Austin to Boulder in late March/early April

[SarahSally]

Hi all! Newbie here. We are planning to drive from Austin to Boulder starting March 30th in our Fiat. I am concerned about road conditions, since I hear there will still be snow around that time of year. I assume that if we stick to major highways it won't be as much of an issue, but please share your thoughts. We might stop in Taos if my bf has his way.

[noFanofCB]

We get snowstorms all the way into May some years. (has been known to happen in June but very rarely) But it also usually all melts off within 3 days.

Sometimes if the snow is preceded by a long stretch of warm weather the snow melts off the sidewalks and roadways immediately and leaves a pretty scene on the grass.

Check the weather before you head out and have a cushion of time to delay if necessary.
The road crews clear interstates first and best and traffic tends to beat them dry first as well.

Don't be surprised if if you get a ticket for driving a Fiat in Boulder.
The City of Boulder Official Automobile is the SUBARU. And don't you forget it!
(I work in Boulder. It can be kind of weird here.)

[glc]

Welcome to RTA!

You shouldn't have any problems if you stick to the Interstates and major US/state highways. The southern part of your trip shouldn't have any snow possibilities, and you can cut off a couple hundred miles from the I-10/I-25 route by going "cross country" on state and US highways through Texas and NM. Taos is not much of a detour.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Your two stated 'problems' are working at cross purposes, namely your desire to avoid winter weather and to visit Taos. First of all, and most importantly, there is no way to know what the actual weather will be like anywhere along your route until just a day or two before you set out, and so no one is going to give you any specific advice based on the weather you will find. However, there are a few general points that can be made. The High Plains are actually a semi-arid region that sees little in the way of rain/snow fall. The direct route from Austin to Boulder, US-183/TX-153/TX-70/US-84/I-27/US-287/I-70/US-36, falls almost entirely within this dry area. It is also, at over 900 miles, getting into the upper range of what you'd want to try to drive in just two days. By going through Taos, you are adding over 150 miles to your drive and ensuring that the last 400 miles of the drive will be either in the mountains or along the Front Range. Also, since Taos is, at 750 miles, farther from Austin than can be safely driven in a day, adding it to your itinerary means that you will have to spend at least part of a third day to your time on the road - thus increasing even further your chances of seeing bad weather. The two of you will have to consider all of those factors as you plan, but again you won't know what the weather will actually be like until just before your trip.

AZBuck