah) the state police in Idaho will block traffic on some of the some of most lonely stretches of I-84. There are a few motels, IIRC, but these are not large places. Really long stretches of expressway, with no exits, no villages, nothing. Yes, I have traveled the PA Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Baltimore, but I-80/I-84 is much, much worse for long lonely stretches of empty country side.

Interstate 80 in Wyoming gets shut down frequently during big winter snowstorms. They actually have big gates that close off the highway.

[Nell Plotts]

They shut is down for good reason, travelers have been known to freeze to death. It is a good idea to pack winter survival protection for that reason (thermal blankets, water, energy bars come to mind).