my son is currently on the road coming home after getting out of the Air Force. Tomorrow he heads from Colby KS to Cheyenne and the next day Cheyenne to Ogden

The plan is I-70 to I-25 to I-80 to I-84.

Been watching weather maps, but would like some first hand info if anyone can help on if roads are clear or if snow will be an issue and a need for chains.

My guess is he should be good this late in the season, I’m not seeing anything about current requirements, but he is a bit nervous with no experience crossing the mountains so any confirmation would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

**ETA Option “B”….

Looks like forecast has higher temps if he heads north from Denver to pick up I-90 and come across MT. My personal experience is that route is a bit more “mountainous” with more elevation gains/drops and undulations. Also farther north to me usually means more snow which we would like to avoid as much as possible.

Thoughts?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 911Boss,

Check the Wyoming DOT website.

Along I-80, and elsewhere throughout the state Wyoming operates an extensive web camera system and weather network, accessible at their website.

It's not appearing like it would be a fun trip. It looks like he will be facing a typical Wyoming headwind. Chances of snow along most of the route Friday are about 30-50%; at present there is not much in the way of accumulation showing. If it gets bad, they just shut down the road so he may need to be prepared to wait it out for a day or so.

https://forecast.weather.gov/M...t=41.142612660266764

https://map.wyoroad.info/wtimap/index.html

Those addresses are sites I commonly use when traveling in Wyoming. There's almost always some weather along that route, but once he gets to Utah, it should be a bit easier. Maybe even the western quarter of Wyoming. It's not a big day of driving so the earlier he gets on the road, the better; the more driving that can be done when temps are above about 35, the better.

Basic winter travel kit is highly advised.

I just found and forwarded the state DOT apps for CO, WY, and UT.

All of them are fantastic with road info, traffic cams, weather forecasts etc.

He is feeling MUCH better and more confident now

For current Colorado road conditions and things like restrictions, this is a good site:
https://www.cotrip.org/home

My winter experience north of Denver is very limited, but there is usually a lot of traffic at least as far as Fort Collins and much of the highway speed limit is 75 mph. Even in good conditions, just pay attention.

Unlike traveling directly west from Denver over the steep and high sections, going to Cheyenne isn’t really what I’d call mountain driving. High winds are common and if it’s snowing, blizzard like conditions are possible. In situations like that it’s just best to find a place to hole up for a day or so. But even in the high mountainous areas, chains on passenger vehicles are virtually unknown. Colorado does have a “traction law” for passenger vehicles that basically says if you get stuck, you’d better have had adequate tires or 4WD/AWD vehicle. I can’t quote the specifics, but I’m sure they are online someplace.

Except for the amount of traffic, I’d much rather drive from Denver to Cheyenne in bad weather than west over the high passes (as I must do to get home). Like anywhere, in bad weather: slow down, pay attention, don’t tailgate, let tailgaters pass, and if it’s really bad, don’t go. I don’t believe chains or studded tires are necessary, but good tread is a must and dedicated snow tires are a bonus.

As for the season, where I live March is usually the snowiest month. In the actual mountains trucks are required to carry chains September through May.

Tell him we said thank you for your service.

I drove OTR (over the road) and I-80 thru Wyoming during bad weather is one of the nastiest roads I have seen. Especially around Elk Mountain, I have seen several trucks blown over and it almost happened to me once. With the internet and weather now a days it makes planning easier so as mentioned previously check those sites and then make your decision.

wyoroad.info has weather, webcams, and road closures.


PC

Looks like mid day temps through WY should be in the 40’s on Friday, he should make Laramie tomorrow early afternoon and then the goal for Friday is Laramie to Ogden UT, only 384 miles and if he needs to take an extra day that isn’t a problem.

He has a little Nissan Leaf, so hopefully wind won’t bounce him around too much - current conditions call for gusts up to 30mph.

Routing him that way to have a little lower elevation and current cameras don’t show any appreciable snow build up on the interstate.

He has downloaded the State DOT apps for all three states and is cautious if not overly cautious, knowing his limitations. He did about 450 and 475 miles on the first two days. Said that was too much so we added a day to drop him down to 370 today and 350 miles tomorrow. Final two days as planned will be about 425 and 400 miles.


When I road trip I do 900-1000 a day - Seattle area to Salt Lake City is a one day run. This would have been a three day trip, but he just doesn’t have the history, interest, or experience for that kinda of mileage. With no hard arrival date to meet, it is a nice casual and comfortable pace. Better to be conservative and not feel over stretched.

Windy.com has all of the weather info, radar, satellite and roadway webcams on one easy to use app and it's nationwide and free.

quote:

Originally posted by ltz400:
Windy.com has all of the weather info, radar, satellite and roadway webcams on one easy to use app and it's nationwide and free.

I’ll check it out, thanks!

Weather aside, I think I’d prefer I-70 to US6 to I-15. Regardless, good luck!

It appears that his timing is perfect for crossing Wyoming to Utah. A day later and he could encounter some travel problems. Everything I’ve heard from weatherman, Don Day, is that Montana, N Wyoming is where the serious weather is occurring. You can’t worry about 30 mph winds in Wyoming in March, that could be described as merely breezy.

If I understand correctly, and your son will be in Cheyenne this evening and heading west tomorrow (Friday), he’ll do just fine.

I80 is terrible in the winter time with few stops between some stretches. I bought a 5th wheel in Utah and the ride back to Colorado was terrifying at best,wife was in tears with high wind ,black ice and just crappy conditions. Pay attention to the weather going that way..

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
It appears that his timing is perfect for crossing Wyoming to Utah. A day later and he could encounter some travel problems. Everything I’ve heard from weatherman, Don Day, is that Montana, N Wyoming is where the serious weather is occurring. You can’t worry about 30 mph winds in Wyoming in March, that could be described as merely breezy.

If I understand correctly, and your son will be in Cheyenne this evening and heading west tomorrow (Friday), he’ll do just fine.

Yes, he is on his way to WY now, actually heading for Laramie. Tomorrow’s plan is Laramie to Ogden area. Seems the wind warning for the area ended this morning, hopefully he will catch a window for an easy run.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Orndorff:
Weather aside, I think I’d prefer I-70 to US6 to I-15. Regardless, good luck!

I’ve driven that route before. I was concerned there would be more snow if he stuck to I-70 along with more mountain passes along that route compared to I-80. I-70 probably more scenic, but this is just about point A to point B.

I just drove to Denver on I80 Monday, and returned Tuesday on I70. This late in the season, there’s really not that much to worry about. It was nice and easy. Some snow on the return, with accumulation in Spanish Fork canyon on US6, but that was it.

If you’re looking for scenery, forget I70. That route is wrecked with traffic heading out of Denver. The drive sucks until Edwards. Used to be nice. A drive over US40 over Rabbit Ears is very lovely, though.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
I just drove to Denver on I80 Monday, and returned Tuesday on I70. This late in the season, there’s really not that much to worry about. It was nice and easy. Some snow on the return, with accumulation in Spanish Fork canyon on US6, but that was it.

If you’re looking for scenery, forget I70. That route is wrecked with traffic heading out of Denver. The drive sucks until Edwards. Used to be nice. A drive over US40 over Rabbit Ears is very lovely, though.

Thanks for the info. Everything I have been able to find suggest I80 should be clear.

As “luck” would have it, he needs tires he is in Fort Collins now at Discount Tire for a pit stop before continuing to Laramie for the night.

Inside of 24 hours the weather is known fairly well, temps/precip/snow, whatever. One can get a general idea, have alternatives, then confirm things 12 hours prior.

I-80, even in peripheral months could very well be fine. One should be open to adjust when conditions are unfavorable.

A few years ago I drove to FL, from WI, late winter. The day before I left there was a fair sized storm going through. I drove through IL, angled east at the far end. The freeway was fine, but the ditch had an abundance of vehicles that slid off. Many of the vehicles were still there, semi’s, RV’s & cars/trucks.

I was thinking, wouldn’t it be cheaper & safer to delay a day & avoid that $200-$2000+ recovery bill? I’m mostly talking discretionary travel, a little different when working.

He is back on the road again, favorable conditions so he is going to stretch today an extra 100 miles and head for Rawlins WY.

Shortens the next couple of days some.


Thanks all for the info!