Driving To DL In January - Grapevine??

[iKristin]

How bad is the Grapevine usually in January?? I will be driving next January down from Oregon and I'm trying to decide if it would be safer to cut across and take the 101 through that section or just to go through the grapevine. I'm not a great snow driver (it makes me nervous). What do you think would be the safer and smarter choice??

 

[Marilynbn]

Just pay attention to weather reports at that time...if there is snow the grapevine is often closed. Hwy 101 is still a good choice but will maybe add an hour to your trip.

~Marilyn

 

[sonnyjane]

Where are you coming from? Is just taking the 5 down an option? That's how we have traveled in the past when we lived in WA.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

It all depends....it's not like the passes up there...they close it if bad!!!

 

[Huff]

I would think the snow would be far worse in northern California than at the Grapevine. It does snow there some times and the highway can close during the storm but its not that often. Its not very high altitude and often winter storms only rains on I-5 through that area. After a storm passes the snow melts quickly and the highway is completely clear rather fast.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I went through the grapevine in January and last month. The highway can be closed due to bad snow on the road. Luckily in January, it didn't snow during my trip and it was safe to drive on the grapevine. I remember one week in February before my trip, there was a storm up on the grapevine and the highway was closed. Than in just a few days it was clear and was safe to drive. I always carry snow chains in my car just in case if it snows and need to put them on.

 

[iKristin]

I live right on a highway that leads to the 5 down so I don't have to drive 2 hours west to Portland then down so I am thinking of taking the 97 to the 5 and down

 

[blackjackdelta]

97 joins 5 around weed and the elevation from k falls is pretty high and does get a bunch of snow. I love 97 in the summer, not so much in the winter.

Jack

 

[skiingfast]

I would think the snow would be far worse in northern California than at the Grapevine. It does snow there some times and the highway can close during the storm but its not that often. Its not very high altitude and often winter storms only rains on I-5 through that area. After a storm passes the snow melts quickly and the highway is completely clear rather fast.

I agree. I-5 won't likely be the worst driving conditions. It may have the worst drivers though, that is what closes I-5 in southern CA while it can stay open in Northern CA.

 

[iKristin]

Yeah...What about taking the 101 all the way down? I guess it would be longer though

 

[sonnyjane]

Yeah...What about taking the 101 all the way down? I guess it would be longer though

Big time. Beautiful drive, but not if you're in a hurry to be somewhere, and I feel like I'd be in a hurry for Disneyland!!! You'll be shouting non-Disney words if you get stuck behind a tractor trailer on a winding two-lane road for several miles.

 

[cloudconnected1039]

How bad is the Grapevine usually in January?? I will be driving next January down from Oregon and I'm trying to decide if it would be safer to cut across and take the 101 through that section or just to go through the grapevine. I'm not a great snow driver (it makes me nervous). What do you think would be the safer and smarter choice??

Here's my 2 cents... and my experience

I drove to OC using the 80 to the 5 to the 405, just for reference. This was in the very beginning of January, and I knew that SoCal had been getting TONS of rain, and the passes were getting snow. I checked the forecast the day I left and everything was clear. But, an hour before I reach the Grapevine, it's closed and everyone is taking the same detour through Bakersfield and Tehachapee. A drive that would normally take me about 7 hours ended up taking me 16 hours because of snow and LOADS of traffic. The same situation was going on back on 101, except with no snow of course.

Granted, this kind of traffic rarely happens, but they are pretty liberal on shutting down the Grapevine (which is understandable). Apparently I was driving the day before schools went back into session, which added dramatically into how much traffic there was.

And about driving in snow: the biggest thing you need to know is that you CANNOT, and I mean CANNOT brake too hard. You'll start slipping and sliding and it will just be a terrifying experience. No one wants to hydroplane on snow Believe me, I've done it Just be careful if the situation arises, and stay calm.

I really don't want to scare you, but you should always be prepared for situations like that. I would make sure to check weather and road closure reports frequently. And taking the 101 instead is not always the best option. If there's rain, there's a greater risk of mudslides that can REALLY shut the highway down. Then again, this past winter season in SoCal was just...strange

 

[JH87]

This past January we drove through the grapevine during the week of the 9th. We got lucky because a few days before that it was closed due to snow. You could still see snow on the mountains. It was very foggy too.
In 2009 around the 8th or 9th I went to LA through the grapvine and same situation...the week prior it was closed and it was very foggy.

 

[gary1955]

last October I drove down 101 for the first time in maybe 10 years.

it wasn't as bad as I had expected. the worst parts that I remember south of San Jose and parts around Santa Barbara and Oxnard north of LA have been upgraded. depending on the time you are planning to get into LA it may be better to go 101 to 405 to 91 and avoid the downtown area.

for the time difference go to Yahoo maps and plan your route. then click and drag the I-5 portion over to 101, you may need to do this at a couple of points because it will may reroute you back to I-5 further south. when I did it it added a little over an hour to the trip.

 

[Huff]

Cutting over from I-5 to 101 just north of the SF bay area or around Salinas adds about 60-70 miles to the trip. Just listen to the weather reports. Stay on I-5 unless theres a bad storm. Could even wait to cut over to much further south near Paso Robles but that would add closer to 100 miles. 101 is MUCH more scenic with numerous places to stop and sight see. I-5 has cows and not much more.

 

[LavenderPeach]

I wouldn't worry about it. Plan on taking the 5 all the way down and as your date gets closer watch for weather reports since, as others have said, they close it (usually during the night) if they get snow. If it does close it is often reopened in the morning. Chances are slim that you'll be traveling on a day when it closes, but of course it's possible. We've driven that route during december and january for the past 15 years and have never had any trouble.

 

[MCSfromWA]

Will your dates be flexible so that if there is inclement weather you can delay your travels? We live in Seattle and through the years we have often driven down to DLR on I-5 in November, December, and January. There have been times where the freeway was closed for a short time between Redding and Ashland due to a white-out, but there was only one time where the Grapevine was closed. That was 3 years ago and we were leaving DLR. We took 101. The problem was rain and wind in the lower altitudes, and snow on the passes. This was a big storm and we encountered wind, rain, and snow throughout our whole trip. It took us 3 days instead of 2. We like to drive and we will drive again in the winter -- but when we have the time to be flexible. Since that trip we have been flying down in winter months because we have a pretty tight schedule. You won't know what the weather will be a year out but if you know that you won't have extra time to wait out a storm just plan to fly. If you can plan for extra travel time then drive. Even when there are winter driving conditions and it takes longer, it is still a nice drive.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We drove in February one time. It was snowing and they closed the grapevine. What a miserable drive home. It added about 5 hours to our trip! We don't go in February anymore.

 

[pixiewings71]

I would think the snow would be far worse in northern California than at the Grapevine. It does snow there some times and the highway can close during the storm but its not that often. Its not very high altitude and often winter storms only rains on I-5 through that area. After a storm passes the snow melts quickly and the highway is completely clear rather fast.

Not exactly...see in most places in Nor Cal when it snows they simply require chains, unless it's a really really bad storm, then they close the roads. The Grapevine, well they never require chains because they just shut it down until they can clear the road. While that can be good it can also make for a hellish drive because everyone has to go the same way to get where they are going......

We drove in February one time. It was snowing and they closed the grapevine. What a miserable drive home. It added about 5 hours to our trip! We don't go in February anymore.

We went in Jan 09 (twice) with no issues at all, the Grapevine was 100% clear and easy to get over. We went in Jan 10 with no problems as well. We went Pres. Day weekend in 09 and OMG.....thye closed the GV and yup, it took us an extra 6 hours to get home....that was horrible!!!! But, we'd gone the weekend before that in Feb and it was fine so it just depends on the weather.

OP it's too early to even worry about that right now, just make your plans and the week before your drive start watching the weather. Also weather changes quickly so even if it looks snowy it may clear up before you get there.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We drove in February one time. It was snowing and they closed the grapevine. What a miserable drive home. It added about 5 hours to our trip! We don't go in February anymore.

We went Pres. Day weekend in 09 and OMG.....thye closed the GV and yup, it took us an extra 6 hours to get home....that was horrible!!!! But, we'd gone the weekend before that in Feb and it was fine so it just depends on the weather.

OP it's too early to even worry about that right now, just make your plans and the week before your drive start watching the weather. Also weather changes quickly so even if it looks snowy it may clear up before you get there.

Ouch. How miserable. We went that President's Day weekend in 09 too, but we pulled the kids out of school on the Friday and left early to give ourselves the whole weekend. We watched the weather reports and knew it was snowing so planned an alternate route and headed out first thing in the morning on the Monday. I think it only took us about 2 hours extra to get home, but that was a long 2 hours on top of everything. I'm guessing you guys must have left later in the day? How miserable.

We watched the weather this year, and everything looked fine, so we headed back down for President's Day weekend this year. A little snow flurry through the grapevine on the way down, but nothing serious. So, yes, obviously too soon to be worrying about the weather next January. My advice is to book something that's refundable and have alternate plans, whether that means different possible dates or just taking the long route around the grapevine.