winter driving--I40 or I70 quicker?

[kntheboys]

We're driving MN to CA in a few days and had planned to drive I40 because I am afraid of mountains, and REALLY don't want to do mountains with snow or ice!

However, I'm wondering what the time difference is between taking I70 to Palm Springs rather than I40? According to RandMcNally.com, it's only 1 hour longer to take I40, but it's about 200 miles longer (if I remember right).

Is this accurate? Are there more mountains taking I70, cutting down to Phoenix, and across to Palm Springs?

Our original plan was to take I35 to Amarillo, I40 across to Flagstaff, then down to Phoenix and across I10 to Palm Springs.
Anyone with some advice for someone who is "mountain-phobic"?

[Mark Sedenquist]

As you will find, if you look at some of the recent postings, I would always take winter driving conditions in the Colorado Rockies (I-70) over the ice storms possible on I-40. However, this has been an unusally mild winter with very few ice problems on I-40.

Flagstaff is at 5000+ feet and can be darn slippery in the melting periods after snowfall.

For the time and sheer beauty, I would always suggest I-70 to I-15 (via Las Vegas) to I-10 to Palm Springs.

[imported_Don Woodmancy]

I agree with our editor. I40 and I70 are both scenic drives but I70 is far better and all other things being equal, you should have no more risk of bad weather on it than on I40. I40 runs through the New Mexico and Arizona mountains for several hundred miles and I have encountered some of the heaviest winter weather along it. As numerous posts in this forum have said before, both I70 and I40 are kept open almost all of the time so why not take the route that you think you'll like best and just check out the weather on both at your last possible opportunity before having to commit to one or the other? Have a great trip.