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Question - Snoqualmie Pass Anxiety

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Started 3 months ago by JerseyGirl
Latest reply from pennygirl

JerseyGirl

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We need to drive to Boise tomorrow morning. Weather report says rain and 20 mph winds for Snoqualmie. I'm scared of Snoqualmie Pass on a good day.
How bad are 20mph winds?
We're driving a Highlander SUV with a Thule rooftop cargo box. We have tire chains, if needed.

The WSDOT web site has no warnings.

Any words of comfort? Should I stay home?

Posted 3 months ago #
great idea

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you will totally be fine on I-90.

the pass is barely perceptable on this road since it's such a wide highway.

stevens 2 would be a bit scarier with those pesky trees falling on the road!

Posted 3 months ago #
karenp

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I drive from Seattle to Boise every summer. I wouldn't worry about Snoqualmie Pass, (ive driven over snoqualmie every week this winter and it has been fine) but I would look up the Oregon pass road conditions on Hwy 84. The mountain passes near La Grande are pretty steep. That is the area that the tour bus crashed a month or two ago. I think it's called the Blue Mountains area.

http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCmap.asp?curRegion=0&mainNav=RoadConditions

Looks like snow. Be safe! It's a 8.5 hr drive in good conditions.

Posted 3 months ago #
JerseyGirl

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Thanks idea and karen for reassurance about Snoqualmie Pass. I was uaware of the Oregon Passes. Thanks for the link. I will keep tabs on it.

Posted 3 months ago #
JerseyGirl

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Ugh. I just looked at the 1-84 Blue Mountains storm warning. We need to re-visit our plans.
I was clueless. I am such a flatlander.

Thanks for the heads up.

Posted 3 months ago #
karenp

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Yea, the DOT report didn't sound too good. I feel pretty comfy driving in the snow, but I probably wouldn't chance the drive with that 'winter weather' report. It is a really remote area of Oregon with steep windy mountain passes that make me nervous in the summer!

Posted 3 months ago #
SmartsyArtsy

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I am with you being such a flatlander. I have only rode over once & back in good weather but would be anxious about driving in a storm.

Posted 3 months ago #
JerseyGirl

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We're changing our plans. Our ultimate destination is Lubbock TX. We might drive down I-5, and then drive across AZ and NM.

I had wanted to visit Zion N.P. Maybe on the way back.

Let's hope that God protects babies and fools AND flatlanders.

Posted 3 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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Jersey

Keep an eye on the Siskiyou Mountains if taking I-5 South. I never heard of them until I moved West..

Happy trails

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siskiyou_Mountains

Interstate 5 passes through the Siskiyou Mountains at Siskiyou Summit, located just north of the Oregon/California border, and just south of Ashland, Oregon. Siskiyou Summit is the highest pass on Interstate 5, at 4,310 feet (1,310 m). This pass is one of the most treacherous in the Interstate highway system. The California side has a more gradual ascent/descent, but on the Oregon side of the pass (the side which is more hazardous), the freeway gains (loses) 2,300 feet (700 m) in elevation over a 7-mile (11 km) stretch of freeway. In addition, the pass includes several hazardous curves, and is frequently hit with bad weather (including snow, ice, and fog) during winter storms. During winter, it is common for the highway to be closed one to four times by transportation authorities due to hazardous conditions. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), but lower limits are set for larger vehicles.

Posted 3 months ago #
JerseyGirl

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Thanks Buffalo. Good info. We're going to delay a day or two. I need to get more educated.

Posted 3 months ago #
teigyr

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Oh JerseyGirl, besides the fact you're going to Lubbock that sounds like a fantastic trip!!! There are a lot of side trips (Carlsbad Caverns and even Roswell) you could do. I was just out and the weather reports were pretty grim for the weekend. Best to be safe.

Posted 3 months ago #
Mondoman

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BH is right. You need to be prepared for snow on I5 in the Grants Pass area (before you get to Medford/Ashland, OR), then in the Siskiyou Pass area on the OR/CA border, then again in the Mt. Shasta region an hour's drive further south. Not a big deal if you're careful and prepared to slow down as conditions dictate (maybe 20-30 mph at times). Plan your travel there carefully, as it's much easier to travel those areas during daylight (which is still short this time of year) than at night (thick forest, steep curvy roads, no lights, and maybe snow falling!).

It's also always a good idea to make sure you've got warm clothes, bottled water and high-energy dried foods like beef jerky and trail mix, just in case you get stuck in the snow for a night.

Practice installing your tire chains here at home, and bring along a couple of tarps or carpet scraps to keep your knees dry.

Posted 3 months ago #
crownhiller

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Yep that stretch can be tricky - ODOT's cameras are pretty good in the region and includes the California stuff Mondo mentioned - I believe there's a mobile accessible version too. I always use this page with all the cameras easily accessible

Statewide cameras
http://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/CamerasEntry.asp

Posted 3 months ago #
Mondoman

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Thanks for the camera page link, ch! This is part of modern life where we are still at the mercy of the weather.

Posted 3 months ago #
JerseyGirl

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Thanks all for all the advice and links. Before we leave tomorrow, we're going to practice putting the chains on the tires. And will be checking conditions as we head down I-5.
Jersey girl has to learn how to be a Northwesterner.

Posted 3 months ago #
Mondoman

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Don't forget to keep an eye out for the regional attractions just off I5 in the boonies! Two things I remember for foodies are cheesemakers in the Grants Pass/Medford area and olive growers/olive oil makers in the Corning, CA area (I really liked Lucero http://www.yelp.com/biz/lucero-olive-oil-corning-3 ). One nice aspect of California olive oil, whether you buy it on-site or at your local Trader Joe's, is that you don't have to worry about all those revelations about shenanigans going on with imported olive oil supposedly from Italy.

Posted 3 months ago #
Mondoman

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jg - once you can both spell and pronounce local words like "Puyallup", "Skookumchuck" and "Sequim", you'll get an official Pacific Northwesterner membership card and decoder ring in the mail.

Posted 3 months ago #
Ernie

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Good thing JG packed the chains!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/25/172895095/plains-will-see-second-crippling-historic-blizzard-in-as-many-weeks

"Almost all roads in the Texas Panhandle were impassable, and whiteout conditions forced the state Department of Transportation to pull virtually all of its snowplows off roads, Texas DOT spokesman Paul Braun said Monday morning."

Posted 2 months ago #
pennygirl

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My (Welsh) mother thought that 'Puyallup' was pronounced 'Pile-Up' :-)

Edit: Thinking about it I probably shouldn't have posted that in this particular thread.

Posted 2 months ago #

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Question - Snoqualmie Pass Anxiety

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