We drove through Wyoming's worst spring snowstorm in 74 years! - Road Trip Day 6 Episode 12

[robertpaulsen]

When we left Gillette, Wyoming on our way back to Midvale, Utah, there was already a heavy amount of rain coming down, worse than the day before when rain prevented us from seeing Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Unbeknownst to us, we drove straight into what The Weather Channel would name Winter Storm Valerie. We were driving a car from California with no snow chains, no snow tires, and no four-wheel drive on a bumpy Wyoming highway through a snowstorm that was getting worse by the minute. This video documents our crazy journey!

[Codeine]

1. I grew up in southern Wyoming. Your video

really takes me back! Snow drift fencing along the highway is something I haven't seen in 35 years, and listen to that wind whipping around -- yikes!

Thanks for posting this.

[robertpaulsen]

2. You're welcome, Codeine!

It was ridiculously windy! When we got to Rawlins to fill up the gas tank, the wind almost blew my car door shut on me right as I was opening it.

Did you ever have to deal with black ice while driving in southern Wyoming? Fortunately we didn't, but if I had to I have had some prior experience in southern Oregon. But I was prepared there - studded tires - and this was totally unexpected!

[robertpaulsen]

3. Here's some pictures of our snowy drive!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. We missed some snow in Wyoming

After four days in Yellowstone park (amazing place), we left the Old Faithful Inn about 5:30am on May 16, stopped for breakfast at the Lake Yellowstone hotel dining room (very fancy), and then drove out the East entrance. We hit a little snow in some of the passes, not too bad. Then we got to the interstate and headed for Nebraska and points east.

Next day, the wind was crazy, we saw a camper blown off the road. Then, just as we entered Illinois, traffic stopped. The wind was so strong the dust was blowing off the fields, causing 20 vehicles to pile up. We were not in that, just in the stopped traffic behind it. Cops stopped the other side of the freeway so that ambulances and tow trucks could get to the scene by driving the wrong way on the other side, as our side was just too jammed up. We sat there for over an hour, thinking we could be there all night, when the tow-trucks reappeared on the other side, pulling vehicles (including a very mangled semi cab). Finally, we got moving slowly through the dust-storm and made it to a motel near Chicago.

On the radio, we heard that this storm was producing some very deep snow in Wyoming and Montana. On our earlier drive through those states, we saw railroad-style crossing gates that could be lowered across the freeway, with signs saying if the gates are down, exit here. Of course, "here" was generally the middle of nowhere, no real hope of finding fuel, food, or lodging.

We considered ourselves the recipients of some "dumb good luck" to have gotten out of Yellowstone when we did. One day later, and we'd have been in a real mess.

Thanks for the video, and, pretty good snowball throwing, for a California girl.

[robertpaulsen]

5. Wow, then you met Valerie! We were there May 17.

I guess we had our own bit of "dumb good luck." If we had left any later that day, we probably would have been stuck. They closed portions of the Interstate 80 later that afternoon. We were really concerned about the snow and wind, but also concerned they would lower those crossing gates and we wouldn't be able to make it back to Utah.

Glad you enjoyed Yellowstone! We missed seeing this year, but we had gone the previous year and got some great video of Old Faithful. We even saw a grizzly with two cubs, but they ran off before we could video them.