I'm going to have some free time in January and was considering taking a road trip out west to Wyoming.

My big concern is that, being from the south, my experience driving in winter conditions is really limited. I'd be taking a vehicle with AWD and drive conservatively any time conditions were bad so I feel like I could pull it off.

That being said, I wanted to get some opinions from y'all on whether this is a recipe for disaster.

Many times in winter driving conditions, it is the other drivers on the road that cause problems. Just because you are driving conservatively doesn’t mean everyone else is.

Have fun and good luck.

Check if the roads you want to travel are open in the winter. Chains are required on some roads. Drive smooth.

The brakes are not your friend.

Depends on what the weather does. There are times they close down the interstates when some bad storms hit. When it's like that it doesn't matter what you're driving, you don't want to be there.

Only way to learn is to go for it

A southerner driving in the snow.....is an Accident waiting to happen....

X2
Being with an AWD your vehicle will probably require snow cables, double check your owner's manual. Practice practice practice getting them on and off in day and night.
Carry salt (cheap table salt is awesome) blanket snacks, water, lighter, shovel.
Drive slow. If starting on ice low gear is best (shift to 2 or 1 in automatic). Longer breaking distance.
"Clear roads" are deceitful.


Walmart had good deals on snow chains/ cables. The important thing when selecting them is the clearance type along with tire size

I was stationed at Little Rock AFB, and one of the big all purpose jokes was how crappy drivers were there. LOL A skiff of snow on the ground/road would have people in ditches all over. Your smart to plan on going slow and conservatively when conditions change. AWD and 4WD just means you can go back in further before you get stuck. Hope you enjoy the trip, and BE SAFE!

4WD does not make you stop any faster. Keep a good distance between vehicles and stay alert. As stated, gentle on the brakes.

With today’s ABS systems....braking in the snow was different when I grew up. You pumped your brakes to slow down....even pop it into neutral/ with an automatic to help in real icy conditions...today’s cars do it automatically.....so keep your foot ON the brake and steer. And yes ....most all wheel drive cars are in the ditch.....they go through the snow bettah....but NO super hero stopping ability

As long as you have winter tires (good ones) and can drive, you'll be fine. I drive in wintery Montana and have my whole life, and have yet to not be able to drive due to weather conditions. IF you get blowing wind on the flatlands, sometimes there will be snow drifts on the roads closing them. They will almost always put out a warning. The most dangerous people on the road are those people driving 35 mph and backing up traffic.

The signs says 80 the idiots think it’s a challenge then,, like Miss said it’s often others no matter what your doing just keep track of the weather before your trip is the most you can do. They have been trying to clear the interstate the last few days with semis the winds blew over.

THe two things I notice most are the wind and black ice. If you drive through the Dakotas, Wyoming , Montana, the wind is just crazy. I have seen gravel blowing across the intestate. Black ice on I 80 is another thing I watch for. Mountain passes in the early spring are a challenge also.

... a Yankee operating any vehicle other than a match box car in any conditions is an accident waiting to happen lol

... when Alaska came to Texas last year I figured it out in 2 minutes....


just pretend you don’t have brakes and you’re good lol

This past February certainly was a crash course in winter driving for Southerners... Pun intended.

Thanks for all the replies!

I'll also be taking a manual vehicle, which makes things a bit easier as I understand it.

And if there is any heavy slush or snow in the break down lane or on the left side…DO NOT SPACE OUT AND DRIFT INTO IT…..IT WILL SUCK YOU RIGHT INTO THE GUARD RAIL..

kbuck , what type of vehicle are you going to be driving ?
Year , make , model ?

Makes a huge difference. Some are way better than others.
Also , what kind of shape is it in ? Be honest , please.

Read what Adam wrote then add gloves, bag of kitty litter and a heavy coat. Most folks I know carry a heavy coat at all times from October till April in their car just in case. A candle can be helpful but ive never carried one. They close roads fairly often in Wyoming even the interstate so be prepared for a wait.

Slow down increase your distance to stop and a stick shift can be worse then an automatic if your not used to driving on ice.