Denver to Utah in January ??

Kidoo wrote:
I read the rules about chains. Is it mandatory that you have them with you when going over the pass if the road is dry?

No. You only have to have and use them when chain law is in effect.

RV Ranch in Clifton (abuts Grand Junction) is open year round.
RV RANCH

Thunder Mountain wrote:
As 35 year resident of Colorado and many year veteran of the I70 winter wars, I can speak with some confidence. You have a significant chance of being delayed that time of year by weather. Here are some tips:

1)Avoid the weekend ski traffic going west bound out of Denver on Friday evening and Saturday morning and east bound out of the mountains on Sunday afternoon. If you don't follow this piece of advice, you will regret it. Picture rush hour in the mountains during the winter, add some snow and a few jackknifed semis, below zero temperatures, and traffic at a standstill for hours.

2)Plan your trip to go through Vail Pass/Eisenhower Tunnel during the late morning or early afternoon hours.

3)Be sure to watch the conditions east of the Denver area. Often the eastern plains are far worse than the mountains due to blizzards.

4)We personally stop in the Fruita/Grand Junction area when headed east bound. You can access the weather and road conditions before heading out and hit the mountains at my suggested times. I'm sure others can suggest timing from the east headed west.

5)Don't get in a hurry and just be prepared to stop for 24 hours. Being from Quebec you don't need winter RV advice. Interstate closures are usually only for a few hours but can last 24 hours or better upon occasion.

6)The most reliable road conditions including real time cameras can be found at
Colorado Department of Transportation. The local Denver television media tend to get a bit hysterical when it comes to winter storms and are not always the best source of information. Channel 4 is probably the most reliable. AM radio stations 630, 760 and 850 offer road condition updates a couple times an hour.

7) Some may suggest dropping down to I40. That will sometimes work depending on the storm path. But it can be a real bugger in its own right in New Mexico and Arizona.

That's it!

We have wintered in Golden and traveled back and forth to Utah on I-70 in all the months of the winter and as long as you are not on a hard schedule you should enjoy the drive. Just remember to wash the underside of the Coach, when you get out of the weather, in the south, so as to prevent salt damage.

Colorado and Utah are Beautiful when they have a coat of white to contrast the Red Rocks.

BOL,

I read the rules about chains. Is it mandatory that you have them with you when going over the pass if the road is dry?

Thanks all for your advices. I never though of a traffic jam in CO montains! But I realize it is the same as in Montreal when people go to the ski area like Mont Tremblant, there is a huge traffic Jam on friday night out and same on sunday night comming back in town, and comming back from USA after a long weekend is like 1 to 3 hours waiting at the border!

I will travel during the week, I do not mind if I have to stay a few days waiting for the weather but I really want to see CO in the winter. I will probably go snowmobile in a few years.

As 35 year resident of Colorado and many year veteran of the I70 winter wars, I can speak with some confidence. You have a significant chance of being delayed that time of year by weather. Here are some tips:

1)Avoid the weekend ski traffic going west bound out of Denver on Friday evening and Saturday morning and east bound out of the mountains on Sunday afternoon. If you don't follow this piece of advice, you will regret it. Picture rush hour in the mountains during the winter, add some snow and a few jackknifed semis, below zero temperatures, and traffic at a standstill for hours.

2)Plan your trip to go through Vail Pass/Eisenhower Tunnel during the late morning or early afternoon hours.

3)Be sure to watch the conditions east of the Denver area. Often the eastern plains are far worse than the mountains due to blizzards.

4)We personally stop in the Fruita/Grand Junction area when headed east bound. You can access the weather and road conditions before heading out and hit the mountains at my suggested times. I'm sure others can suggest timing from the east headed west.

5)Don't get in a hurry and just be prepared to stop for 24 hours. Being from Quebec you don't need winter RV advice. Interstate closures are usually only for a few hours but can last 24 hours or better upon occasion.

6)The most reliable road conditions including real time cameras can be found at
Colorado Department of Transportation. The local Denver television media tend to get a bit hysterical when it comes to winter storms and are not always the best source of information. Channel 4 is probably the most reliable. AM radio stations 630, 760 and 850 offer road condition updates a couple times an hour.

7) Some may suggest dropping down to I40. That will sometimes work depending on the storm path. But it can be a real bugger in its own right in New Mexico and Arizona.

We live in Golden, CO and leave when it gets cold. I'm not much for traveling in the MH when there is possible snow or ice. I use I-25 in the winter, not interested in going over the passes on I-70. Been there done that! I guess you can call us snowbirds now!

There is a State Park in Rifle that is open all winter, and I think several State Parks in Grand Junction(Island Acres and Fruita) may be open for camping all winter. Check on their web sites.
As far as weather goes, I was in a snow storm in May going over Eisenhower and Vail. In Sept it was bright and sunny over the passes, and sleet/snow in Denver. Expect any/all weather between Denver and Grand Junction.

I'd just pick whenever I'd decide to just go. I'd watch a 7 day forecast for all areas and hope for the best. Denver CO is probably not going to need chains.

Like others have posted, the best thing is to always call ahead to find out what the weather is like in the area you will be traveling through. I have hunted elk and deer in both states in October and November and I have seen four feet of snow on those months. So in January you are very likely to get some snow and yes you will need snow chains if the weather is bad.

Like others said you can have about any kind of weather you can imagine. Have a friend that "camped" in rest area on I-25 in NM for two or three days a number of years ago. The length of time is unusual but I-25 winter time closures in NM is not.