Driving Thru Mid February?? (Grants Pass, Ashland: to live in, winter, town)

[alikeith]

Hi-
I may drive to reno from Washington around Mid February..... Just curious what the weather is usually like and road conditions?

Mainly curious about Grants Pass area.

thanks!

[Cornerguy1]

There are a variety of routes available to you, but if you're worried about Grant's Pass, I assume you'll be using I-5.

Travel conditions through mountain passes in winter are notoriously unpredictable; it could be sunny and 50 degrees or you could face a raging blizzard. On the whole it's less likely to be a blizzard.

Personally, I'd be more concerned with Siskyou Summit than Grant's Pass.

Check road conditions at TripCheck - Road Cams, Road & Weather Conditions in Oregon - ODOT before leaving home.


.

[Deezus]

I you're driving from Western Washington(which I suppose you are since you mentioned Grants Pass), you're probably planning on taking I-5 all the way down through Oregon.. I wouldn't worry about Grants Pass as all, it's down pretty low--occasionally in the winter it can get a little stormy in the mountains to the north of there between GP and Canyonville, but you're probably just in for some rain at worst.

There isn't really anything to worry about until you get to Siskiyou Pass at the border--which can be closed or fairly dicey due to blizzards in February. I used to live in Ashland and we saw plenty of motorists stuck in town because the pass was closed in the winter(not an everyday occurance, but it happens none the less in the winter). Also, once you get into California the stretch of I-5 from the border to Mt. Shasta can be extremely windy. The quickest way to get to Reno from there is to get off in Mt Shasta and take Hwy 89 to Hwy 44 towards Susanville and than on to Hwy 395 leading to Reno. I've done this drive many times, but in the winter one should be careful as these roads can be somewhat icy and/or snowy as well--although the roads could be completely dry too depending on the recent weather. But it's by far the quickest way to get to Reno, otherwise you're stuck with a long detour through the Central Valley of California.

[alikeith]

Thanks everyone. I should have been more clear. I will be taking I-5 down. I do usually head thru 89, then 44 and on to Susanville.

I realize weather is unpredictible. I just wasnt sure how bad it gets down there.

Now i just got to convince my husband!