Best Oregon to Ohio Route in early February 2011.

[twilakaro]

Hello - I'm going to be driving a Jetta. Company - Chester dog. What is the best interstate to take to avoid crazy high snow and ice?
Thanks - TK

[Foy]

Hello twilakaro,

Your departure and destination cities would be helpful in terms of us providing assistance in route planning. Be advised, however, that there is no way to plan a route assures of avoiding snow and ice between OR and OH in February. Your best bet is to plan for it in terms of having extra time to allow for plow crews to get their work done.

See also my piece on a recently-completed RoadTrip across I-80, now in progress and to be posted later tonight as a RoadTrip Field Report.

Foy

[Southwest Dave]

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

I'm sorry to say that there is not an Interstate in the whole of the Country that is immune from snow and ice. They are all exposed and subject to whatever the weather might be at the time, which for now is unpredictable. All you can do is get up to date weather forecasts and road conditions prior to leaving and then make an informed decision. Generally speaking the less time you are on the road the less chance of meeting a weather event head on, which makes the shortest route the favoured route unless forecasts say otherwise. You don't say where your exact start or finish points are but it looks as though it will be between I84/80 or I90. I would allow 5 days for the trip and if you come across "crazy weather" just pull off the road and let it pass while road crews clear the roads. Interstates are a priority to keep clear and the country moving and the guy's along those routes get plenty of practice and are well equipped to deal with it.

[twilakaro]

Portland to Columbus

[Midwest Michael]

As was stated, there is simply no way of knowing what the "best" route will be until you are close enough to get a reliable weather forecast - which won't happen until just a day or two before you leave.

Basically, you'll have a couple options to pick from. Start by taking I-70 to I-74 to I-80. When you get near Omaha, decide which looks better, taking I-80/I-94 through Wyoming, or going up I-29 to I-90 across the Dakotas. If both are looking bad before your departure, you could also go north on I-39 at Bloomington, IL, and take I-94 across North Dakota.

Any other option, like going south to I-40, will simply add hundreds of miles and several extra days to your trip which will increase your odds of seeing bad weather.

[Southwest Dave]

Basically, you'll have a couple options to pick from. Start by taking I-70 to I-74 to I-80. When you get near Omaha, decide which looks better, taking I-80/I-94 through Wyoming, or going up I-29 to I-90 across the Dakotas. If both are looking bad before your departure, you could also go north on I-39 at Bloomington, IL, and take I-94 across North Dakota.

But in reverse ! ;-)

[glc]

If I-80 through Wyoming looks bad and you need to get to I-90, the best way from Portland is I-84 to I-82 to US-395. There's no point in going all the way up to Seattle and chancing Snoqualmie Pass.