Driving Through (Cheyenne, Laramie, Green River: construction, transportation, cars)

[RUsmilin2]

I am headed to Utah for the winter for work and the experince. I am planning to take I-80 through Wyoming. I have the weather report for this Monday when I hope to be heading through. It says 36 and only 10% chance. What are my chances early next week of having a clear path to Utah? I'll have the emergency kit, the chains, the weighted down in the back of the 4 wheel drive truck. Any other advice or suggestion would be great. Thanks in advance and good luck with all you do.

[jazzlover]

Best to check the weather forecasts as you get closer to Monday. Also, realize that it's 400 miles across Wyoming. Weather can be warm and dry in eastern Wyoming and a blizzarding mess farther west--or vice versa. I've seen be 50+ degreess in Cheyenne and have I-80 closed 30 miles west because of severe blizzarding. The most likely spots for trouble are on Sherman Hill just west of Cheyenne, around Arlington (affectionately known because of I-80's construction during the Viet Nam War as the "Snow Chi Min Trail" for its propensity for heavy snow and blizzarding), and the area just east of Evanston. Check Wyoming Department of Transportation Travel Information Service online for road conditions, or call 888-WYO-ROAD outside of Wyoming or 511 in Wyoming for road conditions. Be forewarned that the telephone road report is a touch-tone/voice activated pain-in-the-*** that is virtually impossible to use if you're trying to access it and drive at the same time.

Your vehicle sounds like it is well-equipped to handle poor road condtions. My experience in Wyoming is that road conditions usually aren't the biggest problem--it's loss of visibiltiy in blizzarding. WYDOT does a pretty good job of keeping the roads plowed and sanded.

[RUsmilin2]

Thanks Jazz, this is exactly was I was looking for! Some more local access numbers and such. Thanks again and I look forward to getting through. i'll let you know how it went!

[RUsmilin2]

should I look at another route you suppose?

The way is just so much quicker and something I have never seen there, we can always come back that way in April. We will have more time to travel then. Is it better to shoot through Denver you think. The Southerner route across Texas and the hit north would add a lot of time. No easy shot unless I travel all the way to LA

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by RUsmilin2

should I look at another route you suppose?

The way is just so much quicker and something I have never seen there, we can always come back that way in April. We will have more time to travel then. Is it better to shoot through Denver you think. The Southerner route across Texas and the hit north would add a lot of time. No easy shot unless I travel all the way to LA

Don't even think about I-70 through Colorado. Too many hare-brained fools driving it that don't have a clue of how to drive on bad roads. I often travel between Wyoming and Colorado points at either end of both states, and I avoid using I-70 as much as possible.

One thing a lot of locals in Wyoming will do if it is blizzarding up around Arlington (the wind can REALLY howl up there) is to take US 287 west out of Laramie up through Medicine Bow and back to I-80 a ways east of Rawlins. It is longer, lower speed limit, but 2 lane most of the way. But, 287 can be somewhat less prone to blizzarding (but it still can). That must be tempered with the fact that it has less traffic and is usually more lightly patrolled by plows than is I-80. One distinct advantage 287 has in bad weather is that there are usually fewer big trucks on it. Jacknifing semis can be a big problem up around Arlington on I-80--causing bad traffic tie-ups and serious accidents. Other than that stretch, you're pretty much stuck with being on I-80. One last thing: in winter, semis usually outnumber the cars and light trucks on I-80.

Of course, you may luck out and have dry road all the way. That happens, too. I just looked at the webcams, it looks dry most of the way right this minute.

[sunsprit]

One weather factor in your favor this year is the warmer temps/bright sunshine we've had recently along the I-80 corridor.

This tends to keep the roadbed clear and warmer than if we'd had a lot of snowstorms and cloudy days. The effect is to help keep the roads in better condition when the flurries or storms come through, should that pattern develop later this week.

[TEEPEEMAKER]

I just came across from cheyenne this morning, only bad spot was between Laramie and Encampment, but you won't be on that mountain. The wind has been pretty bad this week, that's probably your biggest problem. when we get all that powdery snow, visibility can get to zilch in an instant when a semi passes you.
My suggestion, from someone who's on that freeway nearly everyday, slow down a little. Most of the accidents I have seen were caused because someone had to touch thier brakes or tried to pass on an icy left lane and couldn't hang onto their vehicle. It isn't worth rushing. After traveling that road for nearly 20 years, this is the best advice I can give you. As said before, the weather varies a lot from place to place. Tune into the radio or call the Wyoming road report often.
I70 is a nightmare in the winter.

[ElkHunter]

Hell, jump on I-80 and hammer down. It ain't cold and blowing yet.

[Wyomiles]

RU , everything above is right on. If you are headed to ski country you are probobly ready for the cold. I drove from Green River to Laramie and back,for a couple of years every weekend and only got stuck once so generally you should be OK. I would add that the "three sisters", three mountains over by Evanston, can get bad sometimes too.

[ElkHunter]

The three sisters can be relentless. I don't know why they exist. It's like they have their own weather pattern. Normally, you can hall butt down I-80. This time of year, you'll do fine. Come Feb, the three sisters will kick your butt.