Winter driving advice from the midwest to Portland

[Nell Plotts]

I am one of those conservative Oregon drivers that out-of-staters love to hate. With that in mind I would:

1. ship my stuff (that which I couldn't part with before heading west) & fly;
or
2. take the southern route knowing that the extra expense the same as the cost of housing if delayed by a snowstorm a couple days on the northern route.

I would drive 101 only if weather reports predicted snow between Redding and Ashland. Chains in the car and the ability to use them are an absolute necessity even if no snow is predicted.

[Hawk J]

If i had to make this trip in winter, i would be driving my 4x4.

bring chains.
make sure you have a good spare tire, & tools.
Wait for a break in the bad weather. There are Breaks.
Bring Warm clothing & long johns. Warm sleeping bag.
You can get hand & foot warmers at Walmart & Big 5 sporting goods.
Bring warm winter boots. good warm socks.
Bring warm gloves.
Bring warm hat that covers your ears (earflaps).
Equalize the load (weight) of belongings you are bringing in your vehicle.
Pick the safest road route.
Drive SLowly & defensively in bad weather.
Bring jumper cables & charged spare battery. If you have one, i would surely bring it.
I would bring my Honda EU2000i gen, with gas & oil.
Bring food & drinking water.

Drive Safely Bro.

[maxineH]

Driving in the winter is very different than in other times of the year.

[figmalt]

Originally Posted by maxineH

Driving in the winter is very different than in other times of the year.

I laughed a little when I read this, but it's so true! Part of the problem is predicting where the most dangerous spots will be in hundreds of miles of potentially dangerous weather. We drove from SE Idaho to Oregon in January (after Christmas) one year on I-84. We were creeping along on the flats outside Mountain Home at night in the snow, when traffic came to a complete stop. We took the chance to turn on the 4-wheel drive on our ancient Suburban, and when my dad and brothers got out of the cars, the road was super icy. We had all been going so slow, we couldn't tell how bad it was. Then there's that sort of panic moment, when you realize how much danger you're all in. Sometimes it's better not to know

The advice everyone has given is spot on. Just be prepared and use common sense. Then bring a shovel.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by figmalt

We had all been going so slow, we couldn't tell how bad it was. Then there's that sort of panic moment, when you realize how much danger you're all in. Sometimes it's better not to know

The advice everyone has given is spot on. Just be prepared and use common sense. Then bring a shovel.

I've been there! I used to have an old Crown Vic. Frequently I KNEW I should have stopped to put chains on, but I also knew that if I did, I'd never get the car going again because even with chains there wasn't enough traction to do so.

[Angie-Bee]

I don't think we will be trying to cross the mountains until spring... I was thinking of making a scouting trip over winter break to the Eugene area and was dubious about the mountain weather. I would be coming in a minivan with 2 of my four boys from Des Moines Iowa. Maybe we will go south first!

[Leisesturm]

Have you seen the plains weather lately? Blizzard conditions right down to Mexico. I don't know where and how the wisdom got going that one could avoid snow by using the next lower Interstate. We had planned to leave NYC in September 08 but I had some certifications to take and was delayed. When November came and we still hadn't left I postponed our departure to April. It meant a LOT more money paid in rent (NY rents are insane) and maybe we could have made the trip in winter or maybe not. We'll never know. Some things are just unknowable.

H

[WolfBoy914]

Have to agree. As long as you stay on I-80 from Des Moines to Cali then up I-5 you should be okay. Just monitor the weather from your vehicle as you travel and plan for a couple extra days just in case.

I know Des Moines well, lived in Beaverdale as a kid. You'll love it here.