Travelling E to W thru N AL, MS, AR, OK & TX in April/May

Thanks for all of the very good information!! We have an I Phone so I'll check out some of the weather apps that were mentioned and some of the alternate routes too.

Since its impossible to predict where the bad weather will be in the future. I would say unless you want to stop in a particular place, be flexible. Last year we were heading out west on I-10 and they were predicting an extended period of bad weather on our route. We were considering staying in Pensacola for a couple of days. We woke up to a window of opportunity and I decided we should get on the road. Later in the day, they were predicting the worse weather east of I-55. We found a nice park west of there and only got a light rain, while we watched huge storms build to the east. That day Pensacola got something like 20 inches of rain and I-10 was flooded and closed.
NWS is not always right though. On our way home, we were staying in Amarillo and went to bed under no watches. In the middle of the night we woke to the sound of hail hitting the camper and it was only then that we heard the sirens going off. We quickly turned on the local tv and a tornado was on the ground about 2 miles away, moving away from us. Not sure where we would have gone anyway. The park had no shelter.

If I may tag along on this thread, we'll be a making similar trip in late April. Flagstaff, AZ to Kansas City via Albuquerque, Amarillo and Wichita. We thought about heading up to Colorado Springs then riding I-70 into KC. Not sure I want to subject my wife and I to that boredom but if its a safer route..... Appreciate the info on the weather apps for the phone. Any suggestions?

X2 on weather radio. This is what we have.
Also when checking in at a campground ask them about shelters during a storm. Most will tell you the bathhouse but some might have other options.

padredw wrote:
Here is a way I would go: up to I-10 across to I-49 up to Shreveport and I-20. Up US 69 to Sherman, TX and US 82 to US 287 to Amarillo. From Amarillo up to Clayton, NM and on to Raton and I-25 N.

One variation is to turn north at Mobile and come up through Mississippi to Jackson and I-20.

We go west quite often, and do basically this route with the variation Mobile through Hattiesburg to I-20 at Jackson.
Also, we stay on I-20 to catch US 287 just south of Fort Worth.

Works for us with a 40 foot DP, towing.

Traveled all different times of year. Only problem was snow one time in the Texas panhandle.

Get a NOAA Weather Radio... The "automatic" kind that scans the different frequencies and locks onto the one nearest you. They will alert to severe weather and give you plenty of time to a) take cover or b) get the hell outta there!

I concur with what others have said here: Tornadoes are dangerous and damaging. However, they do require a certain amount of time and proper conditions to form. The Weather Service issues a watch if conditions are ripe and a warning only if a twister has been sighted. They usually (emphasis on "usually") travel from the southwest to the northeast. If you're in a Watch Area, you'd likely only have to drive 20 to 40 miles max to get out of it.

'Canes, OTOH, take DAYS to form and, eventually, plot their course. You have PLENTY of time to get out of the way of a hurricane. The Gulf States (FL, AL, MS, LA, TX) even have what is known as a "Contraflow Plan." That is, when a 'cane is threatening an area, the state govements enact their plan to reverse the Interstates — I.e., Southbound lanes become 3rd and 4th Northbound lanes for a pre-determined distance — so that more traffic/evacuees can have a way out of the danger zone(s). Nevertheless, the Emergency Managers all say: If you've waited until Contraflow is enacted, you've waited TOO LONG to get out! When I lived in Florida, it was interesting to watch the Dueling Weathermen on TV try their best to "win" the "Hurricane Lottery" by predicting what direction a storm would take... And which area they would make landfall! They met their match with Hurricane Ivan in '04.

Fair winds and following seas, Shugah!

I took that very route: Savannah to eventually Montrose CO, in early May a couple of years back. Spent very little time of it on the interstates. It was a great trip through the heart of rural America.

Weather was just great. Only storm was through Tupelo MS. Only a bit of roadside snow at the top of Monarch Pass.

I will also add that it is a good idea to check where the shelters are in the any RV park you use, not only in Oklahoma, but Tx/Ark/La/Tn/Miss/Ks/Mo also have their share of storms.

I've lived in Oklahoma since 1945. Here are a few things I think might help you during the stormy time of the year. There are a few good Iphone weather apps. One is WeatherBug. You can mark many different locations and check that location during the day. It also has fairly good radar capability. Check the radar frequently, it will show you when you are about to run into storms. One that I use is "Mesonet". This app is put out by the National Severe Storm Lab, located in Norman, Oklahoma. They know what they are doing. You can pick what city in Oklahoma you want to know about and it has radar also. It also list any storm or tornado warnings. We camp a lot and use State Parks that have stone or concrete restrooms. If the weather gets bad, get out of the RV!! We have spent parts, of several nights in the concrete shelters. Usually you will have storms start in Oklahoma in the early to late afternoon. They usually end by 10-12pm. It seems that Arkansas gets most of there storms later in the day and thru the night. Those are the most dangerous to me. If it's during the day, you can be aware and take cover. If you're asleep, its a different story. Weather forecasting has improved a lot over the years and usually the weather forecast start warning everyone about the possibility of tornadoes several days in advance. There are are several weather radios that are also set to your location. Hope this helps, if you have any questions, just ask.

padredw wrote:
Here is a way I would go: up to I-10 across to I-49 up to Shreveport and I-20. Up US 69 to Sherman, TX and US 82 to US 287 to Amarillo. From Amarillo up to Clayton, NM and on to Raton and I-25 N. to Walsenburg and US 160 W to Durango.

Now, I note that you mention N. Alabama and my route is across S. Alabama. Not sure if this is a destination way point for you. Also you mention Oklahoma, and my route is more direct across north Texas.

One variation is to turn north at Mobile and come up through Mississippi to Jackson and I-20.

None of this may fit your plans, but I can assure you that I have driven and towed every mile from Pensacola to Durango.

Let me know if I can answer any questions about this route.

This is a good route...