Community Forums

dlewallen · 10-08-2019, 12:28 PM

We are heading for Arizona, from Portland OR, for a month in January / February. This will be our first long trip. We will be towing a 22 ft TT. Our tentative route will be I-84 to Twin Falls, then south on Highway 93. If anyone has been over that route in the winter, I'd appreciate any pointers you can give me would be most appreciated. Thanks.

rgvtexan · 10-08-2019, 02:30 PM

Watch the weather windows carefully or take I5 south.

Cabbage Hill, and Ely area can be tricky.

If chains are required, you will need drag chains.

dlewallen · 10-08-2019, 02:44 PM

Thank you for the reply!

bneukam · 10-08-2019, 03:06 PM

We drive down to St. George often during the winter months. We choose to take I15 through SLC, mainly due to the dirt/pebbles they spread on those roads. Oncoming semis give you a good sandblasting.

pdxgwj · 10-08-2019, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgvtexan

Watch the weather windows carefully or take I5 south.

Cabbage Hill, and Ely area can be tricky.

If chains are required, you will need drag chains.

I second this. I’d rather deal with Ashland summit than Cabbage hill and Mecham summit

NomadBD · 10-08-2019, 05:13 PM

As others have written, you will need to time the weather carefully as 93 south of Twin falls can be brutal in the winter. This is a high altitude are with snow drift fences on each side of the highway. Good luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlewallen

We are heading for Arizona, from Portland OR, for a month in January / February. This will be our first long trip. We will be towing a 22 ft TT. Our tentative route will be I-84 to Twin Falls, then south on Highway 93. If anyone has been over that route in the winter, I'd appreciate any pointers you can give me would be most appreciated. Thanks.

lawjohnson · 10-08-2019, 05:43 PM

We are heading that way in November from the Seattle area. We decided to take the I-5 route. I just don't want to get stuck in a snow storm and they can have some doozies in the winter over there.
However, we are heading home in April and I am thinking about taking the inland route.

Mtn. Lion · 10-08-2019, 06:29 PM

I didn't check the weather before heading out in the AM on I-5 from N. Cal to WA in a car. Snow started coming down. Then the snow got very thick. Visibility was about 3' from my headlights. I was counting on the snow plows to pave the way.

The snow got so deep I started plowing it. Big rigs were passing my car with huge wake of snow in the fast lane, like a boat. Every time the snow would cover my car completely.

NFW could I get off the freeway at this point. There was too much snow on the off ramps. I drove until my car wouldn't go anymore and just stopped

Crashed and stuck vehicles littered the highway. Big rigs jackknifed. I-5 was shut down in both directions for hours in the Siskiyous. The CHP that arrived said Cal-Trans is MIA.

I checked the paper after getting home and they had some lame excuse as to why they no-showed.

Skip426 · 10-08-2019, 06:44 PM

You'll need three clear days , no matter what route your on . Watch the forecast.

I've been on 4" of solid ice; on the I-5 ; in Grant's Pass in Dec. and bare pavement in Jan.

Four weeks later.

NevadaNick · 10-08-2019, 06:53 PM

93 can be pretty nasty. Even if the weather has been clear there can be drifting snow from wind. I would go south on I5 to Bakersfield and go across that way if your uncomfortable with snow and ice.

Cat · 12-25-2019, 10:19 PM

We did that last year. We went from Post Falls Idaho to Las Vegas to San Diego in Feb. There are very good highway condition websites. Most of them are Tripcheck for each state use them and the weather forecasts. We had cold weather and snow on the ground but the highways were dry and clear. Twin Falls is a cold area to stay. Anderson camp rv campground doesn't offer much. But they do have water, power, and sewers. Snowville Ut is another place to watch the weather reports. We kept a close watch on road conditions and weather forecasts. And had no problems with the roads. But it was cold when we went through. 9degrees in Pendelton Oregon overnight -6 when we went through Meacham Oregon during the morning and 12 degrees overnight in Twin Falls and in Springville Ut. We were towing small 18ft 21foot total length travel trailer. We had electric heater and our regular propane heater. And a heated water hose. And we did fine. I had added insulation in the belly and enclosed the belly. If you watch the temps and the highway Trip checks you should be fine.

I hate I5 traffic and i'm sure you know, its bad traffic from Portland to San Diego, its just worse in places (LA). And its not without its weather issues either. Safe Travels
And we will be headed back up from Las Vegas back to Post Falls Idaho this Feb, lol.

keymastr · 12-26-2019, 11:53 AM

I have driven that route every winter as I have family in Vegas and only one time was there a significant weather issue. I had compact snow and Ice for the entire way there and back. I knew it was coming as a storm that big is easy to forecast. Had -4F just outside Vegas on the turnoff to Ely. Even at that the roads were great, not many vehicles to worry about out there and never felt unsafe. I would have made other plans if towing the trailer though.

The only other time I have had weather issues there was in the summer when flash floods had the road covered in mud. That was far worse than snow.

Going south on I-5 is a lot worse if there is weather. I have had to stop in Dunsmuir and wait it out and had the highway closed at Yreka as well. Nothing to do but burn fuel and wait.