Late start for Western trip

[Mullis]

we will being closing on the sale of our home in a few weeks. we had originally planned to travel from Georgia to the northwest U.S. I am now concerned that leaving Ga. about late September may be too late in the year...please give me your thoughts on weather conditions October thru November. We will be making the trip in a 40 foot diesel pusher.

[BFlinn181]

If you stick to major highways, you shouldn't have any problems. Traveling in a motorhome, you can always stay in place and wait for snow plows to clean up the roads before moving on.
There's no predicting weather in this time of global warming, It can snow in about any month of the year in high elevated parts of CO, WY, ID. Make sure you know how your RV is prepared for cold weather use. If the furnace blower sends heat into wet compartments, don't use a space heater too much that the tanks will freeze. Many campgrounds will require you to fill on board water tank and not rely on hydrant pressure. Make sure you have sufficient light bulbs and 'trouble lights' to keep compartments warm if you need to, but I don't think it will be an issue.

[Mullis]

after closing the sale of our house, we plan to drive our 40' diesel pusher from Ga to Wa state. After some thought I began to realize the possibility of bad winter weather. Not knowing much about the Midwestern and northwestern weather, I am asking for seasoned opinions of what to expect or postpone the trip until spring.

[bamaboy473]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

There's no predicting weather in this time of global warming, It can snow in about any month of the year

...is this some kind of code for tree hugging people? Talk about global warming and spend the rest of the paragraph on how cold it can get...I don't get your reasoning.

P.S. there's never been accurate weather predicting within a 90 day window.

[no3putt]

If your going northwest for sightseeing, would recommend you put it off until spring, driving a MH in snow is not fun, many camp grounds close for the winter in late Oct. Head towards south Texas, Arizona or other warm place, you will have much more fun vs fighting the cold and snow.

[bluepill]

You also have the option of heading for the PNW and changing to a more southern destination if bad weather is forcast on your planned route. For example, you can take a quick run south on I-25 or I-15 to wait out a snow storm. That's one of the great things about having a fully equipped DP.

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

...is this some kind of code for tree hugging people? Talk about global warming and spend the rest of the paragraph on how cold it can get...I don't get your reasoning.

P.S. there's never been accurate weather predicting within a 90 day window.

I'm sorry I used the term global warming, I should have said Climate Change. The fact that weather extremes have become the norm isn't a fact that can be denied by energy and other big businesses. Take a pan of water and gently oscillate it. Small waves form, water level at the edge goes up and down. Just like temperatures and rain/snow amounts fluctuate . Now move the pan a little faster, just as we trap the sun's energy in the atmosphere with all the human release of greenhouse gases. Now the water sloshes over the side of the pan as the energy in the waves become more extreme. Climate change means more violent swings of hot weather, and cold. More drought and more floods, etc. North Dakota is now growing corn in it's wheat fields, glaciers are melting that have lasted for thousands of years. Animals and plants are extending there ranges into areas they weren't in before.

Originally Posted by no3putt

If your going northwest for sightseeing, would recommend you put it off until spring, driving a MH in snow is not fun, many camp grounds close for the winter in late Oct. Head towards south Texas, Arizona or other warm place, you will have much more fun vs fighting the cold and snow.

Coastal Oregon and Washington have moderate climate, and as I said before, the nice thing about an RV is you can wait until the snow is cleared from the road. We spent last Sept-Oct exploring Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The snow was beautiful and we only sat out one day as the roads in Yellowstone were closed for plowing. Not a big deal!

[Kurmudgeon]

Here in the NW, you shouldn't run into any weather adverse enough to cause problems until AT LEAST the end of October, and more usually mid to late November, and then only in the mountains. And keep in mind what we call mountains here are much different that what you have in Georgia.

Below about 3000 feet, you typically shouldn't have any trouble even in the middle of winter, and then generally only on the west side of the mountains.

[StevenNSteph]

WA is a very diverse state, it has the wettest place in the continental US, the place that gets the most amount of snow in the US, sand dunes in the middle, heck just west of Spokane they had a haboob the other day. During the winter part of the state can be sub zero while a hundred miles away it can be 55. What I am trying to say is you need to be more specific about where in WA you will be, but generally anything west of the cascades is doable in winter. Personally though I like to south by mid November and enjoy better weather.

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by Mullis

we will being closing on the sale of our home in a few weeks. we had originally planned to travel from Georgia to the northwest U.S. I am now concerned that leaving Ga. about late September may be too late in the year...please give me your thoughts on weather conditions October thru November. We will be making the trip in a 40 foot diesel pusher.

Well, mullis, you've got a raft of advice. Here's more: 1) we crossed the whole continent in late 2012. The northern tier, basically following the I-90 corridor or north of it from Boston (about Columbus Day) to Seattle (November 14) without any problem. We delayed a couple of extra days at a SP in Grinnell, Iowa, partly because it was windy and rainy (temps in the 50s), but also because it was a beautiful place. But we could have travelled if we needed to. No other problems.

As we progressed, I checked the forecast precip averages for the northern mountain states, and found that the graph sharply upticks about mid-November. Prior to that your chances of hitting a significant snow are relatively low. Not zero.

We had a great trip. IMO, the autumn is by far the best travel time, but as with everything we do, you have to pay attention.

2) I don't know your planned route, but given your starting point it would be quite easy for you to follow the southern route, then north on I-5 up the west coast. You'd still have to be aware going through the high country of the southwest, but again, low odds of trouble. We travelled this route last winter, leaving central KY just after Christmas, south to NOLA then west and up the coast, arriving on the west side of Puget Sound February 6. Again, I was watching the weather as we travelled. Absolutely gorgeous the whole way, except for about a half hour of heavy snow leaving the Grand Canyon. But it was just a localized squall, so we knew what to expect.

Pay attention, do your homework, and enjoy your trip!!

[OLYLEN]

We don't start asking in Wa until after Thanksgiving and that is seldom and above Pass legislation levels. So you are good to go. Even if you hit snow a day or two and you can move on. Weather forecasts are good for a week at minimum. Plus in Wa. you are only hours drive time from escape. We don't even pull the MH from storage until after Xmas for our winter away south on I-5. We have hit snow and have had over night snow on the way but the way has always been clear by 10:00 so no delays. Just come and watch the weather, you will see the fall in the NW,beautiful. This is not Alaska with -40, possible below freezing yes but we get that in southern Az. every year. You will learn as you go, just think ahead and you will be fine.

LEN