Weather in May along I-10

[lanerd]

Friends and I are planning a trip from Southern California to New Orleans (Nawlins) in May. Our group will consist of two large DP motor homes (with toads) and a smaller gas motor home.

We are concerned that typically May is the start of tornado season, but we are unaware if the route we want to take (I-10) is susceptible to tornadoes or other storms that could be dangerous.

Also, should we avoid any of the large cities (Phoenix, El Paso, Houston) and if so, does anyone have some alternate routes around them?

Any and all info will be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

Ron

[SCVJeff]

wanderingbob wrote:
If I lived on the San Andrea's fault I would not worry about the weather .

Since he's driving 1500 miles east of the fault why would he care?
BTW- Ridgecrest is nowhere near the San Andreas fault. Check ur facts

[bikendan]

wanderingbob wrote:
If I lived on the San Andrea's fault I would not worry about the weather .

let's compare how many people have been killed by weather in the Midwest, versus those killed by earthquakes in California.:R

i would rather deal with a rare earthquake, than months and years of continuous tornadoes, hurricanes, major floods, storm surges and ice storms.
but to each their own.

[wanderingbob]

If I lived on the San Andrea's fault I would not worry about the weather .

[SCVJeff]

And then... The Gorilla in the room: Houston Traffic....

[parkmanaa]

While not unheard of, tornadoes in the Houston area are extremely uncommon.
If tornadoes are your biggest concern, don't know of a safer route to Nawlins than via I-10.

[prichardson]

If weather is your worry; you would more likely be affected along I-40 than I-10. That being said heavy weather can happen anywhere. As for cities on I-10 the best route is straight thru at other than rush hour.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Buy a weather radio or have weather alerts on your cell phone by your location. We look at the weather a week ahead www.weather.com and look for severe weather forecast. We either wait until the storms pass, try to get ahead of the storms or change our route. Severe storms usually move from the southwest toward the northeast (not always but mostly). Knowing that is important. Keep an Atlas handy and know where you are (what county). The severe weather alert will be for the county and then name the cities that will be affected. If you are in a campground, find out where the best shelter is and don't try to ride out a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning in your RV! Know the difference between a watch and a warning. Also math helps when you are calculating miles and distance for both the tornado and your speed and direction. That's why we needed to learn the stupid math problem about the trains! LOL. During our travels we have only had to evacuate the RV 4x. Once in Florida, twice in MO and once in IL. None in TX or OK. Just be aware and have a plan.

[lanerd]

Thanks to all.... really appreciate it. After further research, we may be taking I-40 most of the way. I'm sure we'll finalize our route the closer we get to departure date (May 10).

Ron

[Houston_Remodel]

FWIW, the 70 or 75 mph speed limit is really a suggestion. In West Texas its 80. We love burning fossil fuels.

If you keep your rig at 65 or so, don't be surprised when folks fly by.They will be polite about it.

[BB_TX]

There is an average of 80 tornado deaths each year in the entire US. Unlike hurricanes, tornados strike very small areas. I have lived all my 70 years in the southern end of "tornado alley", have only seen 3 from a distance, and our house was damaged by one in 1947.

There are between 30,000 and 35,000 auto accident deaths per year. And you are going to be covering a lot of highway miles.

Put those numbers in perspective. Be safe on the road, don't worry, and enjoy your trip.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

San Antonio - I find I-10 through SA to be an easy drive as long as I miss rush hour. Alternatives such at TX-46 from Boerne through New Braunfels to Sequin adds at least an hour normal driving in my experience with at least 10, maybe 15, stops at red lights. However, that route is preferable to rush hour in San Antonio. Some use Loop-1640 across the north part of San Antonio, and down to I-10.

I-10 Exit 540 in Boerne -> thru San Antonio -> I-10 Exit 610 at Sequin is 70 miles

I-10 Exit 540 in Boerne -> L-1640 -> I-10 Exit 610 at Sequin is 65 miles

I-10 Exit 540 in Boerne -> TX-46 thru New Braunfels -> I-10 Exit 610 at Sequin is 59 miles

Houston - same basic thing - straight thru is pretty easy as long as you avoid rush hour. Taking Beltway 8 (Toll on some parts) or I-610 around downtown doesn't really avoid any traffic. You really can't miss Houston without north at least as far as Conroe. Have to get off I-10 near Columbus and go north to near Navasota over to Conroe to Cleveland to Beaumont.

Weather - Tornados are not really a concern that far south. It takes the stronger weather changes north about Waco, Dallas and such to build the really strong tornado lines.

However they are a possibility anywhere any time of year. Have a system to check the forecast each day, and the flexibility to sit for a day or three if weather is bad.

Make sure you know which counties you are in/ passing through and listen to weather radio for watches and warnings. Remember a Watch means conditions are possible for severe weather to form, and a Warning is that severe weather is in the area.

More likely will be thunderstorms, winds off the Gulf of Mexico and heavy rain.

Today we are sitting in Livingston Texas, about an hour north of Houston, with heavy rain. So heavy that we are not going to head toward Texarkana until Sunday. Had planned to go today - but too much rain, too much flooding - and I really hate driving/ towing in rains so heavy it is hard to see 100 feet in front of my rig while driving.

[Jim-Linda]

Trying to totally avoid the prospect of bad weather is like trying to avoid "climate change". Make your trip, plan on travel in the large cities from 10am to 2am and you should be fine.

Jim

[the_bear_II]

Yes there is always a chance of bad weather along any route from the west to east or east to west. The interstates are pretty safe even in bad weather and as long as you pay attention to the severe weather broadcasts so you can avoid possible problem areas.

Tornado and heavy rain storms are usually short lived so if there is a warning for the area you will be traveling stop somewhere safe and wait it out if you can't get ahead of the storm.

Most large cities have circular routes around the city so you can avoid going through the main part of the city. For example El Paso HWY 375 bypasses the city and gets you back to I-10 east of the city. However if you hit the city at the right time of day or day of the week when traffic is less then straight through works. Avoid normal commute times and you will be OK.