Washington State to Iowa in Jan.. Need advice please....

[cullendaniel26]

Hi
i am moving to Iowa in jan from SW Washington State.
I know it is not the best time of year to be driving but i am
curious if i take the 90/94/route through Montana, idaho etc what should i be on the lookout for?
Will i need chains on this trip?
I do have time to take so i do not need to be in a hurry.
Any advice would be most helpfull.
Thank you all.:)

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA forum!

There really isnt much anything specific you need to look out for, except the weather forecasts. Time, which you say you have, really is your best friend. While roads are perfectly fine most days, if you do come into a storm that is making travel difficult, pull off the road and wait for the conditions to improve. Road crews on I-90 are quite good, and it takes a very major storm for things to be in poor shape for more than a day or two.

Chains have their place, but they dont make up for a lack of experience in winter conditions, and if Interstates are so bad they need chains, waiting for better weather is going to be a better bet.

[glc]

Where in SW WA and where in IA? I-90/94 may be considerably longer than the alternatives.

[Midwest Michael]

You really wouldn't want to use I-94 for any of this trip, but I-90 is going to be about the easiest and shortest way to get from anywhere in Washington to anywhere in Iowa. You'll take I-90 all the way to Sioux Falls, then cut into Iowa via I-29, and head to your destination from there.

Even starting from the Portland, Oregon area, it is only 50 miles longer to cut up to I-90 via US-395. The alternative is to use I-84 and I-80, but I-90 is a lower elevation route and often is a better choice in winter - although keeping an eye on the forecasts is your best bet to know which would be better during your times of travel.