Going through Colorado in March

[Juniorz]

70 degrees sunday and snow and 26 on monday. Just be prepared.

[67L48]

Bad News: March is literally the heaviest snowfall month in Colorado.
Good News: March is warm. That means that ground, roads, etc. are not necessarily still frozen.

As mentioned above, spring in CO is a schizophrenic mess. 75 and sunny on Saturday and then 25 and snowing sideways on Sunday.

But, because it's been warmer since around mid-Feb, many of the surfaces are no longer frozen. That means that the snowfall is more likely to melt away than snowfall in December/January.

If it were me, I'd never plan a trip over I-70 in March or April, but I don't like towing up 6% grades in snow. Others may have no problems doing that.

But, you should absolutely expect snow. Whether or not it creates an icy mess is uncertain.

[ppine]

Be ready for snow, bring chains, warm clothes. etc.
If you are not towing it is a lot easier.
Many of the spring storms are short and thaw quickly.
Wait a day if you have to.

[Mike134]

Originally Posted by Juniorz

70 degrees sunday and snow and 26 on monday. Just be prepared.

I70 currently closed FYI


Like others have said watch the weather


https://www.cotrip.org/home.htm

[WHEELBURNS]

I live in western Colorado. Today, I-70 is closed in multiple locations for avalanche mitigation. February and March are the snowiest months of the year in the high country. At a minimum your camper would be covered in magnesium chloride after making that drive. It can snow as late as July and as early as June in the mountains.

Edit: I missed the part about not having the camper. One problem I haven't seen anyone else mention, is that that is a very busy section of interstate. Especially on weekends.

[Teetime]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I lived in CO for 10 years. I've shoveled deep snow in April and played golf in my shirt sleeves in January. Colorado doesn't follow any calendar.

Be prepared for ANYTHING. Snow, Hail (huge stuff), Wind (tornado's), Hot, Cold, you name it. It can happen at any time in CO.

Depending on the weather trends, the Chinook Winds can be a problem also.

A Big friend is the 10 day weather forecast and plan accordingly.

[Eidolon]

Mountain travel can be difficult in March. It is rare for it to be closed, but it can be slow. It all depends on if a storm comes through or not.


Avoid I 70 on weekends. Ski traffic can still be a misery.


You have a 4x4 so you should be fine with respect to the laws on that issue.


Traction Law

During winter storms, or when conditions require, CDOT will implement the Traction Law. During a Traction Law, all motorists are required to have EITHER:

1. 4WD or AWD vehicle and 3/16” tread depth
2. Tires with a mud and snow designation (M+S icon) and 3/16” tread depth
3. Winter tires (mountain-snowflake icon) and 3/16” tread depth
4. Tires with an all-weather rating by the manufacturer and 3/16” tread depth
5. Chains or an AutoSock®

Overall CDOT does a good job on I 70 but you are at altitude and you may be a bit slower than planned. A full tank, a check on the weather and road conditions and you'll be o.k.

[tyler811]

We have changed course and are heading for the Florida Keys

[HangDiver]

Originally Posted by tyler811

We have changed course and are heading for the Florida Keys

Not sure whats the greatest adventure: Snow in Colorado or traffic in Florida during winter (see my location).

[fanrgs]

I have lived in Colorado for 56 years, but now snowbird south of I-10. When we snowbird in southern AZ, we never take I-40. Why? Because Flagstaff is 7,000' above sea level, or 1500' higher than my house in Denver, and gets as much or more snow than we get. So, as others have said, I-40 is just as likely to have bad weather in March as I-70. That's probably the reason truckers tend to use I-10 more than I-40 in winter.

[MR.M]

Heading through Colorado in March is no big deal , stay away from travel on Fridays and Saturdays heading west and Sundays Heading east . drive according to weather . 4x4 no issues no chains required even with a good snow storm . I-70 can be treacherous but better then the back roads . Better snow removal on I-70 . From Floyd Hill to Avon will be the worst 150 miles if a snow storm is going on . Glenwood Canyon can have issues from time to time and avalanche's can happen anytime along I-70 in certain areas . be Careful of rock slides around George Town and IN Glenwood Canyon . 90% of the time you're good to go but watch the weather . nothing like sitting in traffic in a storm for hours or dealing with a hwy closure . good luck and safe travels . I used to drive for Colorado Mountain Express back in the 90's every night after my dy job i would hop in a 2 wheel drive van and head to Stapleton to pick up skiers . been through many a snowstorm on the i-70 route never stuck never had closed roads . but back then and before all the people that don't know how to drive in the snow it was easy . Road clearing now is way better now back then the hwys were snow packed from NOV till April now with the calcium chloride they spray on the hwys they stay pretty clear except when a bad snow is going on . They used to just use cinders on the roads so broken wind shields were common .

[mharrel]

P.S. We don't believe in guardrails in CO. If you're dumb enough to go over the cliff, so be it. This is NOT your route, admittedly, but this IS a major highway in CO with lots of truck and RV traffic. It's the million dollar highway. https://i1.wp.com/wp-denverite.s3.am...40%2C419&ssl=1

My son lives in Silverton so I know 550 well, both north to Ouray and south to Durango. On the Million Dollar Hwy [north], not only do they not have guard rails, they don't have snow poles. That can make it tricky in a blowing snow storm. I guess they figure that if you have rocks on one side and nothing on the other, that's where the road is. Last winter a local went off. They sent drones down into the canyon looking for the car. They finally found him but I think they left him there until spring.

[Crusader 340]

I agree with all the post, watch the weather, have good tires, extra clothes, food, ect. Several have mentioned chains, I have a 2500 Ram 4 wheel drive and I carry chains just in case. They are not that expensive and give me piece of mind and have had mine on only 1 time. I live in Indiana and travel to Breckenridge Colorado often on I-80 & I-70 thru Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado & can run into bad weather anytime during winter, just be prepared. Safe Travels

[jdowen]

If you aren’t taking your TT, I would buy an airline ticket....