jowettw

just wondering if i will need winter tires if i plan to drive down through Washington and Oregon via I-5 in early January?

will weather include snow and ice?

Thanks!

Cam

iTrader: (1)

only if we get a freak snow storm

dmp

How far into oregon are you going? The Siskiyou Pass can get quite snowy...

jowettw

was actually hoping to get into california and beyond if time permits - i only managed to get a few days off from work and school and wanted to see how far i could get!

jsh1120

DMP is right. The Siskiyou pass is your major obstacle. On the other hand, If the weather isn't bad over the Cascades, you'd probably have a more enjoyable drive traversing east and west at several points in Washington State and Oregon. And for scenery, 101 along the Oregon Coast is far more enjoyable, though much slower, than the I-5 drone-along route. Then there's the Olympic Peninsula

(Just be sure to bring your galoshes, or as you may call them, your "rubbers.")

jowettw

cool. thanks for the tips! i guess scenic is better as this is meant as a de-stresser vacation!

would it be safe to assume that i would have little chance of running into snow/ice if i travelled east/west in Oregon?

93rdcurrent

You got it but you still need to watch the weather reports because periodically they will get some freezing rain. But along the coastal route you are much less likely to run into it. Oh and it's more beautiful.

dmp

If you get some time around tacoma/puyallup and wanna grab a bite, drop a PM to me, and I'll get you my phone number.

jsh1120

Only the current weather reports can tell you for sure. There are routes over the Cascades that are closed for the winter, but to my knowledge, that's not the case in Oregon. The Columbia Gorge is a beautiful drive, though heavily traveled, and you can follow each side of the river east and west. (The Washington side is much less traveled.)

As someone else noted, freezing rain/ice storms are more a problem in Oregon than heavy snows on the passes, though there is some risk of the latter. In any event, if your plans have to be altered because of weather, there are numerous alternatives available all along the way.


All in all, you can find some beautiful roads, even in the winter, in both Washington and Oregon. Just need to be prepared for unexpected storms.

Have a great vacation.

And as DMP said, if you're in the Puget Sound area and would like to share a cup of coffee with a fellow RX-8'er, PM me, as well.

jsh1120

By the way, lest these posts give you a false sense of security, I would opt for at least all season tires if not winter tires on your vacation. Chances of really bad weather are not that high, but even moderately mucky weather can be less than enjoyable on high performance summer tires.

Emsdad

Well I'm gonna modify this and say that I am driving UP to Canada. The family is going up to Vancouver to visit the mother-in-law...wish me luck!

jowettw

thanks for the tips and advice!

not sure when i'll be where as i just plan to drive where the road takes me. sorry for ditching the invitations!