Winter help

Hi all,

some of you may have seen my previous posts last week.

I will be in USA 28th Dec to 13th Jan, and it will be a road trip, something like this:

LA - Palm Springs - Arizona - Las Vegas - Salt Lake - Boise - Portland - Eureka - San Francisco

From my previous posts last week, I have managed to gather some advise and warnings for driving during winter, especially from Salt Lake - Boise - Portland, which are regarded as dangerous and risky during winter.

Lately I saw on the news that there are some serious snow storms in USA causing deaths and serious accidents, mainly NY area and also Oregon area. This is making me a little scared.

1) Come Jan, will it usually be better or worse? Is Jan the month where it usually snows the heaviest? Or is it the month where it gets better?

2) Do you guys suggest I replan my itenery? If so, please suggest what I can do from 28 Dec to 13th Jan. I will touch down in LA and will be taking a plane back from San Francisco, that is for sure. What can I do in between if my current plan is considered dangerous?

3) We are renting a car, and they do not allow us to put chains, which makes the situation even scarier?

Thanks guys!

Winter help

driving can be very dangerous at that time of year, and usually the coldest month..BUT, if you live in the mountains like i do, the saying is ';if you don%26#39;t like the weather, wait 5 minutes';. you just can%26#39;t predict. i would keep the same itinerary and just wing it if the weather is bad. stay south and there are lots of things to do. i would play it by the weather and enjoy

ps. the freeways are well taken care of. if there is a huge snow storm, you could just wait it out a bit and then take off.

Winter help

HI

unless you are into ski and winter sports there is really no reason to go from Salt lake to Boise to Portland I live in Boise and I love it here but winter is an acquired taste. LOL

you might think about doing las Vegas and Arizona and palm springs they are great in winter time then drive back to LA and drive the coast highway up to San Fransico it is a great drive with lots of places to stop and great golf course%26#39;s and you can do the napa valley north of San Fransico great winery%26#39;s there.

from san fransico you can take the interstate all the way to Seattle and back if you want. the coast has much better driving weather.

from San Francisco to Seattle, will I encounter snow? Is it coastal drive? Thanks

There were no snow problems in Oregon and Washington... other than the normal snow in the mountains melting in unseasonably warm weather PLUS a massive rainstorm causing floods. Floods shouldn%26#39;t cause too many problems, though there have been some road washouts on minor roads you don%26#39;t seem to be considering.

If you stay west of the Cascades (along I-5 from California to Seattle), you will have a minimal chance of encountering snow. Messing with the mountains further north in Utah and east of the Northwestern Cascade is THE issue.

Boise sometimes gets snow, but usually not very much. Roads can sometimes get icy at night or early morning. There is nice skiing nearby at Bogus Basin. Snowfall increases greatly with elevation. I hope there will be good snow by then. The season is way behind, but that can change with the wind.

Driving to and from Bogus Basin (especially driving back down) is rather dangerous if you are inexperienced. The combination of ice, curves, and downhill is very risky. There is supposed to be a shuttle bus, but I haven%26#39;t used it. You could call the Bogus Basin office for information about it.

You got some bad advice about driving from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon in the winter. Be certain to check the road conditions from Redding, California to Grants Pass, Oregon on Interstate 5. You will be crossing a mountain pass of over 6,000 feet elevation. If you catch it at the wrong time, you can encounter heavy snow and possible road closures. More often than not it is open and is no problem. My advise is to be cautious and prepared by checking the road reports. Otherwise, I-5 is at levels low enough that you worst you should encounter is rain. Foggy conditons can be a problem at times. Just be careful and you should have no problems.

Siskyou Pass gets up to about 4,000 feet, not 6,000. It%26#39;s the highest point on I-5.

I%26#39;m going from experience to say there%26#39;s a 15% chance of hazardous conditions at any given time during January and February.

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