Snow free Interstates

[okroads]

On my way to Phoenix in December 2010, it snowed on I-10 between Lordsburg, NM, and Willcox, AZ. Here's one pic I took that day of I-10 westbound entering Arizona:

DSC03754 by okroads, on Flickr

[english si]

Is it just Hawaii, Puerto Rico and some 3dis down south?

I-2?

[US81]

Technically, I-2 hasn't gotten snow, but the road it follows has had snow

I thought that was the case. South Texas had a big Christmas Eve snowstorm in 2004 IIRC.

[MarkF]

Might I-10 at Chiriaco Summit, California sometimes get a little snow? 

I have not seen it myself, but it seems that its elevation might be high enough to induce a dusting sometimes.

West of there, in Banning, snow on I-10, February 1, 1979. This trip from Phoenix to L.A. was about the only time I had encountered fog in the desert, and it was there most of the way.

[allniter89]

Not snow but an ice storm closed I-10 across southern AL & the NW FL panhandle to Tallahassee(?) Jan 28-29 2014. Everything shut down for 3 days until the ice melted, it was crazy. I have a photo of my snow covered car, its on my E drive I dont know how to post it. I LOVE snow!! No thats not a Floridian talking w/out ever experiencing snow, I lived up north for 30 yrs.  If I could I'd move to Buffalo, love that lake effect! 

[dfwmapper]

Technically, I-2 hasn't gotten snow, but the road it follows has had snow

I thought that was the case. South Texas had a big Christmas Eve snowstorm in 2004 IIRC.

Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, and Corpus Christi all got over an inch from that storm, so if we're going by "snow at the location of what eventually became an Interstate" that wipes out all the split I-69s, I-2, any I-x37s that might someday get designated in Corpus Christi, and whatever x69 or x37 SH 44 eventually gets designated as.

[roadfro]

I-215 and I-515 in Nevada have almost certainly been snowed on.   Snow in Las Vegas is rare, but that's because precipitation levels are low - it certainly gets cold enough during the winter, and there was a significant snow storm as recently as 2008.

I feel it was more recently than 2008, but there was a snow event down in Las Vegas within the last 7 years that somewhat crippled the Las Vegas Valley. Snow happens every few years or so in Vegas, but usually melts because temperatures are not consistently cold enough for accumulation to occur. This particular event had highly unusual accumulations (nothing compared to northern states, or even northern Nevada though). However, accumulation was enough to wreak havoc on the roads--and there were only about 6 snow plows in that part of the state, since snow accumulation is so uncommon. The school district even called a snow day the next day (despite conditions being much better the next day), the first in 30+ years. If I recall correctly, it snowed more on the south end of the valley, so definitely hit on I-215 and I-515.

[Zzonkmiles]

How about Interstate 49? I'd imagine that interstate only receives a few flurries a year.

[dfwmapper]

How about Interstate 49? I'd imagine that interstate only receives a few flurries a year.

Most of the I-49 corridor in Missouri receives on average a foot or more of snow per year.

[KG909]

Interstate 10 has probably gotten some snow, despite how far south it runs. I don't have records of snow storms on I-10  but it's especially possible it's snowed on I-10 in places where it's mountainous like western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and maybe even California.

Once in California that I remember, though I can't remember when exactly.

[Zzonkmiles]

How about Interstate 49? I'd imagine that interstate only receives a few flurries a year.

Most of the I-49 corridor in Missouri receives on average a foot or more of snow per year.

Hmmmm...what about I-59? That one doesn't go too far north.

[robbones]

Most of 59 got snow and/or ice at some point last winter.

[adventurernumber1]

How about Interstate 49? I'd imagine that interstate only receives a few flurries a year.

Most of the I-49 corridor in Missouri receives on average a foot or more of snow per year.

Hmmmm...what about I-59? That one doesn't go too far north.

I don't have any official records, but I could be very sure it's snowed on I-59 before. Northwest GA (which I-59 goes through) has gotten a ton of snow in my lifetime, and so Im very sure I-59 has at least gotten snow in GA before, probably Alabama too.

[hotdogPi]

I mentioned 16 before, and someone responded that Savannah (east end of 16) got snow. What about Macon, with I-475 (and the west end of 16)?

[Billy F 1988]

I'm not even sure about this "snow free" concept because, really, there are not a lot of interstates in the northern U.S. that are "snow free". At every turn when a snow storm blows through, the northern states in most likely conditions will get snow and get hampered by it. I don't know how you came up with "snow free". It's just a stupid term to use. I'd flip that and say "interstates with little to no snow", NOT "snow free interstates".

[Zzonkmiles]

Has anyone mentioned I-37 yet? That would seem to be a much better candidate than I-49 and I-59, which I had suggested earlier. I'd actually like to drive that interstate someday because it's probably the easiest one in Texas to clinch.

[oscar]

Has anyone mentioned I-37 yet?

Indirectly, the ice storm that whacked San Antonio a few years back would've also clobbered at least the north end of I-37.

I think nothing in the lower 48 would be completely snow-free.  As noted above, there's been snow in recent years as far south as I-2 in far southern Texas, and also the Miami area.

[adventurernumber1]

I mentioned 16 before, and someone responded that Savannah (east end of 16) got snow. What about Macon, with I-475 (and the west end of 16)?

My parents used to live in Macon back in the 90s, so I asked them, and unsurprisingly, Macon has gotten at least some snow. Which means I-16 has surely gotten snow near its western terminus as well.

Also, I agree with Billy that "snow-free" probably isn't the best name. Because pretty much everywhere has gotten snow at least once or twice.

[rschen7754]

I-8 does go through the mountains, so it probably has had snow.

Most of the Los Angeles and San Diego 3dis probably have not though.

[US81]

Has anyone mentioned I-37 yet? That would seem to be a much better candidate than I-49 and I-59, which I had suggested earlier. I'd actually like to drive that interstate someday because it's probably the easiest one in Texas to clinch.

I submit I-27 as slightly edging out I-37 for ease of clinch. But I-37 is a nice drive and the southern terminus (mutual with US 181) steers you right over the Harbor Bridge. US 181's northern terminus is at 1-37 in San Antonio so the pair make a nice road-geek loop.

More relevant to the OP, there was indeed ice on the northern part of I-37 this January (2014) with a light dusting of snow.

[ET21]

Is it just Hawaii, Puerto Rico and some 3dis down south?

Possibly, and some 3dis in California (LA and San Diego).
Maybe San Francisco as well, but I thought I remember they got a good storm couple years ago that brought some form of wintry precip to the actual city. I'll need to do some research

[tidecat]

Not snow but an ice storm closed I-10 across southern AL & the NW FL panhandle to Tallahassee(?) Jan 28-29 2014. Everything shut down for 3 days until the ice melted, it was crazy. I have a photo of my snow covered car, its on my E drive I dont know how to post it. I LOVE snow!! No thats not a Floridian talking w/out ever experiencing snow, I lived up north for 30 yrs.  If I could I'd move to Buffalo, love that lake effect!

Mobile (I-10, I-165, I-65) has had several dustings over the past quarter century.  There was even a freak April snowstorm in the late 70s or early 80s that produced several inches in some spots.

[sawblade5]

I think someone mentioned the Hawaii Interstates. I believe that H-1, H-2, and H-201 had never had snow. I don't know about H-3 as I don't know if they get snow along that section or not as it goes up in elevations. It does snow on Hawaii's big island for sure but no Interstate Highways do exist up there or ever will as there seems to be no need for them there.

[admtrap]

Is it just Hawaii, Puerto Rico and some 3dis down south?

Possibly, and some 3dis in California (LA and San Diego).
Maybe San Francisco as well, but I thought I remember they got a good storm couple years ago that brought some form of wintry precip to the actual city. I'll need to do some research

I thought about this, and the candidates would be I-110, I-210, I-710, I-105, I-405, I-605 in LA/OC, I-215 in the IE, and I-805 in San Diego.

But then I discovered it snowed in downtown LA on January 9, 1949.  None of the mentioned interstates existed yet at the time, so those routes would still be 'snow free' - for now.   I-210 and I-215 would be the most likely to get "just a little" if there was snow that just missed the basin floor itself - I-215 being relatively far inland, and I-210 having sections at higher elevation compared to the others.

[Mark68]

Is it just Hawaii, Puerto Rico and some 3dis down south?

Possibly, and some 3dis in California (LA and San Diego).
Maybe San Francisco as well, but I thought I remember they got a good storm couple years ago that brought some form of wintry precip to the actual city. I'll need to do some research

I thought about this, and the candidates would be I-110, I-210, I-710, I-105, I-405, I-605 in LA/OC, I-215 in the IE, and I-805 in San Diego.

But then I discovered it snowed in downtown LA on January 9, 1949.  None of the mentioned interstates existed yet at the time, so those routes would still be 'snow free' - for now.   I-210 and I-215 would be the most likely to get "just a little" if there was snow that just missed the basin floor itself - I-215 being relatively far inland, and I-210 having sections at higher elevation compared to the others.

I recall several times that I-215 would have gotten snow right at its north end in Devore. I think I-210 at the Sylmar interchange is probably high enough and close enough to the mountains. So, I-110, I-710, I-405, & I-605 would be the only ones in the LA Basin that probably have never gotten snow.

Not sure if I-505 in the Sacramento Valley has ever gotten any. It's pretty low in elevation, but a little ways inland.

I know I-10 & I-110 in Biloxi got snow in March 1993. I was at Keesler AFB at the time.