Winter travel on Rt 89 near Cedar City UT? (Kanab: stations, gas)

[sp2007]

Hello

I will be traveling to Utah next month and I will be coming from the southeastern US. I've decided to take I-10 to AZ and then take Route 89 from Flagstaff AZ to Cedar City UT and then I-15 towards my final destination in SLC.

Has anyone traveled Route 89 between Flagstaff and Cedar City in the winter before? Is it safe?

I will be driving a *surprise* minivan.

Thanks

[Blondie-Rabbit]

If there are no storms it is safe. That is a long stretch of road that when it snows is bad news. betwen Flagstaff and Jacob's lake, you will travel mostly on the Navajo Reservation. It is not maintained like other roads during a storm. Getting up the platuea to Jacob's Lake is essentially climbing up a mountain road. Again this is a little stretch of road that is not well maintained during a storm due to lack of traffic that time of year. You could take the route that goes up to Page Az. then across the AZ strip between Page and Kanab. Not a big change in elevation, and better maintained in the winter. Once you make it to Kanab area, you will have the maintence of snowy roads, but you are also going to be climbing again to even higher elevations. When it storms it is a crap shoot if the storm will close hwy 14 from hwy 89 over Cedar mt. to Cedar City.

Good news is, if it is not storming, it is a beautiful drive with little traffic during that time of year. Also be sure that you don't drive it on a Sunday. Not all but a lot of businesses will be closed, including gas stations.

[sofam]

Like Blondie-Rabbit said. I have driven that way in late winter and early spring. Caught a storm in the Flagstaff area and it was kind of miserable. If I were driving that route this time of year, I would check the weather. If it looked like snow, from Phoenix, I would go through Wickenburg to Kingman to Las Vegas and then take I-15 to Cedar City. You are unlikely to encounter as much bad weather. Not a big difference in drive time either.

[Cedar City Homes]

You could really go either way and be fine. They keep those roads plowed and very drivable. If you are nervous check the weather.