Commute to Laramie from Centennial (Casper, Basin: rental, home, income)

[hutchenc]

Hey folks...I'm moving to Laramie in mid-July to begin work at U Wyo. While I'm no stranger to bad roads having grown up in Colorado, lived in Minnesota, and now live in Montana....can anyone tell me how the road from Centennial to Laramie is in the winter?

I know it's about 30 minutes of open road so I'm not overly concerned about traffic Just wondering how bad the road gets in the winter. BTW...I have an all wheel drive Subaru with snow tires so I'm about as prepared as I can be, minus having a big truck.

[ElkHunter]

Winter is over. I officially say, no more snow. I planted my garden and it froze out. Gotta replant it. But really, winter is over. hahaha Course, I've said that before and had to shovel partly cloudy off the sidewalk.

But no, you shouldn't have any problems with snow on the road. Ground is warm so if it does snow, it'll melt on impact. haha

[MountainRunner16]

Any serious replies to this? I'm also curious about this commute in winter. I will be starting a job in Laramie this summer, and have had no luck whatsoever finding a rental that will allow multiple pets in Laramie. There appear to be a few options in Centennial, but everyone seems to have a different opinion on how feasible the commute will be come winter. During an average winter, how dangerous is this drive? How often does it get really bad, and does the road ever close?

[StealthRabbit]

I'd give these guys a call and discuss it

Albany County Road Dept.
2920 County Shop Rd
Laramie, WY 82070
Phone: (307) 742-2534

I would venture to guess that ground blizzards are your main threat.
Wind and blowing snow 12" to 24" off the ground, probably dry roads... expect it. Navigate by 'reflectors' to keep on the road, it's there; you just can't see it.

The road will be pretty clear, with ditches and fence lines catching the snow. Probably closed a few days / yr, but not often.

It is a long, desolate, FLAT road with little traffic. I would be very well equipped to 'stay in car' if necessary, (candles, food, water, blankets) I would carry a beacon, flares, and an orange flag as well, just in case you slide off in a snow bank. (unlikely, but possible).

I would probably consider a commute route with more traffic (287 or 230). Better chance of keeping road clear + finding you faster in case of a 'snafu'.

But... the county boys can fill you in with the stats, and it just may be that 130 stays open longer than 287 or 230, as there is less likelihood of 'non-seasoned/foreigner' drivers on 130. + there is less chance of having to do a 'mass-evacuation' if there was a closure enroute.

You may need to get state data for 130, but I'd check with the cty first, they may share maintenance on that rte.

Wyoming Department of Transportation
District 1 - Laramie, WY
Office (307)745-2100

[sunsprit]

Medicine Bow Peak creates it's own micro-climate around the Snowies ... and it can dump a lot of snow over by Centennial in the winter, as also by Woods Landing.

I think the county does a lot more plowing and road maintenance on the route to Woods Landing, which is a more popular access to wintertime recreation and Colorado while the Snowy Range Pass route is closed in the winter months.

In a typical winter, you'll most likely encounter a number of days when the road to Centennial will be closed. If reliable access to Laramie is important, this may not be a good choice. While the Subie is a very capable vehicle, it cannot overcome zero visibility blowing snow conditions.

I've driven the short distance from the airport into Laramie when the conditions were pretty bad and we were grounded in Laramie, unable to continue further Westward. We'd turned back ahead of the storm front, landed in clear weather at Laramie, and watched on the radar and then just by looking outside to see a white-out storm hit the area that could last for many hours. The storm fronts can move in very quickly and pack a powerful punch of wind and snow.

[eviered]

It's not the snow so much as the wind. I've had toppers blown clear off of pickups going from Centennial to Laramie. The roads can get into white-out conditions really, really fast if there is just snow on the ground and the wind comes up. It doesn't need to actually BE snowing at the time. I would think twice about living in Centennial and trying to commute to Laramie, unless your job can be done partially from home or something. Your snow days will most likely out-number your non-snow days.

[kevreg]

Hello ElkHunter, See you in the hills in a couple of months. Stealth rabbit and sunspirit are probably about right. I'd say it snows and blows everyday. In 6.9 years I'll be retired there on 39 percent of my current income. Regards, Kevreg

[ElkHunter]

The state does an outstanding job of plowing snow. Snow, on the ground is not normally the problem. Like previously mentioned, it's the snow going sideways. The old saying, "It don't snow in Wyoming. It snows in Montana and blows across to Colorado" fits. The white out conditions is what messes with you. Drive slow and you'll be fine.

I have one tale of whoa. My brother and I drove from Medicine Bow to Casper. Was about a 16 hour ordeal. Shirley Basin can be nasty. We spent several hours with one of us walking in front of the vehicle until we got froze and then would switch. Couldn't see nothing. Not the edge of the road or anything. So one of us would walk ahead of the truck and we could feel where the road was. Wasn't a problem of how deep. Just couldn't see.