Traveling southwest in the Winter

[MichRX7]

Hello all,

My wife and I are new (used) owners of a Georgetown 351ds and were thinking of getting out of Michigan in the winter. I would like to spend Christmas in FL with my parents and then head off on a grand adventure to arrive in Anaheim for our grandkids spring break (and get them out of Michigan as well).

I have sort of looked at weather along our route and even if places do drop below freezing it looks like they are all well above during the day. My biggest concern is crossing through eastern California and the mountains there.

Our current planning would have us leave Florida in mid-January and get on I-10 stopping near Pensacola, San Antonio, Roswell, NM (have to, lol), Phoenix, AZ and on to Anaheim. My thinking was to take I-8 from AZ to CA as it is further south, but still leaves us crossing the Cuyamaca Mountains in early/mid-March. Then drive up from San Diego to Anaheim.

If you have done this journey, how was crossing the mountains? Anything you recommend seeing?

Loving our Georgetown so far (even with having to fix things) and I can't wait to share with my wife all these places my parents took my family as kids in our Airstream back in the day.

Thank you!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by MichRX7

Hello all,

My wife and I are new (used) owners of a Georgetown 351ds and were thinking of getting out of Michigan in the winter. I would like to spend Christmas in FL with my parents and then head off on a grand adventure to arrive in Anaheim for our grandkids spring break (and get them out of Michigan as well).

I have sort of looked at weather along our route and even if places do drop below freezing it looks like they are all well above during the day. My biggest concern is crossing through eastern California and the mountains there.

Our current planning would have us leave Florida in mid-January and get on I-10 stopping near Pensacola, San Antonio, Roswell, NM (have to, lol), Phoenix, AZ and on to Anaheim. My thinking was to take I-8 from AZ to CA as it is further south, but still leaves us crossing the Cuyamaca Mountains in early/mid-March. Then drive up from San Diego to Anaheim.

If you have done this journey, how was crossing the mountains? Anything you recommend seeing?

Loving our Georgetown so far (even with having to fix things) and I can't wait to share with my wife all these places my parents took my family as kids in our Airstream back in the day.

Thank you!

I doubt you'll run into any serious freezing weather on I-8. Depending on the month you might see some cooler weather in Roswell but their average low of 41 degrees shouldn't be an issue.

For actual driving, I like the "Drive Weather App".

https://driveweatherapp.com/

Can show up to a week of weather forecast, by the hour, along your route.

I found it very useful to thread my way through bad weather on I-5 the last time I drove South. By using the slide bar at the bottom of the app's screen I was able to find the best time to leave my last stop to avoid snow on the Siskiyou Summit. Snowed before, snowed after (closing road) but was just bare and wet when I passed over it.

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Forest River Lifestyle section to the On the Road/Travel Chat section's Western USA sub-forum.

[MichRX7]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I doubt you'll run into any serious freezing weather on I-8. Depending on the month you might see some cooler weather in Roswell but their average low of 41 degrees shouldn't be an issue.

For actual driving, I like the "Drive Weather App".

https://driveweatherapp.com/

WOW! Thank you for sharing your experience and the app. Now downloading in 3..2..1..

[sherman12]

I used the app also during our two-month cross-country trip in the Summer of '22. Excellent app.

[CHICKDOE]

from phoenix to anaheim why not just stay on i-10? you'll be in the desert most of the way where there are lots of snowbirds for the winter (quartzsite, indio, palm springs). no major mountains on this route.

[sherman12]

Anytime you can avoid mountains, or high cross-wind areas you win.

[ppine]

Southern AZ is has easy winters. It should be no problem. The hard part is getting to the southern part of the US. Timing is everything. Be willing to wait a day or two and it is not that hard.