The I40 isn’t so bad. Flat desert. You get wind but not much else. An old car could be risky because it gets so hot. I’d take that over snow, ice and wind at the same time.
Consistently the most dangerous stretch of Interstate in the USA Fall- Winter- Spring- I80 Wyoming
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GON
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Sunday morning, drinking a cup of good dark coffee. Decided to take a look at conditions on what I think is the most dangerous stretch of interstate in the USA- I80 through Wyoming.
Lots of the interstate closed this morning. But come of the closure only in one direction. Which means closed to winds blowing snow on the interstate- not precipitation.
Lots of the interstate closed this morning. But come of the closure only in one direction. Which means closed to winds blowing snow on the interstate- not precipitation.
We drive it alot in winter. Usually get off in Laramie and head up into the mountains.
It can be a real mess. Last year we left WI a day early because a big snowstorm was coming and it closes alot. We made it ok, but had to chain up to get out of Laramie. I think it took them 2 or 3 days to get the interstate open again that time.
Think it was 25" in Laramie, and was over 4 feet up on the mountain from that storm. Was awesome.
It can be a real mess. Last year we left WI a day early because a big snowstorm was coming and it closes alot. We made it ok, but had to chain up to get out of Laramie. I think it took them 2 or 3 days to get the interstate open again that time.
Think it was 25" in Laramie, and was over 4 feet up on the mountain from that storm. Was awesome.
US-30 closely followed the UPRR transcontinental route, and UPRR followed the Oregon Trail. In college, I worked for a lumber company during the summers in the Snowy Range/Medicine Bow NF and remember Elk Mountain,Wyo was rather isolated. Now I-80 is two miles away. It's over seven thousand feet above sea level so motorists are going to see lots weather across that high country.
GON
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Go in January. I will pay your fuel and meals.......
Fort Bridger is off the Interstate about 15 minutes or so. The trail runs right through it.
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I had a rather peculiar experience back in November 2010 traveling eastbound between Rawlins and Laramie. I believe it was near the summit but due to visibility being under 50-75 yards I will never be sure. Weather reports were calling it “Blizzard Like Conditions”, snowing horizontally with gusts over 50mph, eventually that night i80 westbound from Cheyenne was closed. I like all of the other four wheelers were driving 35-45mph with hazards on all following the vehicle in front of you in the outside lane. A very brief lull in the storm allowed me to see 3 vehicles in front of me, each of the vehicles began switching to the inside lane. To my surprise a motorcycle appears. A FRICKEN MOTORCYCLE IN A SNOW STORM……
I understand people need to make do and may not be able to afford a vehicle but this really boarded on a suicidal mission. I will give the driver credit, they were wearing a helmet and snowmobile suit. Temperature that night got down to below zero.
I understand people need to make do and may not be able to afford a vehicle but this really boarded on a suicidal mission. I will give the driver credit, they were wearing a helmet and snowmobile suit. Temperature that night got down to below zero.
I have lived it for 20 years. What I don't understand is why THOUSANDS of trucks get stranded for fuel gelling on both I-80 and I-25 when the temperatures plummet to -30F -40F as they will every winter. I swear there were several hundreds of semi's stranded the last time I went down I-80 in -35F weather. Don't these truckers realize where they are heading through?
I drove i80 from nw indiana to san francisco last March. Wyoming was beautiful, had no issues in Wyoming, Nevada is another story. .
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Yep. I've driven Arizona parts of the i-40 many times, it's pretty straight and flat.
The i-8 in southern Arizona is straight, flat, and low traffic so if you want to speed that's a great place to do so. Not many cops because there's not many towns down there with police departments.
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I would agree i-40 is the best route in my opinion. I tried I-70 ONCE in February driving a rwd 2 seater convertible BMW, don’t ask got stuck with it because of divorce. Left Vegas mid morning on a Friday with a Short Haired Pointer riding shotgun. For some reason The Rocky Mountains just didn’t register, let’s call it an oversight. We made Rifle, CO at dark, after a heart attack in a sack we crashed. I woke at 3:30am excited to see my fiancé in northern Indiana. For some reason my mind just didn’t comprehend what the overhead signs meant about “Chains Required at MM247.6”. We made Vail, CO about 10am and got stuck in a 7-11 parking lot while my dog wondered if we could survive on roller grilled food. I found a tire store that could help so they sent a flatbed. Of course many customers ahead of us so we were out of there, $2k lighter but I had snow tires, and off to a hotel that accepts dogs around 4pm. With the extra “Pet Fee” at the hotel out goes another $250 thankfully there was a liquor store next door. Wake up Sunday morning to a fresh 12in of snow. I call the same towing company and the girl answering the phone says “if you aren’t on one of trucks within an hour you’re stuck here til Wednesday” I didn’t ask how much.
We get the car loaded and strapped, dog wasn’t happy with me sitting in her seat. The driver was great, he also is a trail guide so I learned a lot about the history, I should’ve paid a little more attention to geography. All thru the drive we are watching vehicles go off the road then reach The Eisenhower Tunnel to see wb traffic backed up, of course everyone from Denver wants to go play in the fresh **** snow. Tow truck driver asks me how are you paying? I replied “the cheapest way possible”. Let’s just say I spent $3k in Colorado and did not enjoy myself.
Thankfully I can laugh about it. I flew back to Vegas and repeated another trip to Indiana a week later in a moving truck on
I-40 of course.
I remember going camping in cousins 69 VW camper and the wind blowing it all over highway and we had to hold onto pop top as latch did not resist it. Fun times!
The wind was wild shaking the van all night.
The wind was wild shaking the van all night.
GON
$100 Site Donor 2024
You were lucky, glad to hear, many have not been nearly as lucky as you. I have driven I80 through Nevada in the winter, yes it can have some spotty challenges, but nothing compared to I80 in Wyoming in the winter.
GON
$100 Site Donor 2024
Sorry that happened to you- glad even at $2k USD you were able to find a fix.
Three years ago I was heading from Las Vegas to Columbia, SC. Left Vegas at 3am in a RWD S class on a Saturday hoping to get a early start. All looked well, until I hit I40 around Flagstaff. Snow started up, and things turned unfavorable for driving. I just went slow and steady, and made it east past the know after a few hours. Others were not so fortunate.
Learned really quick that snow on I40 in Arizona is a real thing- I took for granted what I thought would be dry conditions.
Without a doubt I40 is a much better winter route than I70- good choice for your moving truck return route.
JHZR2
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burbguy82
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I lived in Moorcroft, east of Gillette for a bit. The stretch of 90 east of Moorcroft is pretty bad also, basically all the way to Rapid City. Wyoming is an extreme enviroment, more extreme than any other place in the US I would vote.
Isn’t there some kind of diesel additive for freezing temps ?
burbguy82
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I would say no. Some Truckers today are not truckers, they are more "individuals who operate a large truck".