Driving Dallas to Seattle 1/29/09 - best route? (Chehalis, Snoqualmie: to rent, motels)

[Seattle_Mike_42]

Hi guys. I am driving a 24' moving truck from Dallas to Seattle. Google says to go north thru Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Wa. I am wondering if it can be really bad or is it do-able and fine? BTW I just did a drive thru some of this route 2 weeks ago from Vegas and it was fine. I just don't know if late January is worse and the midwest or Colorado passes is bad news. The other route of going to California adds 500 miles! I would like to know what i need to check before i make my route decision (which specific passes or weather reports?). Thanks everyone. -Mike

[vette-dude]

Originally Posted by Seattle_Mike_42

Hi guys. I am driving a 24' moving truck from Dallas to Seattle. Google says to go north thru Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Wa. I am wondering if it can be really bad or is it do-able and fine? BTW I just did a drive thru some of this route 2 weeks ago from Vegas and it was fine. I just don't know if late January is worse and the midwest or Colorado passes is bad news. The other route of going to California adds 500 miles! I would like to know what i need to check before i make my route decision (which specific passes or weather reports?). Thanks everyone. -Mike

Hi Mike, most of the way google states to go is bad weather conditions this time of year, I actually drove through these states 2 years ago and was stranded in Wyoming for a day due to a severe blizzard and I was in a 4x4 not a larage 24' truck..If you go this way, just check the weather prior to arriving..Would be longer, but would consider driving through New Mexico, to Arizona to California then due North on I-5 straight up to Seattle...I've gone this way many times, with minimal problems if any...more miles but more of a sure arrival on time...Good Luck on which ever way you end up driving, be safe out there...We had 5 feet of snow this winter..500 miles extra...an extra 1/2 day drive....ggrrrr

[Idunn]

If you can squeeze through a weather window then a straight shot from Dallas, TX to Seattle, WA makes a lot of sense. That's a big if. Yeah, it has been rather dry out West thus far, but this time of year the weather can change fast, and that is a long drive. Are you determined or crazy enough?

You might also note that Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 into Seattle has been intermittently closed recently due heavy storms. It is generally open, if often snowpacked. In other words, everything has to line up perfectly if you are to enjoy dry roads, or semblance thereof.

The only pass of any consequence, and relatively mild, is that on the California/Oregon border. Yes, there was flooding near Chehalis, WA recently and I-5 closed. But usually this route clear and open, only rain, and you are near guaranteed to arrive on schedule and in one piece.

But if wishing some gnarly stories to tell . . .

[tcres]

Originally Posted by Seattle_Mike_42

Hi guys. I am driving a 24' moving truck from Dallas to Seattle. Google says to go north thru Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Wa. I am wondering if it can be really bad or is it do-able and fine? BTW I just did a drive thru some of this route 2 weeks ago from Vegas and it was fine. I just don't know if late January is worse and the midwest or Colorado passes is bad news. The other route of going to California adds 500 miles! I would like to know what i need to check before i make my route decision (which specific passes or weather reports?). Thanks everyone. -Mike

I did this drive once. From Dallas to the Tri-Cities. I used the route from google maps as well.

The drive was during January and it was very uneventful. I may have just gotten lucky? We drove without stopping (except food and gas) and it took 30 hours. I was going to rent a moving truck but I found a moving company that hauled my stuff for less then a uhaul truck and I was able to drive my own car.

My worst memory of the trip was the toll roads in Colorado. Seemed like every 100 feet was a $2 toll. If you can adjust your route to avoid the tolls I would.

I once drove from Dallas to Los Angeles and that drive was 24 hours on it's own! I think it took 12 hours just to get to El Paso... :/

Good luck.

[Seattle_Mike_42]

OK. Thanks. I will wait and decide at the last minute then. Luckily I have an iPhone and you can go online anywhere and check any weather too. My plan is to only drive 15 hours per day and rest in motels. Thats interesting about the toll roads, i didnt think of that. I'd like a list of passes/roads I need to check before I drive. My fear is getting halway and finding out chains are required or traffic is stopped somewhere. There are no chains with the moving truck! Anyways, I know about snoqualmie pass, what other passes/bad roads are on the google direct route? There has got to be at least 3 in total.

[cdelena]

I got caught in surprise blizzard conditions (storms blow in from Canada very quickly) on my trip from Texas to Washington. Trust me, you do not want to risk that. The decision to take the northern route cost me thousands of dollars and offered an experience I never wat to repeat.

Take a southern route to California and then head north to minimize the weather risk (there is still some). It will take longer, have more traffic, and likely offer fewer new sights, but be much lower risk.

[Ira500]

I recently did the trip:
In early November drove from Seattle to New Jersey, going thru Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, etc, and it was pretty uneventful except for a little ice in the Colorado Rockies on I-70 and a bit in Utah...But returning about 6 weeks later there was heavy snow almost everywhere, so we went the southern route...from Dallas we stayed on I-20 and then I-10 and up I-5 and 101. It wasn't out intent to go as far south, but I checked weather daily and it kept getting worse in most of the country. We didn't get as far south as Mexico, but almost!

[tcres]

Originally Posted by Seattle_Mike_42

OK. Thanks. I will wait and decide at the last minute then. Luckily I have an iPhone and you can go online anywhere and check any weather too. My plan is to only drive 15 hours per day and rest in motels. Thats interesting about the toll roads, i didnt think of that. I'd like a list of passes/roads I need to check before I drive. My fear is getting halway and finding out chains are required or traffic is stopped somewhere. There are no chains with the moving truck! Anyways, I know about snoqualmie pass, what other passes/bad roads are on the google direct route? There has got to be at least 3 in total.

Don't forget quarters!

The only pass I remember was on I-84 at Cabbage Hill - Deadman Pass before you reach Washington. It was kinda scary. Of course there is Snoqualmie but you could also divert to Portland and head up the 5 if there are last minute pass problems.

If you click the "terrain" feature on google maps you will get a good idea of the route.

[StealthRabbit]

Jan is very fickle, You have to make your choice early in the route, as I don't recommend I-70 through CO, but prefer I-80 through WYO (tho it can be windy) BE SURE to pack your truck correctly with weight low and near axles, or against front.

No toll road necessary if you go I-70 to I-25, only the bypass (airport) is toll. Might be worth it in bad weather or during heavy traffic. Trucks will cost extra, so verify, but it will probably be $15-$20 for 20 minutes driving (Can save 15 minutes on a good day, and 1 hr+ on a heavy traffic day)

no passes in CO the way you are headed. I would do 287 from Ft Collins (I-25) to Laramie (I-80) of the weather is decent. The option of going to Cheyenne to meet I-80 forces you to go over Sherman Pass to get to Laramie. (that is not as nice nor as pretty as 287) (I did this route daily for 7 yrs working my way through college as a night shift truck driver). I also moved from CO to WA in OCT and drove on 1000 miles of ice, but am used to it, and enjoy the excitement to keep me awake. There is a small pass between Laramie towards Rawlins, then another at LaGrande, OR to Pendleton.

I would probably take I-84 on into Portland, then I-205 to I-5. The Columbia Gorge is quite pretty, but check the weather, as wind and ice is a rare, but dangerous condition.

I use this for 6-14 day forecasts Climate Prediction Center - 6 to 10 Day Outlook

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by janb

...but prefer I-80 through WYO (tho it can be windy)
...
option of going to Cheyenne to meet I-80 forces you to go over Sherman Pass to get to Laramie. (that is not as nice nor as pretty as 287)
...

My difficult trip was in February. We checked weather three times a day and were still surprised because forecasts simply cannot anticipate the fast changing conditions.

Planned on an I-80 route but once reaching Cheyenne found it was closed to Laramie because high winds had caused five large rigs to overturn with one death.

On the advice of several truckers we back-tracked to pickup 287 in Ft.Collins and once moving north again the snow started with complete white-out conditions by the time we reached the Wyoming border. Had to abandon one car and the one we were driving was hit by an 18-wheeler that simply could not see us in the blizzard. We finally made it to Laramie that had few places to stay as the Interstate was still closed. The abandoned car was covered by snow plows and eventually towed back to Colorado.

All of this transpired and there was no snow in the forecast.

It took two days to get back on the road, cost much time, money, and trouble. I recommend you take a southern route in the winter!