Driving from Chicago to Seattle

Argo · Jul 3, 2015

I80 is still in winter hazard areas. I have lived and driven the northern and central US for the past 4 years. Not being prepared is moronic.

Snow tires and/or chains. Food, water, blankets(I prefer sleeping bag), candles(hardwares help too). shovel, tow strap, kitty litter. I'm typically in my very large 1 ton dodge 4x4 and carry this all. I use snow tires year round so I don't change them. I have pulled out more people than I can count and driven by thousands of cars that were stuck.

I have been blown to the far shoulder across 80 with a stiff wind on ice.... December is probably better, Feb is a sure thing for snow or bare minimum icy night driving. I'd leave a 3 day buffer.

GuEsT78 · Jul 5, 2015

Sheltered by mountains and surrounded by water, Seattle isn't the real hitch. It snows there only about once a winter and that only lasts a day or two. Heavy snow is rare enough the city doesn't know how to handle it, particularly the big snows that come maybe every five years or so. Unless you arrive during one of them, you'll be OK. If you're almost there and hear the city is paralyzed by snow, find yourself a motel room and wait until it is clear again. Seattle is hilly enough, you don't want to arrive when the city is snow-bound. Even the locals avoid driving then.

The real issue, given your inexperience with snowy roads, is getting there. Years ago, I movedâ€”pulling a trailerâ€”from Dallas to Seattle in early December. The roughest part of trip were the snow and blizzard conditions from Kansas through Wyoming. I avoided the risks of the Cascade mountain passes by taking I-84, which follows the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. From Portland, it's an easy drive north on I-5 to Seattle.

A winter drive from Chicago to Seattle has its risks. If you don't like those, you might want to ship your car. But you'll probably be fine if you simply check the weather and not leave when the predictions are for snow. In my case, there was a major storm sweeping in from Canada. I left Dallas in the early evening and drove that night until I reached Kansas, where I figured, correctly, they'd know how to plow their highways. In general, there's a catch-22 to driving cross-country in the winter. Taking a more northern route means more snow but you are going through states that know better how to handle snow.

Be prepared for trouble. Unless you know there's be no snow hazards, travel with chains. If you don't know how to install them, get a service station to help. Mountain passes often have pull-over areas for installing chains. Play helpless neophyte and see if someone will help you.

For the long, empty stretches, don't let your gas gage get below half-full. And in case you get stranded, carry some food, water and sleeping bag or blankets. I had a tire on my trailer blow out late at night on the worst portion of my trip, a high-wind area of Wyoming. No big deal. I simply curled up in the backseat in 20 degree weather, my car shuddering in the 40-knot wind gusts. The next morning, I unhitched my trailer, drove back into the nearest town, and got a replacement tire. I figured no one was going to get out in that dreadful weather to rob my trailer while I was gone.

Oh, and with any traveling, remember that local knowledge beats GPS gadgets. Ask those who live in an area if driving on in current weather conditions makes sense. If it doesn't, stop for a day or two. As another poster has noted, leave with plenty of time to spare. That way you won't be tempted to drive on when you shouldn't.

Good luck with your move. I hope you enjoy Seattle. I moved away in 2012, but still miss the city's marvelously cool but sunny days in July and August, when the rest of the country swelters.

Lnr567 · Jul 21, 2015

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice! I have a lot to think about.

lindarn · Jul 21, 2015

There are gas stations in Ritzville,(60 miles from Spokane), Moses Lake, (100 miles past Spokane), Ellensburg, 200 miles from Spokane. There are also convenience stores there, fast food restaurants, etc. You should be OK. Now, that it is summer, they are doing all of their construction projects, with delays. Plan accordingly.

If you want to know, why I know all of the Pit stops, between Spokane and Seattle, I was reservist at McChord AFB for many years, and had to drive, 12 months a year, for reserve weekend.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN (ret)

Somewhere in the PACNW