Travel route from Las Vegas to Seattle (Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Pass: live, safe)

[alg406]

Hello everyone! My husband and I will be relocating from Las Vegas to Seattle Oct. 1st (finally!!!!). We have visited twice (driving both times) once through CA to OR and once throught ID, OR to WA. We are a little concerned about driving a 16 foot moving truck through the mountain passes (mainly Snoqualmie). Does anyone have a recommended route? Please help!!!

[allforcats]

What is it that concerns you about Snoqualmie Pass? Snow? Wind? The elevation of Snoqualmie Pass is 3,000 ft. Currently, the snow level in the local Cascade Mountains is at around 5,000 ft, and the forecast for next week is warmer. In early October, we almost always get rain in the pass, not snow. As for wind, Snoqualmie Pass is not windy as it's protected by mountains on all sides.

Here's the always-live web cam at Snoqualmie Pass from the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, so you can keep track.
The little numbers right under the picture will show you different locations from west of the pass to east.
Farther below are detailed weather conditions including wind, and a 2-day weather forecast for the pass.

In the left column you'll find web cams for other mountain passes, weather conditions, and gobs of other fundamental travel information.

WSDOT - Snoqualmie Pass Road and Weather Conditions

Hope all this helps!

[509]

Originally Posted by alg406

Hello everyone! My husband and I will be relocating from Las Vegas to Seattle Oct. 1st (finally!!!!). We have visited twice (driving both times) once through CA to OR and once throught ID, OR to WA. We are a little concerned about driving a 16 foot moving truck through the mountain passes (mainly Snoqualmie). Does anyone have a recommended route? Please help!!!

Just go up I-5. Now that California is a third world country you have to go slow on the stretch between Bakersfield and Sacramento. We hauled a trailer on I-5 last winter and had all sorts of stuff fall off the trailer. Go slow, if you can.

From Sacramento north to the Oregon State line has been fixed this past spring. When we drove it in July it was fine.

Between Redding and Roseberg will be a tiring drive. I hate the stretch through the Lake Shasta area. It is better around Yreka, and then you pull a pretty good grade into Oregon. From Medford to Roseberg is my least favorite part of the road. Pretty, but lots of grades. It will take longer on this day that you probably planned. I would stay in Redding or Red Bluff the night before.

Highways are much, much better in Oregon and Washington. I left my pocketknife on the trailer in Talent, Oregon and 250 miles north it was still there. After watching everything fall off the trailer in California I was impressed.

Be sure to take 205 around Portland.

Plan your arrival in Seattle for a Saturday or Sunday. Traffic in the Seattle area is just awful.

If you have a GPS unit with you it will make the drive much easier.

By October you should plan on rain from Roseberg north. Be sure your wipers are working and lights adjusted.

Our preferred route is through the east side of the Sierra's through Oregon on 97 into Washington. But most of this is two lane road and if your not use to driving these roads it could be interesting with a 16 foot truck.

[sykesfamily]

Going through snoqualmie in oct should be no problem. Its nov that you should start to worry. But other posters have left good suggestions to alternate routes....but if it is snow you are worried about, then the pass should be good and clear this time of year. Its later in the fall you would have to worry about. Good luck and safe journey!

[scirocco22]

I'm going to go against the crowd here as I travel back and forth from the Las Vegas area to the Seattle area numerous times a year sometimes with very large vehicles.

Since you will be driving a moving truck, the shortest is actually the Utah, Idaho, Oregon route. You will be on an interstate for the entire trip and it's actually shorter than the Las Vegas to Bakersfield and I-5 route or the east of the Sierras route. It's less busy and more scenic too, IMO.

You will be going over two mountain passes, Cabbage Hill-Deadman Pass on I-84 and Snoqualmie Pass on I-90. However, it will be extremely unlikely that either will have snow on the 1st of October. Unless a freak snowstorm, the probability of snow on either of those passes is very remote.

As Allforcats and sykesfamily have said, you will have absolutely NO problem with your vehicle on Snoqualmie Pass. It is a heavily traveled interstate with wide lanes and relatively gentle grades.

However, coming down Deadman Pass in Oregon is a fairly good grade but with lots of turnbacks and brake fade runaway lanes. They're kind of scary when looking at them. But just gear down and take it SLOW! Try to stay off your brakes as much as possible and let the engine do the braking as much as you can. It's only for a few miles and will have a breathtaking view looking out toward Pendleton.

So, my recommendation is the I-15 to I-84 to I-82 to I-90 route. You'll enjoy it. I made it once in a moving truck only in the opposite direction and it was around the 1st of November.

[wildmaven]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

Since you will be driving a moving truck, the shortest is actually the Utah, Idaho, Oregon route. You will be on an interstate for the entire trip and it's actually shorter than the Las Vegas to Bakersfield and I-5 route or the east of the Sierras route. It's less busy and more scenic too, IMO.

This is the route I took when I first moved to Washington. I drove a large moving truck and had no problems.

Welcome to Washington from another Las Vegas gal.

[M3 Mitch]

Worry more about driving the truck in Seattle - you want to be certain you know the exact route so you don't have to back up, etc. particularly when you get off the Interstate. Put someone in the passenger's seat that can navigate, so the driver can concentrate on driving.

I like Scirocco's plan for a route.

If you are passing the big rigs, particularly going down grade, you are probably going too fast. Definitely select the correct lower gear for the big downgrade, pump the brakes rather than apply them steadily.

[ajaab5ka]

Hello,
i will be driving from las vegas to seattle in a few days. wanted to find out which route you took and which one had less elevation.
i will need all the help i can get. will be driving alone. thanks, j

Originally Posted by alg406

Hello everyone! My husband and I will be relocating from Las Vegas to Seattle Oct. 1st (finally!!!!). We have visited twice (driving both times) once through CA to OR and once throught ID, OR to WA. We are a little concerned about driving a 16 foot moving truck through the mountain passes (mainly Snoqualmie). Does anyone have a recommended route? Please help!!!