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Hi all,
I'm looking to trailer my horse from STL to Portland, OR before winter sets in. When does I-80/I-84 start seeing road closures due to snow? When does considering I-80 in winter become risky? I will be traveling in a 4WD truck with a bumper pull 2 horse trailer. I'm particularly worried about the sections through Wyoming, Idaho, and eastern OR.
Thanks!
Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!
Montana runs its 'Winter Reporting Season' from November through April. Winter snow closures in Oregon have occurred as early as mid-November. One would expect conditions in Idaho to be quite similar. If you plan to get through to Portland by the first couple of weeks in November, you should be fine.
But of course there are no guarantees on the weather so if you have them, pack chains, and at least be ready to spend a day or so snowbound. Obviously you'll need to keep an eye on the forecasts current at the time you plan to drive as forecasts are not much more than an educated guess even three days out. This becomes even more important with a horse as you may have to find accommodations for it as well as yourself in the event of a snow event severe enough to close an Interstate.
Keep in mind that Interstate routes such as I-80 and I-84 do and will receive priority for plowing/salting/sanding since they are the main commercial corridors. Montana, Idaho and Oregon all participate in the "511" program. If you dial 511 on your cell in any of those states, you should get a recorded message with current road conditions. Personally, I would probably stick to I-80 rather than I-84 since I-80 is farther south, at lower elevation generally, and has just a bit more 'civilization' along it.
Best of luck
AZBuck
I would personally take I-84. This keeps you off Parley's Summit and away from the Siskiyous. It's also 500 miles shorter. I-80 west of SLC is actually at higher elevation over Donner Summit than anywhere on I-84. I-80 through western Utah and Nevada is pretty desolate.
Another option is I-90 to US-395 to I-82 to I-84. This is 100 miles longer, but keeps you off I-80 in Wyoming, which can get dicey. I-90 is actually at a lower elevation than I-80.
Make your decision just before you leave, looking at weather forecasts and road conditions.
If you take I-80, take I-70 west to KC, then I-435 to I-29 to IA/NE-2 to Lincoln to pick up I-80.