Driving in February ...

[pixleyyy]

We're making this next trip a "budget conscious" trip so are planning on driving to DLR from our home near Portland, Oregon. We were planning on February but I'm a little concerned about that big mountain pass (is it the Siskiyou Pass?) down near the Oregon/Washington border.

Has anyone driven that way during early February? Are we likely to run into really bad road conditions? We can handle a little snow on the road, but hope to avoid icy or very bad conditions.

Of course, we can put off the trip until April but I hate waiting any longer than I have to. (Can you see me pouting at the thought of waiting? LOL)

 

[Denton]

I've driven over Siskiyou summit many times during the winter. It is possible there will be chain restrictions during a snow storm, not just at Siskiyou Summit, but before the summit and well past it. If you're not adept at installing chains, you could take 101 along the coast. It will add several hours to the trip. If you have 4WD/AWD, your vehicle will be exempt from the chain restrictions.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you are that unfamiliar with it, do not do it. The time you are going to waste going slowly in snow, putting on and taking off chains, is going to be too long.

We just drove down from Tacoma in sunny September, and it's hairy enough in good weather, IMO, to avoid unless you're in those mountains very often.

All that said, when I was 18 and immortal, I drove from college to my dad's place all the time. Of course, there was always construction, so it was an enforced SLOW speed limit through the passes with the cones and special lanes...it's a whole different story now that the construction is done!

 

[gnbuggy]

We've gone in late January with no snow, and with chain restrictions, and it taking us over 2 hours to get from Medford to Yreka. You never know what the weather will be like there. Im a total chicken when it comes to cliffy roads, and I was fine with the snow. Everybody takes their time, and goes slow.

 

[50sjayne]

We are planning on driving from Eugene January 31st, planning on leaving around 4pm Thursday night if weather seems ok. If not will pull kid out of school one more day (it's the last day of the semester) and leave around noon, his lunch time. Maybe we will chance upon some rockin' deals on airline tickets but it's doubtful and we want to bring all our own food. Another sort of concern I have with flying is getting from the airport to Disney, adding the cost of a car to the plane tickets would be more than I'd want to spend. We'll bring chains. I don't check my email too often either. On the way back we plan to leave the hotel early in the am and spend the night in Sacramento because my husband wants to see his Uncle and driving the pass at night is worse going back than coming. Oh yeah if things really get slowed down (on the way to Disneyland we'll just get a hotel somewhere like Red Bluff-- there's a Motel 6 there right off I5. Finally got the Southwest airlines "Ding" figured out--who knows...