winter driving - weather traps? (Cedar City, Salina: college, live in, safety)

[breathe]

My son and friends are driving to Southern Utah in Jan. What are the winter driving hazards out there?
They are taking 287 from Dallas, hitting I 40 at Amarillo. I 40 across NM to Albuquerque, then 44 up to Bloomfield, then 160 up through Cortez and Monticello and up 191 to canyonlands.

Are there safety/winter specific issues/places that they haven't thought about?? Any wisdom of winter experience out there? I want to share as much as possible - then perhaps they'd go south : )

[jazzlover]

It is possible to hit lousy winter driving conditions just about anywhere along that route. Probably less likely than many places in the Rocky Mountain West, but possible nonetheless. That includes snow, snowpacked roads, icy roads, blizzarding, below zero weather--all of it. They might luck out and hit none of that--or they could get a taste of it (or a full meal of it) along the way. If they are not prepared for winter driving conditions, then they shouldn't be making the trip. It's winter, it's most all above 4,000 feet elevation, it can snow, it can blow, it's cold. And, quite bluntly, those of us who live in the Rocky Mountain West and who have driven these roads during winter for all of our lives (and have to drive them), do get sick of dodging "virgins" who can't safely drive a vehicle in winter driving conditions.

[breathe]

Thanks Jazzlover. Your feedback is exactly what I am looking for. I'll gladly take all data relating to this subject...others?

[jazzlover]

I have driven in a lot of bad winter weather in the last 40 years. I have hit nasty blizzard conditions around Amarillo (about 200 miles worth). I have had a miserable winter drive (with a lot of snowpack and wind-driven snow) between Bernalillo, NM and Durango, Colorado. I drove a truck and trailer (no fun at all) in miserable snow and blizzard conditions between Cortez, CO and Monticello, Utah. I've dealt with a 150 miles of black ice between Salina, UT and Grand Junction, CO. All of that on roads that "normally" are considered less likely to have winter problems than many others in the region. It absolutely is a case of, "Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst." So far this winter (which starts in November in this area, not today by the calendar), the winter weather pattern has been pretty active in the region. Considering that December is normally one of the drier months of the year, that's kind of interesting. Whether January continues in this relatively stormy pattern, nobody know for sure. Normally, January is both snowier and colder than December in most of the region.

[Blondie-Rabbit]

Winter driving survival pack.... Take a 2 1/2 gallon jug of water along in the truck area. Have chains. Have extra heavy blankets and clothing that can be layered. Have heavy duty snow boots and plenty of warm socks. Have heavy duty warm gloves. Take a battery powered radio. Have at least one cell phone with, but know there are going to be dead zones. Take plenty of protein style snacks that do not need cooking, ie jerky. Take a broom. Now you might think a broom is crazy but it will be the best article if you do get stuck in bad weather. It can sweep off the vehicle, break through a snow drift that piles up around the car by poking the handle through it to get fresh air from a rolled down window. It can have a piece of flashy bright clothing attached to it as a resuce flag. The next advise is if you do get stuck, is to stay put. You will have the rations of food if you are careful with the protein snacks. You will have a start of water which you need to stay hydrated. You can melt snow inside the car if you get stuck to augment the water syupply, but you will be surprised how fast you will go through the water so it is nice to have the reserve to start with. Last take a deck of cards. Yep you need to stay sane and try and keep your mind off what is happening until you get rescued. Above all I want to say again, to stay put. The storm will blow itself out, and if you are on the road or just off the shoulder, the snow plows will find you first. This is all for worst case scenerio.

I was stuck in a bad blizzard on I-80 just 17 miles east of Lincoln Nebraska back in 1971. I was the only one of my family that had any clothing to handle the storm with me. I had been skiing out here in Utah over Christmas. If it weren't for two college students that stopped and picked us up, we would never have survived the storm. It blew for four days, and my parents being in their 60's at the time were already after 9 hours showing signs of hypothermia. Never underestimate mother nature. Prepare and be glad at the end of the trip you didn't have to use the survival pack. Better to waste the space for it, than to waste your life without it. In winter you just don't know what can happen.

[motormaker]

Originally Posted by Blondie-Rabbit

Winter driving survival pack.... Take a 2 1/2 gallon jug of water along in the truck area. Have chains. Have extra heavy blankets and clothing that can be layered. Have heavy duty snow boots and plenty of warm socks. Have heavy duty warm gloves. Take a battery powered radio. Have at least one cell phone with, but know there are going to be dead zones. Take plenty of protein style snacks that do not need cooking, ie jerky. Take a broom. Now you might think a broom is crazy but it will be the best article if you do get stuck in bad weather. It can sweep off the vehicle, break through a snow drift that piles up around the car by poking the handle through it to get fresh air from a rolled down window. It can have a piece of flashy bright clothing attached to it as a resuce flag. The next advise is if you do get stuck, is to stay put. You will have the rations of food if you are careful with the protein snacks. You will have a start of water which you need to stay hydrated. You can melt snow inside the car if you get stuck to augment the water syupply, but you will be surprised how fast you will go through the water so it is nice to have the reserve to start with. Last take a deck of cards. Yep you need to stay sane and try and keep your mind off what is happening until you get rescued. Above all I want to say again, to stay put. The storm will blow itself out, and if you are on the road or just off the shoulder, the snow plows will find you first. This is all for worst case scenerio.

I was stuck in a bad blizzard on I-80 just 17 miles east of Lincoln Nebraska back in 1971. I was the only one of my family that had any clothing to handle the storm with me. I had been skiing out here in Utah over Christmas. If it weren't for two college students that stopped and picked us up, we would never have survived the storm. It blew for four days, and my parents being in their 60's at the time were already after 9 hours showing signs of hypothermia. Never underestimate mother nature. Prepare and be glad at the end of the trip you didn't have to use the survival pack. Better to waste the space for it, than to waste your life without it. In winter you just don't know what can happen.

Good advice from all. Also don't forget about "black ice" the stuff you can't see.

[sp2007]

Sorry, I just posted a similar question in a new thread, but I will be making this trip next month too, but I will be following I-10 to Phoenix. I will be heading north to Cedar City via Route 89 instead of going north in New Mexico.

Is that smart? I am heading towards SLC.

[Aerorick]

We live four gravel road miles back from the state highway. The first three miles are maintained by the county. The last mile is whatever tracks are made by the vehicles that use it. So we deal with quite the gamet everytime we come and go during the winter. And I would offer the same advice the police do when asked why an accident happened. Some yahoo going too fast for the conditions. Even with four wheel drive you can get into big trouble real fast. People, being what we are, will tend to drive a little faster and faster on a frozen road testing it until the vehicle starts to wiggle a bit and then slow down. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

[M.C.]

All I can speak for is driving in Utah, Northern and Southern. The Southern part of the state is cake compared to the Northern part. It really is not difficult to drive in these places just slow down a bit. Oh and I have always found it helpful to have something heavy in the back of a truck (if that is what they are going to be driving). They do tend to keep the roads pretty clear though.

[breathe]

thanks for your thoughtful responses. I compiled them (had also posted in Albuquerque section) and emailed to the young trip takers. After reading them, and checking the weather they decided to cancel the trip! I am so relieved and know some of you may be too. It was great to have objective data to send them.