Phoenix, AZ to Durango, CO (Cortez, Mancos: live in, vs, station)

[skier12345]

Hey everyone,

I have been reading some threads regarding driving in CO in the winter but cant find anything for Phoenix area. I am planning a trip to Durango from Phoneix and right now the directions have me going through Flagstaff and then picking up US 160 and taking that to Durango. I am wonerdering what the conditions are like on this road in the winter (End of December- New Years eve time)? I have a 2WD drive Sante Fe and am wondering if I am going to run into trouble. I grew up driving in winter conditions in the Midwest but I had a 4WD jeep then. Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Mike from back east]

There'll be blizzards from Hell, thousand-year storms, screaming winds, lightning and thunder to scare the starch out of you and you'll be blown into a ravine, buried alive in a new glacier, and not found for over a hundred years. Other than that, enjoy the trip.

The Colorado portion of your route will be covered by CDOT road reports, found here. I'm sure you know how to drive in the snow, after all, you're a skier and have a healthy respect for driving to/from those places.

[Idunn]

The route you've outlined through Flagstaff to Durango would be the preferred route. The weather can be anything that time of year, so if possible adjust timing of the trip by a day or so to avoid any storms. You can expect the possibility of snow from shortly before Flagstaff, in climbing to it on I-17, and possibly continuing all the way into Durango.

Flagstaff is an island of elevation of sorts and one area where one might see heavy wet snowfall.

US 89 and US 160 across the high desert Navajo Nation may generally prove clear, but as well blowing snow or heavier, depending.

US 160 through southwest Colorado much the same. Although between Mancos, CO and Durango there is a divide which can see snow when all else may not. An alternative, should conditions warrant, would be diverging from US 160 in far northeastern Arizona at the quite small town of Teec Nos Pos. From there travel east on US 64 to Farmington, NM, then north on NM 170/CO 140 to Durango. Or, if so choosing, from Farmington to Aztec and from there on US 550 to Durango. Although this last route has a couple somewhat steep bends just as it drops to its junction with US 160, southeast of Durango.

Google maps shows an entirely alternate route from Phoenix, as well, that runs northeast to Gallup, NM, thence north on US 491 (formally US 666). While one might, I wouldn't consider this the preferred route, and one that entails some mountain driving shortly out of Phoenix through the Tonto National Forest.

The main thing, if the concern, is to avoid major storms. Thus timing. By and large, one might have entirely clear roads or only with snow on certain sections.

Be prepared, as particularly after Flagstaff one is crossing a good deal of open, little-populated country, with long distances between services. In the event, beyond Flagstaff there are larger communities at Tuba City, Kayenta, AZ, and not much beyond there to Cortez, CO. If one will find interspersed at times the odd small trading post and gas station which may or not be open.

If that 2WD Santa Fe is RWD vs FWD, you may have some cause for concern. Even then, if not preferable to FWD or AWD, it should do if with the proper tires (being necessary in all events). At minimum that would be good all-season tires, and preferably dedicated winter tires. Definitely carry chains (that you know fit because you've done it), if small likelihood you'll actually have to use them.

Those are long distances with relatively high speed limits, and all the more inviting as relatively little traffic. But where others will blithely ignore this, still slow way down if conditions warrant. With the temptation otherwise as others will fly past on possibly often dry or only wet roads—and yet possibly found the odd icy corner and so on. It could make for a far longer trip time-wise, but one with a safe, happy ending.

[NW Crow]

Too early to rely on this projection of snow then, but a place to watch developments Weather in Durango - AccuWeather Extended Forecast for CO, 81301
Could plug in Flagstaff or other waypoints too.

[RockyMtnXpress]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

There'll be blizzards from Hell, thousand-year storms, screaming winds, lightning and thunder to scare the starch out of you and you'll be blown into a ravine, buried alive in a new glacier, and not found for over a hundred years. Other than that, enjoy the trip.

The Colorado portion of your route will be covered by CDOT road reports, found here. I'm sure you know how to drive in the snow, after all, you're a skier and have a healthy respect for driving to/from those places.

LOL!

Lighting during a blizzard? I understand that is spectacular. Never seen it...would like to see it.

All good advice above^^^.

Drive safe!

[jazzlover]

Mike's lame attempt at a joke does contain a scrap of truth--the weather and road conditions can be hugely variable. The whole trip may be over dry roads or some portion or much of the trip can be in miserable winter driving conditions. Most of the trip, aside from the area around Flagstaff and the last few miles into Durango itself is through high desert country. The word "desert" lolls many people into thinking that road conditions will not be adverse and temperatures will be above freezing. That can be dead wrong. Severe winter weather and/or low temperatures can occur, especially from near Flagstaff on into Durango in US 160. As Idunn noted, the portion of US 160 across the Navajo Reservation can be hazardous, with long distances between places with fuel and lodging and it certainly can be prone to blizzarding and bad road conditions in a winter storm. Once one enters Colorado from any direction heading into Durango, the altitude is high enough that poor winter driving conditions can occur with regularity.

As I have noted in numerous other posts, that area has experienced much drier and warmer winters over the past couple of winters. Road conditions have been pretty good an abnormal amount of time. So, a lot of newbies to the area who post about conditions being pretty benign have not been through what a normal or worse than normal winter can offer up. So far, it's anybody's guess what this winter will offer up. Typically, December can be cold, but fairly dry in SW Colorado, however, by the end of December and into January, a more stormy weather pattern can commonly develop.

Checking road conditions is good advice. Understand, though, that one needs to check ALL road condition reports along the route. Conditions can be dry in one place and pure hell 15 miles down the road. Also, road condition reports are sometimes hours out of date and weather conditions can literally deteriorate within minutes. So, taking a hard and frequent look at sky conditions as one drives is important.

Oh, and yes, lightning can occur in an early season snowstorm--I've seen it twice in southern Colorado in the last couple of months.

[CosmicWizard]

jazzlover wrote: So, taking a hard and frequent look at sky conditions as one drives is important.

What a concept! The weather channel gurus might be more accurate IF they were smart enough to think of doing this.