END of December: From Baltimore to Toronto

[asheq]

Hello everyone!
I intend to travel to Toronto, Canada from Baltimore, US at the end of this December, 2008. I would appreciate your input as to which route would be the safest since I am sure many roads will be filled out with snow. I am sure I can handle roads with mild snow, however, I would like to avoid those long roads that freeze over. Any advice on the best possible route would be appreicated.
Thanks
Asheq

[Mass Tim]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America Forum!

Actually, most of the roads will not be "snowed out" as you put it, unless there are blizzard-like conditions. Your chances for running into snow are pretty good, but for the most part, roads along this route are well-kept as the highway departments are used to handling snowfall.

Another item you list, roads that freeze over - well, every road ever made has that potential, and it's too difficult to tell exactly what the weather will be in a few weeks from now. Your best bet is to stick to the most direct route on Interstate and US highways, which in your case means I-83 up to US-15, I-86 to either the I-390 - I-90 connection, or US-20A. These roads are the most likely to be well taken care of.

The best advice I can give here is to be aware of the weather conditions and if things turn for the worse, find a place to stay for the night. Upstate New York is known for having some pretty significant snowfall, and you don't want to be out while that is going on. Thankfully, things are usually cleaned up in short order.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You are right that it is very possible to see snow between Toronto and Baltimore, however, there's no magic route that could "have mild snow" but never "freeze over." You're simply going to be at the mercy of whatever the weather is doing when you plan to travel.

The shortest route would actually be mostly non-interstate, but US highways that have good stretches with 4 lanes. The Route basically uses I-83, US-15, I-390, and US-20A to Buffalo.

There are a couple of all interstate routes, like using I-79 or I-81. They could be an option if there is bad weather, but they do add about 100 miles to your trip.

[laydownthelaw]

I went to undergrad in upstate New York and I used to travel from Binghamton to various other cities quite often (Ithaca, Syracuse, Plattsburgh, Buffalo.)

You're almost certain to encounter snow somewhere along your way, but the interstates are so well kept up there, you really shouldn't have a problem. I was once stuck on I-80 in eastern Pennsylvania, but that was during a Nor'Easter and I should have known better than to take a chance driving. Barring conditions like that, you should have little or no worries.

Enjoy your trip and "good hiking."



LDTL

[asheq]

I would like to thank everyone for their valuable input. Will definitely take into account what was said.