Seattle to San Francisco in December

Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission). How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.

On Dec 11, 8:37 am, "Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote:
Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission). How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.



Stay on the main route (I-5) and drive during the day. I don't know
what to expect except of course rain. There may well be snow, esp.
near the OR and CA border. I doubt that you'll need chain, but a good
all weather set of tires should be helpful.

"Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote in message news:7c88e57ef5fe4@uwe...
Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting
them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission).
How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it
was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.

I assume that you are taking the most direct route south (I-5). Unless it is
an
unusual year, there is only one place that you *might* hit snow on the
highway, and that would be the Siskiyou pass on I-5 between Oregon and
California (snow will probably be on the sides of the road in the higher
elevations but not on the highway itself). Even then, unless it is actually
snowing, chances are you'll make it through your whole trip without having
to chain up. Lots of people drive this route every day this time of year,
and never have to use chains. You can check the latest pass conditions
before you leave at www.tripcheck.com.

I would try and time your trip to hit the Siskiyou pass during daylight
(maybe stay in Grants Pass, Medford, or Ashland the night before). Given
that the Siskiyou pass is on a major freeway, the Oregon and California
departments of transportation do everything they can to keep the highway
clear. If it starts to get close to freezing, just slow down and be a
little more cautious. Once you get south of Lake Shasta, any possibility of
chaining up is gone.

You've got a 90% probability of making the trip without hitting snow on the
highway and within two hours of the same time you drove it in summer. If the
Siskiyou pass is messy, though, then all bets are off. Watch the other cars
are doing and if the signs say to put your chains on, do so but continue
cautiously. Get in the slow lane, don't be in a hurry, and don't drive
faster than you are comfortable. You don't stay at altitude very long
(50-60 miles) and before you know it you'll be heading out of the snow onto
wet or dry pavement.

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:08:47 -0800 (PST), PeterL
wrote:

On Dec 11, 8:37 am, "Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote:
Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission). How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.

Stay on the main route (I-5) and drive during the day. I don't know
what to expect except of course rain. There may well be snow, esp.
near the OR and CA border. I doubt that you'll need chain, but a good
all weather set of tires should be helpful.

Most of I-5 from Seattle to San Francisco is generally snow free,
except where it gains elevation at the Oregon-California border.
But it doesn't climb as high as, say, the Donner Pass into Nevada
where chains are a common winter requirement.

I don't think the more or less coastal US-101 goes anywhere near
snow.

Even without snow you can anticipate a good chance for some
really crummmy weather. Winter storms come in off the Pacific
with roughly weekly regularity, with heavy rains and high winds.
On the other hand you could hit the in-betweens with very nice
weather all the way.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:37:34 GMT, Littlefoot u39811@uwe wrote:
I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting them
u on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What

Good for you on learning how to chain up! You might want to toss a cheap
vinyl tablecloth in the car as an emergency mat, should you need it.
Also 2o lbs of cat litter and some immediately edible food and water.

Most of I-5 will probably be easy though wet driving. The passes just S of
Ashland, OR and around Mt. Shasta may be snowy or icy, and that's where
things can befun. (Seattle to Ashland, btw, is about 7 hours driving -- I'm
assuming that's in the vicinity of where you want to stop? -- on good roads,
it's another 5 hours on to SF.)

Oregon uses the 511 system on cell phones,
and it was quite informative last time I called it. If you've got a laptop
with wifi around, http://www.tripcheck.com Siskayou Summit has its own
webcam, which you can get to from tripcheck.com

California uses 800.427.7623, but I think there's 511 available in N.
California, too.

If you can, it might be wise to drive up to one of the ski areas near
Seattle and get a little practice on a nice, empty parking lot full of snow,
maybe a little ice underneath.

The principal hazard of snow driving is ice underneath, and slush being
sprayed all over your windshield by passing vehicles. Make sure you've got
lots of window washer fluid (and it's rated for colder temps than
you typically get in Seattle or Portland), and make sure your wipers are in
good condition. I personally prefer to see folks get a little experience
on ice before they get onto interstate driving conditions, because most folks
on the interstate don't want to acknowledge ice and will drive in tight
bunches. Increase your following room as much as possible when you're on
ice.

Accelerate and steer gently, brake gently, know how to handle a skid in your
car. If it's got antilock brakes, you can be more vigorous with the brake
pedal. If you start skidding, steer in the direction of the skid -- you need
to get your wheels moving in the same direction as the vehicle so you can
regain control. Oh, and never pass a snowplow on the right, or hang right
behind a sanding truck. Bridges and overpasses often ice before the
rest of the road.

http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/driv
ingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html

Chances are, you'll have no problems, and you'll never need to take the
chains out of the package, but being prepared is a good idea.

If you see truckers getting off the road, it's a really good idea to join
them, imho. An extra night in a motel is very cheap insurance;
extremely cheap compared to hospital bills. (fwiw: CE England drivers
seem to be the most likely to pull off about the same time that I do --
and I grew up in ice and snow country.)

Kay, who got to drive from Iowa to Oregon in the last ice storm,
including Laramie, WY to Green River, WY in one day, never topping
30 mph, and then stopped again at the Columbia Gorge when I-84 closed.
And who took the keys away from my husband, the southern boy, who
does not understand about following distances on ice.

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:37:34 GMT, Littlefoot u39811@uwe wrote:
I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting
them
u on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December?
What

Good for you on learning how to chain up! You might want to toss a cheap
vinyl tablecloth in the car as an emergency mat, should you need it.
Also 2o lbs of cat litter and some immediately edible food and water.

Most of I-5 will probably be easy though wet driving. The passes just S
of
Ashland, OR and around Mt. Shasta may be snowy or icy, and that's where
things can befun. (Seattle to Ashland, btw, is about 7 hours driving --
I'm
assuming that's in the vicinity of where you want to stop? -- on good
roads,
it's another 5 hours on to SF.)

Oregon uses the 511 system on cell phones,
and it was quite informative last time I called it. If you've got a
laptop
with wifi around, http://www.tripcheck.com Siskayou Summit has its own
webcam, which you can get to from tripcheck.com

California uses 800.427.7623, but I think there's 511 available in N.
California, too.

If you can, it might be wise to drive up to one of the ski areas near
Seattle and get a little practice on a nice, empty parking lot full of
snow,
maybe a little ice underneath.

The principal hazard of snow driving is ice underneath, and slush being
sprayed all over your windshield by passing vehicles. Make sure you've
got
lots of window washer fluid (and it's rated for colder temps than
you typically get in Seattle or Portland), and make sure your wipers are
in
good condition. I personally prefer to see folks get a little experience
on ice before they get onto interstate driving conditions, because most
folks
on the interstate don't want to acknowledge ice and will drive in tight
bunches. Increase your following room as much as possible when you're on
ice.

Accelerate and steer gently, brake gently, know how to handle a skid in
your
car. If it's got antilock brakes, you can be more vigorous with the brake
pedal. If you start skidding, steer in the direction of the skid -- you
need
to get your wheels moving in the same direction as the vehicle so you can
regain control. Oh, and never pass a snowplow on the right, or hang right
behind a sanding truck. Bridges and overpasses often ice before the
rest of the road.

http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/driv
ingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html

Chances are, you'll have no problems, and you'll never need to take the
chains out of the package, but being prepared is a good idea.

If you see truckers getting off the road, it's a really good idea to join
them, imho. An extra night in a motel is very cheap insurance;
extremely cheap compared to hospital bills. (fwiw: CE England drivers
seem to be the most likely to pull off about the same time that I do --
and I grew up in ice and snow country.)

Kay, who got to drive from Iowa to Oregon in the last ice storm,
including Laramie, WY to Green River, WY in one day, never topping
30 mph, and then stopped again at the Columbia Gorge when I-84 closed.
And who took the keys away from my husband, the southern boy, who
does not understand about following distances on ice.

Wow, how did he react to THAT?

"Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote in message news:7c88e57ef5fe4@uwe...
Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting
them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission).
How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it
was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.


Odds are there won't be any snow. At least not on the freeway. However, a
couple of times in my experience I-5 has been closed because of snow. And a
stretch in central Washington was recently closed due to flooding. Keep
close tabs on the weather and the road conditions. 511 works in Oregon and
Washington; in California call 800-427-ROAD (7623) for the CHP road
conditions.

The last time we drove up in the winter, I-5 was closed north of Redding due
to a heavy snow fall. We called ahead and reserved a motel room in Redding.
The town filled up that night. The next morning they'd cleared the road and
we drove all the way through to Seattle that day -- without putting on
chains. (Another storm was forecast.)

Marianne

"Mimi" wrote in message
. ..

"Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote in message news:7c88e57ef5fe4@uwe...
Hello,

I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting
them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December?
What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission).
How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it
was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.


Odds are there won't be any snow. At least not on the freeway. However, a
couple of times in my experience I-5 has been closed because of snow. And
a stretch in central Washington was recently closed due to flooding. Keep
close tabs on the weather and the road conditions. 511 works in Oregon and
Washington; in California call 800-427-ROAD (7623) for the CHP road
conditions.

The last time we drove up in the winter, I-5 was closed north of Redding
due to a heavy snow fall. We called ahead and reserved a motel room in
Redding. The town filled up that night. The next morning they'd cleared
the road and we drove all the way through to Seattle that day -- without
putting on chains. (Another storm was forecast.)

Marianne
Forgot to say, keep your gas tank filled. Helps you keep warm if you get
stuck. And have winter clothes, especially boots, just in case.

Marianne

In article ,
Hatunen wrote:
On Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:08:47 -0800 (PST), PeterL
wrote:
On Dec 11, 8:37 am, "Littlefoot" u39811@uwe wrote:
I will be taking a road trip on December 21st from Seattle to San
Francisco with my 2 friends. I've never driven in the snow before and I'm
very very nervous. I've already bought chains and I've practiced putting them
on in my driveway many times. Has anyone made this drive in December? What
should I expect? I'll be driving a Toyota Corolla (Manual Transmission). How
long should this drive take in the snow? I've made the trip before but it was
in July. I'm planning on staying the night somewhere in OR.

Stay on the main route (I-5) and drive during the day. I don't know
what to expect except of course rain. There may well be snow, esp.
near the OR and CA border. I doubt that you'll need chain, but a good
all weather set of tires should be helpful.

Most of I-5 from Seattle to San Francisco is generally snow free,
except where it gains elevation at the Oregon-California border.

Beware just N of Grants Pass.
It's serious enough there tht OR DOT has installed an automated weather
station.

But it doesn't climb as high as, say, the Donner Pass into Nevada
where chains are a common winter requirement.

Latitude makes up for elevation.

One friend who grew up in Portland was once stranded for 3 days between
Yreka and Ashland (some time in the 90s).

Tire chains are your friends. 4WD can help but a brain is more important.

I don't think the more or less coastal US-101 goes anywhere near
snow.

Only if briefly for a cold snap.

Even without snow you can anticipate a good chance for some
really crummmy weather. Winter storms come in off the Pacific
with roughly weekly regularity, with heavy rains and high winds.
On the other hand you could hit the in-betweens with very nice
weather all the way.

One could have a nice view of Mt. Shasta and some of the other cascades.

--

On 12 Dec 2007 11:16:28 -0800, (Eugene Miya)
wrote:

In article ,
Hatunen wrote:

Even without snow you can anticipate a good chance for some
really crummmy weather. Winter storms come in off the Pacific
with roughly weekly regularity, with heavy rains and high winds.
On the other hand you could hit the in-betweens with very nice
weather all the way.

One could have a nice view of Mt. Shasta and some of the other cascades.

Followed, unfortunately, by a long drive down the rather boring
Sacremento Valley.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *