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I've done lots of searching and read lots of posts here. The majority of them seem to say things like "Well, take Rt 10 for the least chance of snow, 40 for a better chance, and 70 if you want to get stranded somewhere." And that's great information, but I'm hoping for something a little more specific.
?
If you have done searching here then you know we are practically overwhelmed in this forum, usually around the fall, with people in a panic state asking how they are going to cross the US in the winter, as if they are preparing to track accross Antarctica in the Scott Expedition.
Thousands of interstate trucks cross these routes every day of the year, rain or snow. All interstate highways are maintained and considered all season roads (closed or restricted on rare occasions, yes). My advice is always simple enough - watch the weather forecast before you leave and plan your route accordingly. Simple as that. Maybe pay particular attention to the mountain passes in the west, that's about it. I would not drive hundreds of miles out of my route just because of a fear of snow.
Mels hit it. Get the proper tires. Sport compound tires suck when it gets cold or slippy.
If you don't want to do that, take option C. Northern AZ can and does get lots of snow and crap weather. That combined with relatively few people isn't a great comfort.
Snow tires will be needed, even though you can probably get by with all seasons on I-10 sooner or later you will have to cross the mountains then the possibility of snow tires being needed will probably rise to 100%. January in the USA? Cross country trip? Why take a chance,put snow tires on the car, whats your life worth? $400?
I think route B should be OK with one modification. There *will* be snow in Flagstaff in winter, since it's at elevation. So go from Roswell through Phoenix to Los Vegas.
If you have done searching here then you know we are practically overwhelmed in this forum, usually around the fall, with people in a panic state asking how they are going to cross the US in the winter, as if they are preparing to track accross Antarctica in the Scott Expedition.
Thousands of interstate trucks cross these routes every day of the year, rain or snow. All interstate highways are maintained and considered all season roads (closed or restricted on rare occasions, yes). My advice is always simple enough - watch the weather forecast before you leave and plan your route accordingly. Simple as that. Maybe pay particular attention to the mountain passes in the west, that's about it. I would not drive hundreds of miles out of my route just because of a fear of snow.
LOL ... I've done this trip with an AlfaRomeo roadster in January ... or at least the Las Vegas to Albuquerque (and then on to Denver) portion of it.
Yes, the semi's keep on rolling ... but the areas West of Albuquerque, once you ascend out of the Valley there ... are serious mountain terrain subject to substantial amounts of snowfall. Yes, the semi's will keep on rolling ... and you'll get buried by them as they roll past you with a moving wall of slush and snow and obscuration that will keep you from seeing where you are going in your close to the ground little roadster.
Even after the storm fronts pass through and the sunshine comes out and the highway has been plowed, you can expect some pretty nasty driving conditions which will challenge a lightweight roadster that's low to the ground. Expect the wheel wells to get packed in and frozen ... literally, if you drive in a straight line for a nominal distance, you may find that the wheels are blocked into that position and your turn radius may be very restricted when you try to go anywhere but straight ahead.
The riskiest portion of this (in the Western states) will be a few hundred miles of the trip West from Albuquerque and past Flagstaff AZ on your way to Las Vegas. It isn't until you get past the Hoover Dam area, reasonably close to Las Vegas, that you'll descend into lower elevation warmer country where the snowstorms aren't as severe and the roads get (and stay) clear. As I've done this trip many times in other vehicles that were more capable, the wisdom of doing a delivery trip in January through there with the Alfa was very much in question.
For planning purposes, I wouldn't anticipate going through that Flagstaff area on my trip. I'd hold that as a "plan B" option only if at the last possible moment it appeared that the roads were reasonably clear and the weather forecasts were for continued clear conditions for the time it would take to transit the area.
I don't know about that portion of the trip in the Eastern USA ... haven't driven it in winter conditions ... so others will have to chime in on that portion of the journey.
Pick up I-20 at Atlanta and take that through most of Texas...
then I-10 from about Midland all the way to the Pacific coast.
Be ready for the immigration inspections in New Mexico.
After a couple of days on the beach...
double back to I-15 and take that to Vegas.
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