Grants Pass decision

Sometimes you just can't get from A to B. One year Portland roads were closed for 2+ days due to ice and we also had ice in Harrisburg, OR (Monaco service). They didn't report on 101 but that storm was wide spread.

Just for what it's worth, we've had more issues on I-5 in the Grants Pass, Siskiyous area with freezing fog and plain old fog than we have with snow. The fog will lay in bands depending on elevations and temperatures. You'll be cruising along with blue sky, and then drive into a wall of fog.

Take your time and you'll be fine. I much prefer I-5 to 101 if I'm just trying to get north or south. 101 is much more scenic.

I5, spend the night at Seven Feathers and continue South when morning road reports are OK.

Here is a wild idea -- if you are coming from Washington, cut over from the 5 in Northern Oregon to 26 to 97, down through Klamath Falls, and then to Alturas and south on 395! We prefer this to 5 through the Siskyous and the Central Valley of California -- much flatter, better scenery, less traffic, much better road surface (smooth asphalt, instead of a bumpy concrete freeway). Plus you get to see the Eastern Sierra.

Having said that, I have never taken that route in really snowy weather while towing, so I am not sure it is safe. I have towed on that route several times, with no problems. And I have driven it without towing in the winter.

US26 past Government Camp gets more snow than Siskyous Pass (3600ft), though not necessarily from the same storm. And if a storm is dumping snow on the Siskyous, it probably is also snowing along the southern part of US97. US97 for much of its length is 4000', higher than Siskyous Pass. In fact is it higher than Government Camp.

In the current storm, they are predicting light snow and ice in Portland, several days of snow at Government Camp, and rain in the Siskyous (and dry and cold in Seattle).

amandasgramma wrote:
Actually, if you're going over the mountains, check Tripcheck the NIGHT before you leave. :) If a storm is coming in, hold off. We'll be doing the same thing. We'll be in the Roseburg area and leaving about the 2nd week of Dec. We're thinking we'll head back to 97 thru Eugene (hwy 58). It's a route we're very comfortable with. Then we'll head down to Lakeview, and then on down to Winnemucca.....that route has few mountains (less snow). We came back the first of February thru that route. :)

As for RV parks......ANY of the routes will have RV parks available. :)

You have me curious about taking Hwy 58. We will be in Eugene about the 25th of Nov heading south on the I5 on the way to Quartzsite. Are you saying that you don't have any high passes that have snow on Hwy 58? We sure would like to miss going through Sacramento and Stockton.

If you have an iPhone The weather Channel app has current moving radar screen as well as current to two days out hourly weather temps and possible rain/snow forcast percentages. Use ours a lot for weather forcasts when we travel,

Siskiyou Pass is 4303'

cpaulsen wrote:
Siskiyou Pass is 4303'

I missed that spot on my maps scan. The current tripcheck photos show a dry road at the pass.

Also from Tripcheck, US97 on the CA border is 4200ft and dry, at the junction with 138 (to Crater Lake), 4600ft and snow. 4200ft and snow around LaPine. With the current widespread cold, snow is more a function of onshore moist air flow than cold. Thus even US26 at Warm Springs 2500ft has snow.