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WINTER travel to Seattle?

Yahoo Message Number: 89518
HI every one.... I want to go to Seattle from New York as late in the season and not get messed up with crappy road conditions .. I've made this trip many times before but not in the beginning of winter.. and I want to stay in the NY area as long as possible before heading west.. I was thinking the end of Sept. might be OK.. but would like to leave later! --- your opinion's will be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

Intrigue 10006 1995 125000 miles on the speedo

Re: WINTER travel to Seattle?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89519
Speaking for MN, WI, and MI at least, we USUALLY don't see any snow until around or after Thanksgiving, and if you are planning on going through states such as Iowa, ILL, IN, OH, for example, that would be the same with looking for snow after Thanksgiving I think. With the weather reports now going out at least ten days, perhaps you can get a feeling as to when winter will be starting too via the Weather Channel or other spots. I'd think too that since the states like MT and ID would probably get snow especially in the mountain ranges earlier, you'd maybe have to route yourself south a bit and then head north, but this is out of my area of knowledge entirely!

Not sure if any of that helps, however.

Mary Frederick
06 INspire 51784

Re: WINTER travel to Seattle?

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89535
Late season traveling can be risky with respect to crappy weather. To make the math easy let's call it between a 2.5->3k mile trip. At 500 miles per day, plan on a 5-6 day travel window. In general a more southerly route means possible rain/flooding. A more northerly route means possible ice/snow. Also consider any mountain passes you might need to get over. Road damage and closures should be identified too.
(See here:

http://muniac.smugmug.com/Travel/Ouray-CO-Rock-Slide-072710/i-34dZkWX/0/M/Hwy550-M.jpg ) Weather at 8k feet elevation can be significantly different from that at 5k feet elevation. And it only takes 1/4 mile of bad road to encounter problems.

As for weather forecasts, they can change daily and also hourly. In high elevations there is something called a micro climate which defies prediction. You'll likely pass through micro climates should your chosen route find you going up and over mountainous regions. The good news is some trouble spots have DOT cameras installed. For example, route 80 coming over Parleys Summit. These camera equipped areas provide real time information about driving conditions. Wind storms shouldn't be taken lightly either. Two seasons ago just outside of SLC, Utah on route 15 10+ tractor trailers where blown over by high winds. We've encountered 80-100 MPH gusts down at the mouth of Parleys Canyon where route 80 dumps out into SLC. The intersection of I80 and I15 as it were.
Should I be faced with that trip I'd plan 400-500 miles per day. I'd locate safe places to stop overnight at the end of each day making sure a second night could be added. This allows doing the trip as 5-6 sort of disconnected days. Weather predictions are most accurate the less distance they need to reach out. In the morning an 8 hour forecast is usually pretty good. Each morning you should take a look at the travel conditions for that day. If you plan each day's route you'll know in advance where you're going to travel. Based on the morning weather forecast you make a go no go decision. The idea is to give yourself the option of waiting a day if required. We were traveling from Bellingham, Washington to Park City, Utah in late October and needed to stay 2 days in La Grande, Oregon for a couple of days to wait out a snowstorm. It wasn't a big deal because we allowed time to this. We also stayed in touch with the weather. Usually in fall snow melts pretty quickly. It did for us and DOT cleared the roads, the sun dried the roads and off we went.

Know before you go and always give yourself extra time and a place to hold up if needed. Work the weather issues in 8 hour blocks daily.
Based on what the weather prediction is, make prudent decisions about traveling. I hate driving the bus. Not that it drives poorly but it's all the other imponderables you face on the public highways. Weather is the least of your problems because it offers a measure of predictability and time to react. The best part of a trip for us is safely parking the damn thing and reflecting on a trip of no mechanicals. And a breakdown is another possible issue that will delay reaching a destination.
Running later in the season means days count with "winterish" weather events. I also think running a bus on salted roads (wet or dry) is really stupid.

Some people throw caution to the wind. It's you're call as to what travel methods will work best. Getting there safely is the most important thing. Remember if you want maximum aggravation just be lazy now. Good luck with your trip.

Best - Scott

2006 Allure 430 40' #31349

(Bus-Stead Lemon) My Allure Page http://www.muniac.com/Allure%20Page.html

WINTER travel to Seattle?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89537

It is not unusual to get snow in Montana, North Idaho, and Eastern Washington state by late Oct. especially in the higher passes, but sometimes as low as 2000'. I believe your plan to leave by the end of Sept. is as late as you can be pretty sure of not encountering dangerous travel conditions. It was suggested by another about traveling a bit South, which is OK if you can find a way that doesn't involve crossing the Rockies, which is hard to do unless you go way South.

Jim Hodges

2007 Inspire 360
51969 



A gun is like a parachute. If you need one, and don't have one, you'll never need one again.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government........ Thomas Jefferson
An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them. Anon.

Re: WINTER travel to Seattle?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 89538
Being older travelers and retired we belong to the 300 mile club. About 5 to 6 hours of travel a day. And I agree with the 8 hour rule. I have traveled all over west Texas, NM, Oklahoma, & Colorado in the winter pulling the Airstream in the 80's and was very care full with any sign of ice and snow. I always carried chains for the trailer and the van or truck, but only had to use them once, when the weather man lied about weather from Cuba, NM to Farmington. It was no fun and something I would never do with a diesel pusher. I saw a gent in his 40 ft American Eagle carefully drive his unit into a ditch on the road just out side of Clovis, NM doing maybe 5 to 10 mph with no ability to stop or change direction on black Ice. I had left the trailer home for that trip. In 2000 we were in OK city for the FMCA rally and had to get out of town early after the rally to beat the weather, Ice and snow, home. Driving 711 miles in one day is an experience, never to be repeated.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731, 98 allure 30255.