Cross country drives in winter?

I drove my Saleen from PDX to ATL last April. I would HIGHLY recommend you get the 3M Stonguard/Clear Bra/Clear Armor on your car (paint and lights)PRIOR to departure. If you hit bad weather (snow) there WILL BE gravel thrown at you. If it's windy across the Midwest, anything that's not nailed down is blowing south towards Texas at 40+mph. You can see the tumbleweeds blowing across the freeway from the fields north of you. It's like a video game as you can estimate your speed and trajectory along with theirs and you'll know which ones you'll miss and which ones will hit your front bumper, your door, or blow by behind you.
Make sure your tires have lotsa tread (check the inner two inches of the rear tires especially) and air them up to max.pressure. I personally opted for nitrogen in the new BFG g-Force KDW's I installed prior to departure as I thought the PSI would be more consistent (or at least less fluctuation) in colder temps.
I don't know how many miles are on your car, but have the services up to date. Have you replaced the coolant hoses under the plenum yet? If not, do so prior to departure. Take spare accessory belts with you and the 123350 bearing for the idler pulleys, and your preferred brand of radar detector.
As for routes, I would think the farther south you stay, the warmer the weather, but check TWC before you go. I had a great time on my trip (with my brother), averaged 90 MPH for three days (including one 21 hour stint) and got 21.09mpg doing it. Did two hours of 100-120mph on that particular tank too!!! When slowing to a (respectable?) 80, got 23mpg.
Get a compatible co-pilot and some music and have a great time!!
Brian

 

Dan, if you do this, be sure to let me know when you pull into ATL... Would love to buy you lunch or dinner or whatever...

 

I can't help you with the route, but it sure sounds like fun to me!

 

As the meteorologist of the group I will keep an eye out when this period comes into the 8-14 day horizon window, which is realistically as early as one can surmise what the general weather pattern will be over the US. Early indications for the winter are for a colder and snowier winter over the eastern part of the country. With that said, early November is usually snow free. But if there is big upper atmosphere trough coming into the western US, then where you cross the mountains will be affected..eg. Route 80 by Truckee and west of Denver can be very bad. If the trough is in the east and we have some early season cold outbreaks the Great Lakes lake-effect snow machine gets turns on and there could be a lot of snow in the lee of the lakes into favroed parts of Indiana, Ohip and Pennsylvania and upstate NY and the western facing slope of the Appalachians as far south as West Virginia. If the flow is upper atmosphere is basically west to east (what we call zonal) with no big troughs of low pressure aloft, the odds will favor a snow free crossing but it has to be watched. The weather over NA has trended toward extremes this past year and this winter should be no exception. PM me last next week if I forget to update.

 

Um, your car now has 31k on it.

 

Sounds like fun. In terms of routes, just make sure that you stay away from snow -of any depth. For those of us who have had the opportunity to drive the 550 in snow, our reaction can be summed up in one word: DON'T.
The Maranello is not a snow car. it's almost uncontrollable even with a dusting. Just too much torque and there are no winter tires made for the darn thing, at least I haven't been able to find them.

So if you're unlucky enough to run into snow somewhere in the mountains, I would pull off and wait for the plows and salt. Driving the 550 in snow is truly an experience that I would not want to have again.

Have fun and drive safely!

 

This is a GREAT question, I'm planning a trip to Cali in Jan, (not in a fcar though)and have been wonder the same thing.

How would be the best way to San Fran from the SE USA, the southern route or via denver or up farther through Utah ?

Can I easily get from Vegas to Tahoe in Jan ?

Good luck on your trip, sounds like fun !!

 

I got it broken. I just kept it prefectly broken.

 

Rich, you are true friend to be driving that pile around for Dan all fall. I bet you even washed it....

Dan, sounds like a great trip. At the worst, you could drive the southern route both ways and just have the east coast to deal with weather wise. I admire your pluck my friend. I guess your car will be about worthless by the time you return, my god, almost 40k. The shame....
Might as well just give it to Rich.

 

Dan:

South on 5 to 10 then across the country. Don't take 80 in the winter, unless you want a new car.

Art

 

John, I love you.!






Dan, you car is doing well, other then the dead battery, empty A/c and the broken sunvisor, that is STILL on backorder.....its all good..Oh, and that damn CEL.

 

De nada my friend.

Dan, I was going to put a smile symbol on my post so you were sure I was kidding about your car. Remember when you told my how to place the icons in a sentence, well its still eluding me. Ya know us hillbillies don't learn computer that good.

 

: ) minus the space =
: D minus the space =
; ) minus the space= you're flirting with me.
: ( minus the space = sad sad person

 

I once had to go from NYC to Seattle in early March. I took what was essentially the NYC-LA route (Pittsburgh, Indy, St. Louis, OK City, Albuquerque), then when I got to Barstow I headed to Bakersfield, picked up CA-99, and went north from there. The only snow I saw on the trip--and it was on the side of the road--was in northern Arizona!

The return trip was in late January and I took the loooong way around: down US-101 to SF and LA, across on I-10 thru Pensacola, then via Columbus to Atlanta, and I-85 and I-95 the rest of the way. It took awhile but I encountered no problematic weather.