I10 Fl. to Ca. in Dec.- Jan.

[Richard L]

Planning to spend a few weeks in Borrego Springs Ca. this December and returning mid January. Having never traveled that far west in the winter, what kind of weather can I expect on Interstate 10 west of Mississippi?
Thanks.

[formerFR]

nothing, bare wilderness : )

not much, as the elevation is low for I10 thru the southern U.S... unless you want to travel north into Flagstaff, etc.

During those similar months, Jan and Feb, we traveled from I10 north along the eastern Sierras in CA, well north of there, and ran into some wintry weather, at least temps, but then saw the 'All Vehicles MUST have Snow-Chains to continue...' sign in BISHOP, CA!

Decided to turn more easterly and remove ourselves from the 'wintry' equation - but, no, found ourselves in mid-Nevada, at TONOPAH, which was somewhat in elevation, and FULL of snow and ICE.... wow!
Tried to stay overnight at the local 'casino' parking lot RV park, but no, too icy to even enter the lot... called the other local campground and found that they were covered with a foot of snow, and you couldn't even 'see' the sites...
SO, looked up google maps, and found a GOOD route and city to travel to...
LAS VEGAS!!!

nice! No snow. Now money. No fun(lying!), but a great diversion from the snow!

Eventually, a week or so later, we arrived in Wakarusa, IN for our scheduled Thor Service Center appointment - SNOW and ICE EVERYWHERE....we could not even make out our own toad - it was covered in 6 inches of snow and ice! We slip-slided our way into the full-hookup lot and settled in for some 'cold' overnights!

We went SOUTH after that! : )


enjoy!

[upflying]

Some higher elevations in West Texas and New Mexico (the Continental Divide) might get a bit of ice and snow.
You should be fine...that's a major interstate highway and it's kept clear to keep commerce moving.

[A32Deuce]

I 10 through LA is the worst Interstate I have traveled on. Even beats I 80 through Pa.

[5er_tom]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

I 10 through LA is the worst Interstate I have traveled on. Even beats I 80 through Pa.

Totally agree. I will NEVER travel I-10 in LA again.

[GL1800Rider]

I agree. Unless it has changed, I-10 after you cross the swamp is terrible until you get into Texas. You can do it but better keep your speed down to the minimum allowable on the Interstate. It's been close to 10 years since I have traveled to Texas with an RV but everything hanging in the rear closets in the TT we had would be on the floor. Road thru Texas is pretty boring and if there is contruction going on in the cities they like to put the cement barriers right up to the edge of the road. White knuckle drive, especially if you have a semi next to you.

[5er_tom]

Again this year we will attend the Kerrville, TX and Gadsden, AL Frog rallies. I-10 is the best direct route, but no thank you. Did that last year and as stated earlier, never again. We will route through north TX, Arkansas and then Mississippi. We have the time and there is no sense intentionally routing down a very rough road and potentially causing harm to the RV.

[DrLewie]

We did that exact trip a few years ago. I don't think I 10 is any worse than the other major Interstates I've been on. Most are terrible. We had decent weather, except, and I've been told its a rare occurrence, we had 20's temps in Las Cruces and a little snow in Tucson.

[bob213]

I-10 from LA to Texas will beat you to death. A lot of construction in Texas when we traveled in June. Met one couple with new Class A that had their dash bounced off from the bad I-10 road. Wife had to hold it until they could duct tape it and make it to a repair facility. Avoid 10 if you can. 40 will put you at higher elevations thru OK,TX and NM so more chance of snow

[Igave]

We went Tucson to Orlando on I 10 late January/early February last year. You’ll be fine, but it worked best to give ourselves extra time/wiggle room in case of mishap or bad weather so we had flexibility. Very high winds several days were more of a bother than anything (other than Houston traffic).

[Pockets]

We did I10 from Panama City Bch mid Jan to Mar 2017 all the way to San Clemente. No issues, other then a flat tire in Texas (picked up a screw in the TV) and a 20m section in Louisiana that was washboard. I set the cruise for 60 and just let everyone pass me.

Stops on the way, New Orleans, Galveston Isl, San Antonio, Big Bend National Park with an overnight in Fort Stockton, Las Cruses, Buckeye, Joshua Tree National Park, and San Clemente State Park.

[CurtPutnam]

The OP is going to Borrego Springs. That area is about 100+ miles East from LA and is not far from the AZ / CA border.

January weather is highly variable and much depends on altitude which is how snow levels are reported. If there are are no storms, expect mild weather, overcast means colder and a full storm will mean rain (CA drivers panic in rain as of it were snow while some do not sufficiently respect the oil soaked road's slippery conditions.) During a storm, daily highs could be in the low 40s. Rarely do overnight lows slip below freezing at elevations <= 2500'.

Once, on Christmas Day, I went up to the mountains and played in the snow for a bit. Then I drove down and went to Hermosa Beach which a lot of people in bathing suits. The total trip, including playtime, took less than about 4 hrs (no traffic.) The point is that you can often pick your weather by altitude. Stay low and stay warmer.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by upflying

Some higher elevations in West Texas and New Mexico (the Continental Divide) might get a bit of ice and snow.
You should be fine...that's a major interstate highway and it's kept clear to keep commerce moving.

This /\ /\ /\

If bad weather hits it usually clears mid morning.

[Chuckinca]

I believe the highest elevation on I-10 is in West Texas about 40 miles east of El Paso.


Going west to east on I-10 in September we would get on the I-20 connection near Van Horn, TX and head south off I-20 at Jackson, MS and return to I-10 at Mobile. Avoided traffic on I-10 between San Antonio to NOLA.

[JimMorrell]

From December thru January, you may expect good weather, and you may expect really lousy weather. If pulling a trailer, I personally wouldn't take a chance from New Mexico west. In a car, no real problem. Chains could be required. Only Mother Nature knows.

[Jakieboy]

I-10 is bumpy, but usually clear of road construction during the winter months. Weather should not be a problem, even during Dec. Jan., but always check with local Highway Patrol offices for any developing weather issues. If your destination is Borrego Springs here in California, you will not have to traverse LA County on I-10. You can turn south several miles east of Palm Springs and drive on good highways into Anza Borrego.

You will find two excellent RV Parks in Borrego Springs. One of them, The Springs at Anza Borrego, even includes a nine-hole golf course surrounding the RV Park. We camp there often and really enjoy the quiet and solitude of the desert, and the star-gazing during the clear nights. Bring winter clothing for the cold nights.

[pmsherman]

I usually drive I-10 from Eastern NM to I-5 ( switching to CA210/I-210) in CA in late Dec or early Jan with a return trips in late Sep and late Jan. I've never encountered snow in seven years on this route. You might have a problem in NM if it's windy. There are sections of I-10 just W of Lordsburg that get closed due to zero visibility wind storms. If you get stuck in Lordsburg, you can wait out the windy condition or take the alternate route.


The alternate route means going one exit E on I-10 then S to NM 9. Take 9 W, with a little jog in Animas, until it ends at NM 80. Turn right (N) then go until you reach I-10 again, five miles from the AZ border. If you have mapping software, DO NOT TAKE the road S from Lordsburg to NM 9. This road is impassible for an RV and should only be traveled by a high clearance vehicle. I'd also recommend that it be a four wheel drive one. I made the mistake of taking that road in my Toyota Yaris toad a few years ago when I was in Lordsburg, I-10 was closed due to a windstorm, and I had to get back to my home base on the Western edge of NM.



Phil

[rhamilton]

Originally Posted by 5er_tom

Totally agree. I will NEVER travel I-10 in LA again.

He will not be going to LA on I-10. He will leave I-10 well east of Palm Springs.

[whj469]

I have been in Deming NM in December during a snow storm! Not even able to drive on IH 10. It is unpredictable but if you are traveling thru then the weather report should be good for a few days. Good Luck

[NMWildcat]

We travel I10 through TX, NM, and AZ, every month of the year. Winter is the best time for RVing in this part of the country!
Sure, it's always a possibility to run into weather, just like anywhere, but the chance is slim. Just keeping checking your weather reports, especially for wind.
Enjoy your trip!!!!!