Driving through Nebraska in a Prius (Omaha: new home, tornado, living in)

[StreetJustice]

Driving though Nebraska in a Prius can be scary but I've done it. I've driven from Omaha on through to Colorado. Nebraska is very windy and a Prius is a light car so it can be a challenge.

[StealthRabbit]

There are many Prius drivers in NE and in MUCH worse windy Wyoming.

@3000# a Prius is nearly 2x heavier than my car (that grew up in WY, NE, CO) and still drives there just fine. 43 yrs later.

Watch the bridges and overpasses (especially in drifting snow and ice).

Prius has a very low center of gravity, so I have never seen one upside down in median after being blown over (as you see 50,000#+ semi trucks in WY.) I have driven commercially in NE for 40+ yrs, but have never seen a truck blown over in NE, but it could happen. I was in a wind blast in CA 3 yrs ago that toppled (9) Semi trucks.

[WoundedSpirit]

I lived in Colorado for most of my adult life, and have seen some killer winds. Once while going north on I-25 near Broomfield I saw it blow the shell off the back of a pickup and roll it like a tumbleweed down the highway.

[StreetJustice]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

There are many Prius drivers in NE and in MUCH worse windy Wyoming.

@3000# a Prius is nearly 2x heavier than my car (that grew up in WY, NE, CO) and still drives there just fine. 43 yrs later.

Watch the bridges and overpasses (especially in drifting snow and ice).

Prius has a very low center of gravity, so I have never seen one upside down in median after being blown over (as you see 50,000#+ semi trucks in WY.) I have driven commercially in NE for 40+ yrs, but have never seen a truck blown over in NE, but it could happen. I was in a wind blast in CA 3 yrs ago that toppled (9) Semi trucks.

Wyoming is much more windy than Nebraska? I haven't been to Wyoming as often as I've been to Nebraska but when I was there I don't remember it being super windy. I was in the area of Yellowstone Park, maybe it was the area I was in. I also drove through Wyoming and spent the night there when I was driving back from Reno. I took route 80 through Wyoming. From what I remember it wasn't particularly windy then either.

When I do go through Nebraska I take route 80. As I said earlier I drive a Prius and my car gets blown around on the road. Nebraska is windier than Kansas from my experience.

[riffle]

Originally Posted by StreetJustice

Wyoming is much more windy than Nebraska? I haven't been to Wyoming as often as I've been to Nebraska but when I was there I don't remember it being super windy. I was in the area of Yellowstone Park, maybe it was the area I was in. I also drove through Wyoming and spent the night there when I was driving back from Reno. I took route 80 through Wyoming. From what I remember it wasn't particularly windy then either.

When I do go through Nebraska I take route 80. As I said earlier I drive a Prius and my car gets blown around on the road. Nebraska is windier than Kansas from my experience.

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/cl...ename=wnd60b13

This supports the idea that Nebraska is windier than Wyoming - although the map isn't granular enough to capture windy spots such as mountain passes.

[Liam9654]

The main thing that everything was possible, you are well done!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by riffle

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/cl...ename=wnd60b13

This supports the idea that Nebraska is windier than Wyoming - although the map isn't granular enough to capture windy spots such as mountain passes.

Usually 'averages', not peak gusts. Most of the prairie has constant wind (moderate). While living in NE I can remember months of wind. In Colorado... wind terror. Nights when the house shook. One morning our neighbor's new home was GONE, blown away. Furniture and insulation and clothes strewn across several miles of open field.

In hundreds of trips through NE, I have never seen a stretch of NE when semi-trucks were lying on their sides, (in fact I have never seen ONE blown over in NE, but probably has happened) but this is common in WY. (especially near Chugwater (I-25) and Elk Mtn (I-80)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA16ivK6iDI

When moving across WY, we stopped at a rest area to use the bathroom, when we came out, our moving truck had blown across the parking lot (on the ice). Fortunately it hit the curb, so wasn't stuck, We got back in and kept driving.

Where we live now, we get frequent 80 mph winds and freezing rain. I drive a 1600# car, but have a 3,050# back-up.

[Frihed89]

I've driven through both states on I-80 several times, wall to wall, through high winds, driving snow and freezing cold, but never in a Prius. Both states can be tough to handle in bad weather. There are more gas stations and wayside towns in Nebraska on I-80, where you can turn in and spend a night until the bad weather subsides. I-90, which I've also driven, is more interesting and scenic if you're headed Northwest. Once you get through North Dakota, there are many places to turn in when the weather become troublesome. To the South, I-40 is better for weather, except during Tornado season, when I used to keep the radio tuned to stations with a lot of weather news in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. I have a lot of weather stories under my seatbelt.

[riffle]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Usually 'averages', not peak gusts. Most of the prairie has constant wind (moderate). While living in NE I can remember months of wind. In Colorado... wind terror. Nights when the house shook. One morning our neighbor's new home was GONE, blown away. Furniture and insulation and clothes strewn across several miles of open field.

Very true - and you can see this if you pick the peak gust maps, especially 50+mph.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/cli...ename=wnd63c13

[StreetJustice]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

In Colorado... wind terror.

I suppose Colorado can be very windy west of Denver, but not east of Denver where its very beautiful and which is the place to be if you're in Colorado.