Moving from New Jersey to Seattle WA.

[Dragntear]

I am moving from NJ to Washington the week after Thanksgiving, and I am wondering how the best way to get there. I know that the Rockies can be tough this time of year. Is it best to drive south and then up the CA coast to get there.

I will be driving a 2000 monte Carlo SS with a Uhaul trailer hitch. I hope to making it in as short a time as possible, since I am transfering for my job as well and dont have as much time as want to make it there.

Any advice is very appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any advice you have,
Dragntear.

[Dragntear]

I was looking over maps and things like that last night and was thinking. does anyone think that rt80 is a safe bet all into Reno, and then from there taking Rt84 up into oregon and then rt 5 up the WA coast?

[Robert Schaller]

My first choice would be I-80 west to Chicago and then I-94/I-90 to Seattle. Just keep an eye on the weather and if it is stormy on the northern route, you could use I-80 instead -- you've got a good chance that one or the other will be in good shape, unless the weather across the entire region goes "south." A little bit of snow isn't usually a problem on these routes.

Be sure to check our links to road conditions reports. There has been some light snow flurries in South Dakota, and some of the I-90 route in Montana is snow-packed and icy at present -- but there is no hazardous weather expected for the next few days, so conditions could be clear by the time you go. Bob

[PNW Judy]

Bob gave you good advice. If you go through Reno you will need to go through Lassen NF past Mt. Hood. We were through there in April and there was snow. The driving was still good but you can't be assured of missing snow by going that route. I think staying on the interstates is still your best bet.

I'm in Washington state so.....WELCOME TO WASHINGTON!!!!

[Carol White]

I-80 through Reno goes over a very high pass at Truckee - my recollection is around 10,000 feet and often pretty ugly.

Going on I-90 through Montana, Idaho and the Cascades in Washington will yield lower pass levels -- and therfore, generally less snow.

Best advice - check road conditions, adapt as needed -- even hold up a day or so if need be -- better safely there, than the alternatives.

Welcome to the Northwest!

Carol White
Live Your Road Trip Dream

[Mark Sedenquist]

I am moving from NJ to Washington the week after Thanksgiving, and I am wondering how the best way to get there. I know that the Rockies can be tough this time of year. Is it best to drive south and then up the CA coast to get there.

Although it tends to be counter-intuitive, Bob's recommendation is probably the best one for avoiding rough weather. In early winter, generally it is advisable to to head for the most desert-like of the western states because even though the temps will be in the minus-zero range, the lack of ambient moisture will prevent much in the way of snow storms. For that reason, my recommendation would be to follow I-80 to Chicago (some chance of lake effect snow) and then bee-line it for the cold, frigid north and use I-94 and then I-90 into Washington. In most years it is too darn cold in those northern states to snow much. The roads will be icy, but if you drive at a steady, reasonable, pace you will have much less problems than any of the routes in the middle or southern sections of the country.

All that said, sometimes weather is just darn tricky. About an hour after I posted the memo above, I received this report from an observer in Fargo, ND commenting about the UNUSUAL snow storm they had this year in early October:

Excerpt from the "Litchville Bulletin": Weather Bullet ---Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from a historic, may I even say "Weather Event" of Biblical proportions. A historic blizzard of 24+ inches of snow with wind gales up to 50MPH. Trees were downed everywhere, hundreds of motorists were stuck in lethal snowbanks, all roads were closed and it isolated scores of communities, and cut power to 10's of thousands.

So, word to the wise -- assume nothing -- check the weather report and use prudence.

Mark