How safe? Austin to Chicago during first week of January 2016?

[noFanofCB]

You may encounter sub-zero temperatures.
Be sure your vehicle coolant is good to -30F, your windshield washer fluid is WINTER formula, your windshield wiper rubber is new, your battery is less than 4 years old and that the connections are recently cleaned and tight and that your engine oil is the correct weight for winter temperatures.

If you've never started a vehicle at -20F - it's a reminder of how our technology is only thin protection against nature.

My wife is from Chicago and will NOT consider us driving there during Winter due to ice and snow. She will, however, happily let me drive us thru Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and eastern Washington in the winter. Midwest icing is a bad thing.