Northern California to Kansas City in early March 2012

[treccad]

Hi, there. I am moving to Kansas City Missouri from northern California in early March 2012. I am hesitant to take I-80 across Utah and Wyoming due to winter weather. Does anyone have a suggestion for a southern route that may be longer but may not have snow? Thanks to anyone with advice!

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

The reality is that there is no route that is snow-free that says within the United States. Even I-10 in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona can and does see both snow and ice. If anything, taking a longer route can increase your chances of seeing bad weather, as it means more time on the road.

As always, the best bet is keep an eye on the forecast, but even if you just went south to I-40, that would add about 200 miles, which really means you'd need at least an extra half day on the road. Unless there is a major blizzard in the forecast on I-80, but not on I-40, that time would likely be better served waiting a few hours for plow crews to get out on the road.

[glc]

I just came across I-40 this week, and it was a miserable drive. On Tuesday I drove from Kingman AZ to Moriarty NM, and the road was snow-covered for a good portion of the trip. In fact, on Wednesday morning I-40 was completely closed from Albuquerque to Moriarty. If I had stopped for the night in ABQ, I would have been substantially delayed.