Winter route from MT to Florida

[realityrv]

Would appreciate any help on our winter travel from Kalispell MT (Northwest area) to South Miami (Coral Gables), Spouse and 2 dogs. Can't leave till January 5th. I know the weather plays in to this scenario, but what would be the best route(s) to take? Have to have specialized surgery and need to arrive by January 24th. Will be down down there several months, so coming back will be easier weather wise. trailer is all winterized.

Thank you.
Tom

[OTRA15]

Tough time of year for this route, and tough to call this far in advance, but my inclination would be to get south as quickly as possible to Salt Lake City, then either Phoenix (I-10 east) or Albuquerque (I-40 east) if the weather lets you work your way east as you leave SLC. I would pass on taking I-70 to Denver.

As the weather systems move in from the Pacific, staying west of the Rockies should help minimize travel in blizzard conditions, but the weather will govern all decisions obviously.

No chance of flying down and renting housing? Your time window is do-able if the weather cooperates, but may be tough if not. Hope you have some exit strategies if delays arise. Good luck!

[Mrjkq]

You have a weather challenge there. I would find the most direct route south to I-20 & head east from their. Getting into a non freezing temperature should be the priority.

[realityrv]

That is very helpful.
Thank you.

Tom E.

[realityrv]

Joe,
Thank you.

Tom E.

[Evelyn Hill]

Go as straight south as you can...

[Trailer]

A plane...

[B00merang]

I want to back up what OTRA15 told you...do NOT take I-70 into Denver and further east. The long climb outside Vail will make you regret taking that route, as will traffic in Denver. Like the others said, head south on I-15 through SLC, then east on I-20 or I-10. Also...as one who usually makes it hard on himself (and pulls Daisy twice a year to Florida from Idaho), given your firm time constraints, why are you not just flying down there, get the procedure over with, andd then take your time. in any case, safe travels. jon

[idroba]

I would fully agree with boomerang on the route. Get you South, ASAP.

[tjdonahoe]

Take 90 across SD, then over to Omaha, then south and east, good running all the way...

[realityrv]

Flying would of been our first choice, but I have to have specialized rehabilitation for a couple months after surgery. Plus the expense of staying either in a VRBO or motel for that long is very expensive. Just finding campgrounds to stay at was difficult. (snowbird season) Lucky I booked those early.

Thank you for your response.

[GatorDave]

I 40 in Oklahoma is very rough, in Arkansas nice road. I 65 through Birmingham is much better than I 75 through atlanta. US 27 in Ga is nice divided highway, US 19 in Fla is same. take Fla turn pike at Ocala to avoid tampa. Enjoy the ride

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by realityrv

Flying would of been our first choice, but I have to have specialized rehabilitation for a couple months after surgery. Plus the expense of staying either in a VRBO or motel for that long is very expensive. Just finding campgrounds to stay at was difficult. (snowbird season) Lucky I booked those early.

Thank you for your response.

Bests wishes for a successful procedure and rehab, Tom. I have been through a lot in the last year health-wise, so I can appreciate, and respect, the approach you are taking.

Monitoring the weather carefully will be crucial. If you want to set up a new thread here, I would be happy to track things as you get close to leaving, as would others I imagine. [or just keep this one going would be fine IMO]

Here is a live shot of the weather radar for Utah, for instance:

Utah Doppler Weather Radar Map - AccuWeather.com

You can zoom out or in, and navigate to other states to watch the actual weather and precipitation, as they take place in real-time. There are lots of other online resources available, and helping friends and family plan out trips like this is something I enjoy doing, and which can be very helpful, I have been told. I imagine many other posters here have similar or better meteorogical experience.

As a general overview, check this monthly forecast for Salt Lake City for January.

Salt Lake City January Weather 2016 - AccuWeather Forecast for UT 84111

The projected high and low daily temps. are fairly accurate I have found, and the line graphs at the bottom (will not show in some browsers/devices) do a pretty fair job of tracking how the actual highs/lows compare to the historical norms. On the east coast, our weather has been way warmer than average, and the line charts for here started predicting this trend months ago.

Your can see a monthly overview for any city in the US along your route via the menus etc. at the top of the page.

May your holidays be joyous and your new year happy, and may fair winds follow you to Florida!

Please let us know how we can help.

Peace on Earth . . .

Cheers,

Peter

[StreamDog]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Tough time of year for this route, and tough to call this far in advance, but my inclination would be to get south as quickly as possible to Salt Lake City, then either Phoenix (I-10 east) or Albuquerque (I-40 east)...

Concur. We live in Kila and traveled from here to St. Augustine last February. Suggestion: Carry chains for the TV [B]and[B] the camper. Chaining the camper will come in handy if you are forced to come down a snowy/icy pass.

Hope you have successful surgery.

[mrg1960]

Wow! Chains on th AS? I would love to hear more about that StreamDog. I have only heard no's about it. Thanks! We are heading to LA in January. First to Michigan then as far down as poss and across. Should be lively! Best of luck Reslityrv. Will follow your posts! Safe travels

[realityrv]

I just want to thank all of the fellow
airstreamers whom have given me great advice. (As usual)

Tom from Montana

[StrmyWeather]

I had to chuckle when I read the "head south to SLC" advice. My brother just moved there and sent us a photo of him shoveling the walkway...

[dwightdi]

If the weather holds in the plains, I would take the Expressway going east of the Rockies and then 24 to Nashville, then Birmingham south to I 10 and then east to 75, south to the Florida Expressway at Ocala. It is pretty straight from there to Miami.

[A W Warn]

Make a reservation before you leave, to be sure you have a place to park. Most Florida campgrounds and RV parks are usually pretty full in mid winter. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find a place.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

Make a reservation before you leave, to be sure you have a place to park. Most Florida campgrounds and RV parks are usually pretty full in mid winter. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find a place.

In Post No. 11 he indicates that reservations have been made.