driving to vegas for new years - safest route (Dallas: closing, dangerous)

[britnhi09]

I am planning a road trip to vegas from the 28th of december to the 2nd of january. I know taking the northern route (i-40) is the shortest and most efficient route. However, it can be dangerous due to mountains and snowy paths...even highways closing down.

I've heard of alternative routes like i-20 passing el paso and cutting through phoenix to get to las vegas.

What is the safest way to go for the winter time? and where should i watch out for ice and snow?
please help.

thanks
-britney

[LV702]

Originally Posted by britnhi09

I am planning a road trip to vegas from the 28th of december to the 2nd of january. I know taking the northern route (i-40) is the shortest and most efficient route. However, it can be dangerous due to mountains and snowy paths...even highways closing down.

I've heard of alternative routes like i-20 passing el paso and cutting through phoenix to get to las vegas.

What is the safest way to go for the winter time? and where should i watch out for ice and snow?
please help.

thanks
-britney

I drove the opposite way last year. I took US 93 to Phoenix, then I-10 to I-20 to I-30.

Watch your speed in Arizona

[mikeh19468]

Check the weather reports the day you're leaving, and en route. The southerly route through Phoenix can be equally treacherous. Two years ago around this time we had to take this route to get to San Diego from Las Vegas because parts of I-15 were closed. We were hit by near whiteout conditions around the Flagstaff area for a good 10+ miles. Thankfully we were in a big 4x4 rental, behind a Hummer H1, and it took us over an hour to get past this area so we made it through, but I have no desire to try that again.

[LV702]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

Check the weather reports the day you're leaving, and en route. The southerly route through Phoenix can be equally treacherous. Two years ago around this time we had to take this route to get to San Diego from Las Vegas because parts of I-15 were closed. We were hit by near whiteout conditions around the Flagstaff area for a good 10+ miles. Thankfully we were in a big 4x4 rental, behind a Hummer H1, and it took us over an hour to get past this area so we made it through, but I have no desire to try that again.

Flagstaff is nowhere's close to Phoenix and is not on the southern route. Which way weer you taking?

Also the snow storm of 08 was very unusual.

[newtothisplace]

I wouldn't take I-40 during this time of the year; other alternative is to take (as LV702 suggested) I-10 and I-20 but that will increase your round trip by 240 miles. (you will be in your vehicle for the most part of your trip, personally I would not drive there during winter)

[stillkit]

My favorite route:

I-20/10 through Phoenix. You could very well hit ice or snow anywhere from Dallas to Tucson, so just watch the weather.

After Phoenix, exit at Vicksburg Road (it's about 70 miles or so west of Phoenix) and head north until it dead-ends into AZ-72. You'll cross over US-60. Don't turn there, but continue on.

Go west on 72 to the junction with AZ-95 (you won't have to stop or anything because they just come together). Go north right through Parker, AZ and across the bridge into California. Watch your speed through Parker and don't fail to note that the city limits sign is several miles out of town near the 72/95 junction!

When you come off the Colorado River bridge, make a left and continue west on CA-62 to the CA Agriculture check station at Vidal Junction. You'll have to pull and in tell them if you have any fruits or vegetables. As you leave the check station, make a right. That will put you north-bound on US-95 which will take you to Needles, CA and on into Searchlight, Boulder City and Las Vegas. US-95 runs jointly with I-40 for a few miles out of Needles, then exits north. You'll have a hard time missing it.

You'll come into Vegas over Railroad Pass and see the whole metropolis laid out before you.

I've run that exact route a hundred times in the winter and have never seen a snowflake past Tucson. It's roughly 100 miles farther than going I-40.

[britnhi09]

thank you so much, that helped a lot =]

[LV702]

Regardless of the route you take, check the weather daily. Winters in the desert can be very unforgiving.

[mikeh19468]

Originally Posted by LV702

Flagstaff is nowhere's close to Phoenix and is not on the southern route. Which way weer you taking?

Also the snow storm of 08 was very unusual.

Sorry, memory wasn't quite what it used to be. Took I-93 southward, actually didn't get near Flagstaff (just signs headed that way). Looking back at the map, it was before we got to Kingman area that we hit the whiteout conditions I believe. 40 West was shut down during this period so we ended up going all the way down to Phoenix and across 10 West. Palm Springs was nothing but black ice by the time we got there, and going further south was out because 8 West was shut down east of SD.

It may have been an unusual storm, but how many of those have we already had this season (again), and the brunt of winter hasn't even hit yet...

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by mikeh19468

Sorry, memory wasn't quite what it used to be. Took I-93 southward, actually didn't get near Flagstaff (just signs headed that way). Looking back at the map, it was before we got to Kingman area that we hit the whiteout conditions I believe. 40 West was shut down during this period so we ended up going all the way down to Phoenix and across 10 West. Palm Springs was nothing but black ice by the time we got there, and going further south was out because 8 West was shut down east of SD.

It may have been an unusual storm, but how many of those have we already had this season (again), and the brunt of winter hasn't even hit yet...

There are certainly occassions when it snows in the California high deserts, and even in Las Vegas itself, but it's very rare.

Though I've never seen snow along the route I recommended above, I have seen I-15 closed over Mountain Springs summit, between Baker, CA and Primm, NV; I-10 closed west of Palm Springs at Whitewater and I've seen the snow plows out working between Lucerne Valley and Yucca Valley, CA on Rt-247.