I-5 from San Diego to Olympia WA

[Dr. Hexx]

I’ll be hauling my rig up Interstate 5 from San Diego to Olympia WA then 101 from Olympia to Port Angeles in December. I’ll take most of the month to get there as we’ll be driving only on Sundays and staying a week at various RV Parks since we work from home during the week.

I’m a Texas boy and have no idea what to expect on this trip.

1. How’s the drive both on I-5 and on 101? What can I expect road condition wise as well as any mountainous driving vis a vis, passes and grades.
2. What kind of weather can I expect in December on this drive. Rain? Snow? Is it even a feasible drive in December?

Thanks!!

 

[LuckyDuck]

I-5 is easy traveling (except for high-traffic metro areas) up to Olympia. (I’ll let someone with more experience chime in on Teton Pass and the Grapevine). You won’t hit mountains until you get to Redding, Ca, but there’s nothing crazy. Various grades from about the California-Oregon border to about Eugene. As for weather, December can be sunny and mild or stormy and snowy. It all depends on what’s coming through. It takes a pretty good storm to force chain restrictions on the passes near California-Oregon. It happens a couple of times a winter on average. Get a good weather app and bookmark the Caltrans Quickmap for all road conditions. Same for Oregon and Washington. I’ve only driven cars through Portland and Seattle, but wouldn’t want to tow a trailer through those during rush hours. I’d suggest timing it to avoid those periods if possible.

 

[ttavasc]

I would also consider getting a set of chains/cables for both your TV and your trailer in order to be in compliance with Washington/Oregon Chain Laws:

Washington -> https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses/tiresandchains
Oregon -> https://tripcheck.com/Pages/Chain-Law

As we travel with the trailer just about any time of the year I purchased a set that I keep in the truck and trailer full time. You can buy a set from Les Schwab and they will let you return them at the end of the winter season for full refund if you don't use them.