West to East, is the weather always 'the Beast'?

[StormyCA]

Our trip from CA to WDW and GSMNP was so wonderful, there just are no words. Ft Wilderness is by far the best place we've ever 'camped'. I'd love to go back year after next.

We left CA in mid-April and headed back home in mid-May. Naturally we had tornado watches, thunderstorms both ways and prairie winds (ruined our awning) in Kansas on the way home. DH now insists that there is absolutely NO 'safe' time or route to do that drive (specifically from TX to FL and from TN to CO). His exact quote is 'Sure, I'd love to go back, but there's always dangerous weather somewhere 'back there' and I don't want to have to deal with it, either tornadoes and torrential rains, or floods, snow, and ice.'

So tell me, Oh wise Disney lovers east of the Rockies, IS there a time to drive cross country (and back) in 'peaceful weather'?

 

[bama_ed]

Stormy,

With a user name like yours, this is an appropriate topic!

I'll take a stab at this. I've driven from Alabama out I40 to the Grand Canyon and back. Also done a good bit of I10 as far as Houston eastward.

My recommendation would be October/November and the opposite match of February and March. You're in California but I'm not clear WHERE in CA. It makes a difference if you're coming from San Diego or Sacramento the route that you would take.

Houston-Lake Charles-New Orleans-Mobile is nice these times of the year. Warmer in March and October and cooler in February and November. But you get cool nights, warm days in the sun, and less chances of wet weather (or tropical storms). Not the best time for Typhoon Lagoon or the Fort pools IMO (but the hot tub is always ready ) but it's nice all around time.

Had to be in New Orleans for 5 years in a row the week before Mardi Gras for an annual work meeting (YES, in the Quarter. YES, we did as little work as possible. YES, we ate fabulous meals. YES, we roamed Bourbon & Royal & Canal Streets & Jackson Square and all points in between. YES, we sat through several sets of jazz at Preservation Hall) and the weather is fabulous in Feb or early March. It was a tough job but somebody's got to do it. So that time for travelling along the coast is A-Okay.

I listen to the spring training baseball games from Arizona in March (Cleveland Indians by birth) and they like the weather that time of year there. Don't know about the mountain passes on I40 (or on I10 if there are any) in terms of snow/ice but if work and school calendars were not holding me back, that's when I would travel personally.

I've seen those big windmills on I40 between Amarillo and Oklahoma City so I guess the wind blows year round on the prairie. Sorry to hear about your awning.

That's my two cents since you asked.

Bama Ed

PS - for those times of year, making a reservation a year in advance is not out of the question. Just sayin'..... The weekends in the spring and fall shoulder seasons are popular with locals so often if you book later you can get weekdays but it's the Friday and Saturday nights that are tough unless you book early.

 

[Bearikens]

First, let me explain that I was raised in the midwest, so I'll state that tornado season in that area of the country (eastern Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois) is typically April through June (there have been twisters in July or August, but are more rare) with their accompanying windy thunderstorms. So, if you are planning on I-70 you need to bear this in mind. I-40 is a better choice if you are coming from southern California, but November can be iffy when you reach northern Arizona around Flagstaff. Flagstaff is at 6,000 ft and it's snow season typically begins in late October and you should be aware that they get storms where the snow is measured in feet. Additionally I-40 passes through Amarillo TX (tornado capital of the world) and Oklahoma City (also a tornado hotspot). I would chose I-10 from southern California as it is the most direct route and also has much lower altitudes. Generally, I would recommend travel between August and mid October.

Hope this helps

 

[Teamubr]

The quick, easy answer to your question is... No. Storms somewhere between the Rockies and the East coast will happen literally every month of the year. There is a typical pattern though.
First, I'll tell you I live outside St Louis (Midwest) and generally travel for racing starting in March and finish up in October. We go from Utah to Virginia and Wisconsin to Atlanta.

Here's the pattern that helps somewhat. Early in the year and late, north of I-70 doesn't usually have bad thunderstorms or tornadoes. The bigger storms are usually further south along the coast up to about I-40. From April-October, the big storms start shifting north. In StL, our "bad" months are April/May and Sept/Oct. July and August will see the tornadoes up in Minnesota to Michigan.

Now storms feel free to ignore the pattern from time to time. We have had tornadoes in St L on New Years Eve and in July.

As for winds, I have yet to drive across Kansas or Nebraska where it wasn't blowing 20+ mph. We were racing outside Denver one year and I managed 7.2 mpg due to the head and cross winds the entire way. We normally would get around 10 mpg. Some trips are better than others, but count on winds on the plains. The bright side is that it makes 110 in July feel a little bit better.

j

 

[StormyCA]

Thanks, all. We're in No Calif (Sierra Foothills). Sounds as if Autumn would be a better time. Possibly heading east on a northerly route (70 or 80) and back a southerly route (10 or 40). Maybe I'll be able to talk him into it. GSMNP would be beautiful in Autumn plus it would be good weather (hopefully) for WDW!

Teamubr, we were averaging 12-13 mpg (2014 F350 diesel) 'flatland' towing until we hit Kansas. Dropped to between 7-9 mpg when we hit those headwinds. Yikes!