Which route to take driving from Seattle to Boston?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 8 Aug, 2023
- |
In the Rocky Mountain and Plains states, it is possible to have heavy snowstorms in March. It’s also possible to have very warm, late spring-like weather. What’s more, the weather can change dramatically over just a few days. You will need to keep an eye on weather forecasts as your planned departure date approaches, to learn where it is likely to snow and how heavily.
While you could run into a snowstorm, in most of these places the highways will be cleared within a few hours of the snowstorm ending, and may even be somewhat passable during the storm. If you have a day or so of leeway in your trip, you should be fine even if you are forced to stop for a bad snowstorm.
Going to a more southerly route isn’t likely to help quite as much, though it can, depending again on exactly what the weather pattern is on the day.
You would be best served by having snow chains in your car and knowing how to install them and drive with them. It’s entirely possible you’ll need these within half an hour after leaving Seattle! When there is a significant amount of snow on the roads in mountainous areas, you’ll be required to use them, and the interstates have areas set aside where you can pull off the road to put them on.
There are a few major routes through the Rockies that you may end up using:
- I-90 from Seattle to I-94 in Montana through Minneapolis
- I-90 from Seattle all the way to Wisconsin (this route passes near Mount Rushmore)
- I-90 to I-82 in Yakima (or I-5 to Portland!) to I-84 to I-80 in Utah to Chicagoland.
I suggest you plan to take the first of these, and depending on the weather forecasts, plan to possibly use another of the routes. But be aware that a storm may be large enough to affect all of them, and have your snow chains.
And remember to consider the possibility of snow on the east coast!
About your route: Be careful with Google Maps’ proposed routes. Its “fastest” route crosses through Canada, leading you through two very busy border crossings and their associated waits, each of which can be more than an hour on occasion. I don’t believe for a second that it will be the fastest route, and I’d recommend you ignore it. Going through Minneapolis and Chicago seems a better bet to me.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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