No matter which route she chooses she will face mountain passes and the possibility of snow and ice. She'll need to carry chains no matter which route she takes. I can't speak for other states, but in Washington (if she chooses a northern route using I-90) she will need to chain up even when snow tires are advised- that's required for vehicles over 10K GVWR. I would advise her to be flexible and monitor weather reports carefully to avoid having to drive over passes in the snow. But she may not have a choice.
2017 VW Golf Alltrack
2000 Ford F250 7.3
