Smart to buy some chains ! Most of the time when you need chains it is to get over a pass. I have seen plenty of time where someone spins out half way up the pass with no chains then everyone has to stop because of it. That's when chains are nice to have so you can get traction and get going again. Going cross country in the middle of winter makes for a better story to tell everyone later !! I 've traveled I10 to California to many time to remember and just about all of them the roads from El Paso to LA were dry and dusty. Sun is shinning in southern NM today. Good luck.