We may have found a house in Buffalo, commute to sheridan? (apartments, motels)

[Kristynwy]

Well we wanted to stay as close to Sheridan as we could.. my husbands boss said the drive from Buffalo can get difficult sometimes, cause there is a big hill to drive over..

What do you think? Is it an ok commute to Sheridan from Buffalo??

[sunsprit]

figure about 35+/- miles down I-90 between, which isn't a big distance around Wyoming in good weather/driving conditions.

winter conditions, however, may make it difficult or impossible to make the trip at all. it would not be unusual for the road to be shut down due to ice or/and low (blowing snow) visibility, or a heavy snowfall, several times during the season. Some closures may be for an evening, part of a day, some may be for a day or so. Even when the WYDOT hasn't closed the road, the 35 miles may be very hazardous at times.

Even if your vehicle is top notch (an AWD car is the safest economical way to deal with the driving conditions, IMO), there's still the hazard of people who've never learned to drive in the conditions. It can make the commute quite challenging at times and very slow.

You can keep tabs on the Wyoming road report on the WYDOT (www.wyoroad.info) website, with updates on road conditions, closures, etc. I just checked this AM's report and the whole basin region is marked in "red roads", which is "no unnecessary travel" conditions. That means all the roads in the area are basically impassable at this time and you'd best stay put.

You'll find the truckstops are parking lots and the motels are full in these conditions. Best to stay home and toss another log on the fire and relax for the duration. When they open the main roads, it will still be pretty challenging for awhile to get through.

It's also helpful to watch the weather in the area. Google your favorite sites. I use Unisys, farm/ranch weather forecasts, and the NOAA websites with surface analysis to get as complete a picture of raw data and trends as possible.

[RockyMtnr]

Sunsprit, you're so right on with the info. The WY site should open to a Warning-Page "Caution, Severe weather conditions may prevail"!
Here's a caution I learned many years ago for the west-slope all the way north and south, i.e., "If you don't have it done by October, you ain't gettin' it done 'til at least after March". For the most part, you'll be "holed-up" in your house or town paying your utility bills and chipping ice nearly every day until then. Some days, it's not that bad at all - but never, ever count on it!
You're lucky if you can wash your car in winter months - if the car-washes are open at all your car will freeze over. There are days your car won't start 'cause the oil-pan has "frozen" or the gas-line but somedays, it'll start by say, 2 p.m. I've had batteries freeze and crack 3 out of the last 5 winters (no garage - we manage apartments). Still, for the Rockies, I wouldn't live anywhere else unless I had a good spot in MT - and some of MT gets as bad ... or worse!

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

On the subject of being stuck at home...are most employers pretty lenient (sp?) on a person missing work because of weather or road conditions? Obviously, I guess you would have day off without pay, or you would have to use sick/vacation day.

[sunsprit]

When the region is shut down, it's shut down for your boss as well as you, so everybody concerned gets the day off ... it's not optional. The roads don't discriminate ....

Essential services ... police, fire department, public works, power T&D, medical ... are all set up for the contingencies. They schedule employees in a timely manner and have appropriate facilities for the duration of a shut down; some folks may have extended overtime shifts (county plow trucks, etc) as a result. Lots of circumstances will affect how a given shut-down and outage is handled. The duration might be a few hours, overnight, a day or so, maybe two-three days in an exceptional storm ... locals know historically what to expect and plan for it.

Truck stops and motels are geared up for these days. They get a lot of business from these times, and are used to it. They might run down their supplies, but they're safe and secure. You might have to eat a burger when they run out of steaks, and the salad might not be so fresh after a couple of days.

Happy residents of the area are prepared with adequate food, water, entertainment, work, heat, etc. for this situation. There's no big runs on supplies by terrified residents stocking up for an emergency ... what's expected is treated as a normal situation and temporary inconvenience at worst. A longer than normal outage rarely causes a reaction except ... it's longer than normal. Sometimes we even lose electrical power, or telephone service ....

Even the USPost Office will shut down if the roads are closed since they can't get or deliver mail. Schools close if staff and students can't get to school.

Locals know to drive appropriate vehicles for their circumstances, and keep winter emergency kits ... food, water, blankets, flashlight/lantern, shovel, sand bags, tow chain/strap, jumper cables ... in their vehicles through at least 6 months out of the year.

People aren't dying or looting or going crazy because of the shut down. We live through it ... and I don't mean just survive an ordeal. We LIVE through it.

People understand that as the roads are opened up, not all roads are opened up. The main highways and city streets get opened up first. You might be in a location where it takes a little longer, or gets wind-blown and drifted back in faster than it can be kept open. So be it ... locals understand the situation when you call in and report that the road is not passable. Better you stay home safely than be stuck for the day in a ditch or a drift in the road. A vehicle blocking the road is a hazard to clearing it for everybody.

If these harsh circumstances sound a little too daunting for someone, they're not gonna be happy here. You must be independent, resourceful, and self-reliant to deal with life here.

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Thanks for the great info I understand about being prepared. That is extremely important. I was just more curious about employers.

[ElkHunter]

The commute from Buffalo to Sheridan is a wonderful drive. Lots of scenery, lot's of critters standing in your lane. hahahA

But there is this place called Piney creek. It's a hill and a valley. Kind of an atmosphere all of it's own. It's not that high of a hill, it's just situated so the valley's feed it with wind and weather.

My Son-in-law works in Buffalo and lives in Sheridan. he commutes 6 days a week. In the last 5 years, he's hit one critter. An Eagle of all things. As to the drive, twice this year he didn't go to work because of weather. Last year, it was only twice. What's funny is that he has a Honda Car and a 1 ton 4wheel drive truck. He drives the honda and my daughter who only work about a mile from home, drives the truck.

[ElkHunter]

I come over top of Piney this morning. It liked to kick my ass. I had to pull the transfer case in. This time of year, I keep the hubs locked. But this morning, I had to pull the stick. hahahaha

Not a lot of snow. You could drive a two wheel vehicle through there with no problem. I just felt more comfortable yanking on the stick. hahaha My son in law drove through there in a honda car. Had no problem. Me? I yanked on the stick. hahahaha

I'm just getting too old to dig something out. haha Yank on the stick, give it some gas and plow through anything God has created.