Printable View
I've heard I-84 can be pretty bad, but does anyone know what exactly I should expect for March? Also, how is the stretch from Denver to Salt Lake on I-80?
I have extensive snow driving experience because I'm from Michigan, and some mountain experience but I've never driven in a combination of the two.
Are chained tires something we need to worry about?
Any pointers would be appreciated!!
Predicting the weather is just not possible, but March in general shouldn't be too bad. I wouldn't worry about chains - even with your experience, if the chain signs go up, you should probably find a place to wait it out anyway. Interstate highways, even in mountain areas, are top priority for the state highway departments to keep clear.
........I-80 does not run from DEN to SLC.
As glc noted, the only safe prediction for weather 2 months from now is "GOK" (God Only Knows).
Interstates in the Mountain West feature long grades, but they're of carefully-designed limited gradients and the curve radii are carefully designed (no hairpins/switchbacks). If you're a Michigander, and can take a bit of time to look ahead at conditions (internet, state DOT 511 phone numbers, etc), there is little chance of you driving into a mess.
If you'd exit our home state of NC via I-40, you do know it's closed at the TN line and is likely to remain so until early March, don't you?
Foy
I'm familiar with I-40 yes, we're going north, and I'm taking I-25 north from Denver to I-80 from cheyenne to salt lake...
I wasn't asking anyone to predict the weather, I was just wondering if anyone here has done that drive in march.
With due respect, your questions was "does anyone know what exactly I should expect for March?" and the answer is no - unless you know the weather. Which is why, you really did ask people to predict the weather. Someone telling you what their trip was like when they saw good conditions will be rather pointless if you are seeing a winter storm - or vice versa.
Both GLC and Foy gave you as good of advice as you can get for how to prepare and what to expect for this trip. Without knowing the forecast, there's just not much more that anyone can tell you.
From what I understand, there's a stretch of I-80 west of Cheyenne that is subject to high winds, black ice, and whiteouts. When it gets that bad, they close the road. You should travel with a wifi-enabled laptop and check weather and road conditions daily if there's any kind of significant weather over the western and central US.
I traveled I-70 from Denver into Utah about a week and a half before Christmas. The road was fine up over the Rockies, just some wet spots and slushy shoulders. I was prepared to take an alternate if conditions were adverse.