Wyoming Winter Driving

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Wyoming Winter Driving Y’all it is not the funnest thing to do to drive on snow packed roads but it is one more of the have to dos to live here. I drive slow and get there when I get there (I do realize you are probably thinking…that doesn’t sound like me, but I do).

Wyoming Winter Driving
Wyoming Winter Driving

One of my very favorite things about Wyoming is the wide open spaces just about everywhere you look. One of my least favorite things about Wyoming is being out on the open road in those wide open spaces in the middle of winter. Hi, I’m Alisha Collins with RE/MAX The Group and the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team.

I’m exaggerating a little, there are worse things than a winter road in Wyoming, but sometimes the roads really are the worst. So how bad can it get? Ice covered highways with 70 miles per hour wind gusts, anyone? Even if winter feels like it lasts forever, it really doesn’t. And luckily the bad roads aren’t everywhere or all winter long. Of course, just as no year of weather is ever the same, no year of driving is exactly the same. There are some things that do occur every year, and yes, that includes the wind and snow and cold and ice on the roads. Let’s start with what it’s like to do your daily drive in the cities in the winter.

As weather throughout the state is fairly similar, just ranging in severity, I am assuming that winter driving in the larger cities is pretty close to driving in Casper. One major thing about winter driving in cities is that just like in real estate, location is key. At least in Casper, the main roads do get plowed on a regular basis. So driving through the busier parts of town is usually pretty easy after the plows have done their work that is.

The neighborhoods and side streets are a different story altogether. From what I can tell, depending on how heavy the snow is, the plows mainly focus on the major thoroughfares. And then if they have time, they go through some of the neighborhoods. I don’t know all of the routes, but as I do have to drive through a lot of those different neighborhoods to do my job every day, I know that some do get plowed and some definitely do not. If you live in one of the windier, hillier neighborhoods that don’t get the benefit of the plow, then you will most likely need at least very good tires and either a four wheel drive or all wheel drive to simply escape your hood.

Sometimes it isn’t the original snowfall that causes the problem, but rather the drifts that build up and harden with the wind. If you’re thinking, “Do I really have to have four wheel drive or all wheel drive?” My answer is no, you don’t have to, but I am sure glad that I have a four wheel drive. Good tires and front wheel drive will get you around most of the time around town. Since the average number of days with snow in winter varies widely across the state from 11 up to 90 days per year in some areas, your need for four wheel drive will definitely depend on where you live. In Casper for example, we have an average of 45 days where we get at least 0.1 inch of snow. So if you consider that winter is November through March, at the least, last year it went through April around 150 days. That means only a third of the winter days get any snow at all. So you would be fine without all wheel drive or four wheel drive for most of the year.

Now, as far as tires go, I would recommend either having good snow tires that you put on for the winter or some great all season tires that are good for snow and ice as well. Having good tires will help more than you can imagine. Okay, so in town driving is pretty okay, most of the time.

What about highway travel throughout the state? Well, that gets a little bit trickier. Again, it depends on where you want to go. The other day here in Casper, all of the routes into and out of town were still open. But according to Wyoming road conditions report, they were all rated “no unnecessary travel.” Sometimes that means the roads are truly terrible already, and you definitely shouldn’t drive on them unless you have to. And other times it means that the weather conditions are prime to create terrible roads at any minute. Not closed, but you need to seriously think before heading out on the highways for sure.

Sometimes roads do get closed due to extreme winter conditions, including icy roads and wind gusts and blowing snow, creating unsafe driving conditions. Usually closures only last a day or two until conditions improve, but sometimes they can last several days, The Department of Transportation will sometimes issue chain laws. The chain part applies to commercial vehicles, but for non-commercial vehicles, it means that you aren’t allowed on the roads without proper tires and all wheel or four wheel drive.

So back to the question, “Do I have to have an all wheel drive or four wheel drive?” Well, I guess it depends if you need to travel on our highways in the winter storms, then you might. As far as full closures go, from what I can find from last year, there were eight days that parts of I80 closed to all traffic and several days where it was closed to light and high profile vehicles only. Closures on I25 last year were a little less than on I80. So far this year, we have already had several road closures due to winter conditions. And I am betting that with the continued high winds, there is going to even be more this year.

If you plan on traveling in the winter in Wyoming checking road conditions before you go is a great idea. You can call 511, or go online. Making sure the roads are safe for travel and your vehicle is equipped for what winter driving in Wyoming can throw at you will keep not only you safe, but other drivers as well. Before you hit the road, make sure your tires are aired up, fluids topped off. You have a full tank of gas and have an emergency kit in your vehicle. Sometimes you will have to schedule your leaving times or driving times around the weather.

A week ago, the kids and I flew in to the Denver airport from Georgia. Our flight got in at midnight, and we chose to drive home. The roads between Cheyenne and Wheatland were horrible, with black ice and packed snow. We just had to drive much slower and in four wheel drive. But the next day the snow had started falling the entire route from Denver to Casper and all the roads were closed. We were super tired that day, but happy to be safe at home and not stuck somewhere.

If you’ve watched any of my videos about wind and weather in Wyoming, you know the weather here can be well, interesting. But I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. As a real estate agent, I work all year round, no matter the weather. And since people around here don’t let a little weather stop them from pretty much anything they want to do, including moving, I stay pretty busy even in the winter. So if you want to move to Wyoming, don’t let the time of year stop you. Give us a call. Remember we would love to help you. We have time for you, and we want you to love where you live.

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