Sacramento to State College, PA in late November
 

I have used the I-80 route through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa etc in May and August but never this late in the season. I'm seeing many forums regarding travel in January being hit or miss based on wind and white outs in Wyoming...is this a major possibility in November? I'm seeing on weather.com that the temps are below freezing. How high is the chance of highway closure? What is the alternative route to get to PA?

Winter weather has begun, snow expected this weekend east of Sacramento in the mountains. I've driven Colorado to Wyoming to CA in the winter and stopped when necessary. I think that's about all you can do if you must drive. Hope for the best and hole up in the worst.

Yo really can;t get far enough south in the wesy to aovid winter due to having to go through the mountains. Farther east the southern route is very unlikely to have bad weather - but will add amy hundreds of miles to the trip.

I can only reco:

Make sure your car is fully winterized and you have snow shovel, deicer, and antifreeze in wiper fluid etc
Never let gas in your tank get below half
Have blanket and some food/drink in the car
Listen to the local weather regularly and if something arises get off the road and into a motel with food - do not think you can outrun a storm and if stuck do NOT leave you car except in an emergency vehicle

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What about these 2 routes? Of the 2 is one stronger?

Not really. The first goes through the N. AZ mountains and on through the midwest and the second is as I described. My suggestion is to just keep checking for winter storms and pick the route least affected when you need to go. You may get lucky.

The highest point on I-80 is between Rawlins and Cheyenne Wyoming. Do not attempt to drive in whiteout conditions even if there is not a lot of snow sticking to the roadway.
Is this a car that you need in PA or could you fly to Pittsburgh and go with a rental car?
The other option which I consider safer is to take the Amtrak California Zephyr from SAC to CHI than take the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Pittsburgh. It's your choice whether you want to rent the car in PGH or take the Pennsylvanian to Altoona or Lewistown.
My wife and I rode the California Zephyr from Sacramento to Burlington Iowa last December and rented a car there for a 10 day trip. We returned the car at Burlington and rode the train back to Sacramento.

I am moving so I need to take my car unfortunately.

If you stay on the interstates, a good idea this time of year, if you're paying attention and stop if weather is coming your way, no big deal. The storm passes while you're tucked into your motel, the plows come out, big trucks finish the job and you're on your way again. Have good tires, water, blankets and snacks in the car, just in case, and I don't see much of a problem. Paying attention is the big one.

>>I am moving so I need to take my car unfortunately.<<

Have you looked at flying and shipping your car?

Depending on how new your car is you may end up paying 6% tax on the value of your car to get a PA title.
Consider selling your CA car and flying, taking the train or driving a rental truck depending on how much stuff you want to move.
When I lived in PA I once bought a Honda Civic in Florida to avoid used cars from PA that might be rotted out by the salt used on PA highways.