Driving I-80 across Wyoming this weekend (Cheyenne, Laramie: home, cost, law)

[icky2000]

I'm driving from Utah to north of Omaha NE, going across Wyoming on I-80. My plan was to leave tomorrow AM but we've had a bit of snow and I'm trying to decide if I should still leave tomorrow AM or wait until Sunday AM once things have cleared up a bit more. Any feedback on I-80 in Wyoming right now? Think it will be clear enough by morning? Thanks!

[sunsprit]

The storm front has been blowing Eastward rather quickly, with much less total snowfall than forecast at this time. There is the usual low visibility due to the high winds blowing the snow around.

On I-80, especially in the Laramie-Rawlins-Rock Springs segment, the highway can "disappear" in front of you in drifting snow in the low spots. This happens faster than the plows can keep up with the drifts.

If you can wait a day for the storm to blow through and the roads to clear a bit, that would be better than setting out directly into the face of the storm.

Check road conditions on the web from WYDOT's website. I just did, and I-80's closed now West from Laramie through the Rawlins area, with the road listed as "slick" through past Wamsutter. Essentially, it's not a good day to be driving right now, but with the storm front moving through, it should be better on Saturday and through Sunday mid-day.

[Earniefan]

Weatherchannel.com says we're supposed to have more snow on Sunday across the region of utah to rock springs, anyway. I looked at the wyo web cams today at arlington and walcott and it's nothing I would want to be driving in. Once you hit Nebraska you should do alright, they send the snow plows out when it's flurrying and they use salt which makes a huge difference, I wish Wyoming would. I would definately go on Wyo web cams in the morning and take a look at arlington and walcott specifically and it wouldn't hurt to look at the summit outside of Laramie either as the weather can be bad between Laramie and Cheyenne too.

[ElkHunter]

It's only an inch or two of snow, plus some wind. Nothing out of the norm.

[-CM-]

You can see current conditions here: http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/webc...I80Summit.html

(This is the summit between Laramie and Cheyenne; click the links on the left of the page to see other sections.)

[icky2000]

Thanks for all of the helpful comments. Sections of I-80 are closed this evening I see but perhaps it being dark contributes to the visibility problems. I'm still hoping for better conditions in the morning but will check out the cams and wydot before I head out.

[Kristynwy]

I was just going to say, this evening I heard on the news several sections of I-80 are closed, many roads in Wyoming have no unnecessary travel.

There is actually going to be a little more snow than first predicted a few days ago in some parts of Wyoming, I don't know the specifics. I think there will be a brief break of snow, and only possible light flurries, so tomorrow may not be to bad again till Christmas eve evening.

The Southeast corner of Wyoming is under ground blizzard and blowing snow warnings right now.

The first front has already rolled through, the second front will be arriving Christmas eve and continue possible till the day after Christmas in some places....

I would definitely continue to check WYDOT's Web Cameras and road reports before attempting to commute... Best of luck and Happy Holidays...

[ElkHunter]

I'm trying to figure out what has got this state spooked about I-80. Let me explain.

I've traveled I-80 in over a foot of snow, winds hitting 90+. Could only make 10 or maybe 15 miles per hour. But we got to where we were going. They would shut down the Interstate if it really got bad. But if you could move, they held off until a car or two got stuck.

Today, you get 2 inches of snow and all the gates are shut. No travel allowed.

What happened to the time when we were responsible adults and could determine if we were capable of driving in that weather? Now it seems that the state has become a baby sitter and we are no longer responsible adults.

The new states ideas. It snowed 2 inches, shut the gates. These people don't know what's good for them.

[sunsprit]

The problem, ElkH, was that ... in the past ... folks like you slowed down and drove appropriately for the nasty conditions. As you say, sometimes 10-15mph was a prudent speed and you arrived at your destination safely.

With the increased traffic density on I-80 these days, and a lot of ignorant drivers out there with some pretty good vehicles (AWD, 4x4, and modern hydrophiliic tires) ... they think that they can go a lot faster. So, we get a "mix" of slow moving traffic and ever increasingly faster drivers trying to go past them ... hey, if you can do 20, I can do 30, and if you can do 30, I can do 40, and so on. Ego, macho, road rage, and "get there itis" seem to rule the day, and common courtesey is lacking among many. I've been forced off the road by those who think that 75 mph is still OK in these conditions and they've passed me (doing 40 or so) while barely able to keep their vehicle (or big semi-rig) under control within two lanes. I pull over as far as I can and slow down to allow as much margin as possible for them to pass me ... even then, I've narrowly escaped a collision when I was at the roadway edge and they came blazing past me.

So, it's come down to mandating safety for the first responders as well as the rest of the highway users. The patrol simply can't deal with all the idiots out there on the highway anymore, and it's easier and more cost effective to just shut the road down instead of dealing with injury accidents in adverse conditions. It's also a lot more efficient when it comes time to plow the roads to not have vehicles stranded out there in the roadway.

Thankfully, they still allow us "locals" to use the frontage roads and back roads to get around past the closed highway stretches when the storms really have the roads shut down. I've gotten home from Cheyenne many times on the back country roads when I-80 was closed to all traffic.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

The problem, ElkH, was that ... in the past ... folks like you slowed down and drove appropriately for the nasty conditions. As you say, sometimes 10-15mph was a prudent speed and you arrived at your destination safely.

With the increased traffic density on I-80 these days, and a lot of ignorant drivers out there with some pretty good vehicles (AWD, 4x4, and modern hydrophiliic tires) ... they think that they can go a lot faster. So, we get a "mix" of slow moving traffic and ever increasingly faster drivers trying to go past them ... hey, if you can do 20, I can do 30, and if you can do 30, I can do 40, and so on. Ego, macho, road rage, and "get there itis" seem to rule the day, and common courtesey is lacking among many. I've been forced off the road by those who think that 75 mph is still OK in these conditions and they've passed me (doing 40 or so) while barely able to keep their vehicle (or big semi-rig) under control within two lanes. I pull over as far as I can and slow down to allow as much margin as possible for them to pass me ... even then, I've narrowly escaped a collision when I was at the roadway edge and they came blazing past me.

So, it's come down to mandating safety for the first responders as well as the rest of the highway users. The patrol simply can't deal with all the idiots out there on the highway anymore, and it's easier and more cost effective to just shut the road down instead of dealing with injury accidents in adverse conditions. It's also a lot more efficient when it comes time to plow the roads to not have vehicles stranded out there in the roadway.

Thankfully, they still allow us "locals" to use the frontage roads and back roads to get around past the closed highway stretches when the storms really have the roads shut down. I've gotten home from Cheyenne many times on the back country roads when I-80 was closed to all traffic.

You are absolutely right, sunsprit. There are too many ignorant fools with no inkling of how to drive in bad winter conditions--a lot of them driving 80,000 lb. trucks--that create a real hazard on Rocky Mountain highways. I can remember back when (this in Colorado) when the State Patrol would man the gates beyond which chains or adequate snow tires would be required. They would stop each vehicle, size up both the vehicle and driver, and give a "yeah or nay" as to whether the vehicle could proceed.

I remember getting stopped many years ago at one of the gates (on Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado--legendary for bad winter conditions) with my father driving. We were in a RWD sedan with highway tires (but with about 400 lbs. of weight in the trunk). The chain law was in effect. The State Patrolman (an older fellow who evidently had patrolled that road for years) had just made the three vehicles in front of us, all 4WD's from Texas, pull off and chain up. The Patrolman looked at my Dad and asked, "Do you think you can get through without putting on chains?" My Dad replied, "I learned to drive on this stuff in the Dakotas when I was 12 years old, and I've been driving in the Colorado mountains for 25 years--I think so." The Patrolman waved us on, saying, "You won't have any problem." We didn't. Subjective decision by the Patrolman, maybe, but I'm sure years of experience told him which drivers would have trouble and which wouldn't. Maybe that's a system we should go back to in this region (?).