cronulla1

I am planning driving from Mount Rushmore to manhattan in mid-December this year. Would appreciate advice on:

* Weather and driving conditions at that time of year
* Whether 4 days drive time is ample from Mount Rushmore to NYC

janisj

>>* Weather and driving conditions at that time of year<<

I'm sorry -- but if you don't have any idea what the weather could be like in the upper midwest and northeast in winter -- you have no business making the drive.

(It is 1800 miles and whether it is drivable in 4 days entirely depends on whether there are storms or not)

IMDonehere

Could be a total disaster or a pleasant trip. Do you know how drive in snow and the rules of survival in case you get stranded on a road?

nytraveler

Usually that time of year is already deep winter in that area so you can expect a substantial amount of snow and cold weather: average highs in the low 20s, lows around 5 or 6 degrees and 8 to 10 inches of snow. But these are averages and this can be worse.

But, If you are not from there and don't know about the weather what are you doing there in December to begin with.

Agree that how long the trips will take depends totally on the weather - 4 days might not be enough. And this is not a drive I would make if I weren't experienced driving in snow and ice. And didn't have a car equipped with all winter necessities.

happytrailstoyou

If the roads are clear you can make the trip in just over two days--it is about 25 hours of driving each way. Take plenty of uppers and Depends.

HTtY

WhereAreWe

Oh god, mid December is not deep winter up here. That's ridiculous. If you don't have personal experience on the subject please refrain from commenting.

I live in Minneapolis, coldest major city in the country and there are years we don't even have snow on the ground at that time. Some years we have had major snowstorms by then, but by and large those don't hit until later in the season. If we get a big storm it usually only impacts travel for a day. The interstates are the first to be cleared off and ice buildup is not an issue on the main roads (in December) because it is just not cold enough and the salt melts everything.

Average high in the Black Hills area is more like mid to upper 30s, definitely not lower 20s. No idea where that came from. As you get out onto the plains the temps will drop but not severely. Average high in Sioux Falls is 29 in December.

Watch the forecast and road conditions reports, but this is not a trip I would stress out over. You are not traveling through deep Siberia lol.

IMDonehere

Isn't it about 600 miles just to Minneapolis and aren't the roads in South Dakota pretty isolated?

Even the 400 mile stretch across Pennsylvania can be brutal in December.

WhereAreWe

The road in South Dakota is a major interstate.

I don't see how the distance to Minneapolis is relevant, perhaps you could explain? OP is not traveling to or through Minneapolis.

Any stretch of highway can be brutal in any season, depending on weather conditions. The question is: what is likely to happen? In this case, not much.

IMDonehere

If there is a storm, most of the trek through SD is isolated.

We are simply warning of the possibility.

And as noted even the interminable drive across PA can be treacherous if there is snow.

These are not personal attacks against the people from the Upper Midwest. Don't you think it is prudent that someone should be aware of what might happen?

WhereAreWe

Of course someone should be aware of what 'might' happen, but they should be more aware of what will 'likely' happen, and then give advice based on that. I don't find the advice to stay off the roads and skip this drive entirely to be helpful given the normal weather during that time frame.

I find too many people give dire warnings that aren't based in reality - and my initial frustration is directed entirely at one poster who has no relevant experience and claimed it is 'deep winter' by mid December, then went on to describe the weather conditions and got it entirely wrong.

By all means, give warnings but balance it out with reality based on personal experience. I'm not commenting on the drive or weather in the Northeast because I've never done it, not sure why someone who lives in NYC is going on about the weather and road conditions in South Dakota lol.

IMDonehere

OK. The weather in NYC might be bad that week. I hope you know how to drive in snow. (BTW, people in NY do leave the 5 boros on occasion.)

happytrailstoyou

<i>If you don't have personal experience on the subject please refrain from commenting.</i>

Thanks for the tongue lashing, and excuuuuuuuuuuuse me.

Ackislander

I am one who frequently warns about the negative effects of weather on travel, but it is all based on personal experience and offered with at least the implied assumption and probably hope that Your Mileage May Vary.

I have been delayed multiple times by rain, snow, ice storms, hurricanes, tropical storms, and fog. Some of these were really unpleasant, like the two nights in a north Alabama truck stop where the TV was black and white and the picture as snowy as the weather outside. The towels didn't match, and the room probably rented by the hour most of the time. But I never had a column in the upper Midwest, well, except for a couple of days waiting out a Des Moines ice storm. So I didn't comment.

It would have been helpful if the OP had said either (a) I am a native of SD and only need advice about the weather to the east or (b) I am flying in to Rapid City from Uttar Pradesh and have never seen a snowflake, but s/he didn't. So maybe s/he knew more than we assumed or less than the OP assumed, but we don't know.

nytraveler

Well, we wouldn;t want to quote the weather averages from the national web sites showing what can happened based on quite a number of years - would we?

I didn't say they would have a blizzard, just said it would be cold (based on averages over years) and could have substantial snow.

Not the best conditions for someone not used to driving in ice or snow. We don't know that - but it's a strong possibility based on the OP's questions.

Unless you want to guarantee that it will be sunny and 50 degrees.

cronulla1

Thanks for the discussion. A few of the posters should de-register. I am from Australia and was simply asking the questions because "I have no idea of the weather conditions in mid-December". That was the point of the post - to get some advice you jerkoffs

IMDonehere

And who said people from Oz were nice.