Other than I-4, I-8, I-10, I-12, and I-19, are there any other interstates that have never received any kind of snow either in dusting or large amounts. I did not include I-2 as it is very new to the system, but I imagine that when it was solely US 83 it never got any kind of dusting for its decades as a freeway where the interstate is now designated and the same for the I-69E and other two suffixes and when completed they will stop near Victoria that I am sure remains mostly tropical year round.
Now also to consider the three digits of Southern California and I-515 in Nevada which do not get any precipitation, however those around the SF Bay area due get a dusting or two I would imagine as many inland are away from the Pacific Tradewinds that prevent San Francisco from getting snow or long term ice.
I would imagine that I pretty much summed up the completely free of any kind of winter storm precipitation interstates in the nation, or did I leave out any? Remember intersates like I-5 and I-45 do not count because their northern reaches are heavy into winter weather areas as it is completely free I am talking about.
I-366
Quote from: roadman65 on November 18, 2014, 05:29:55 PM
Other than I-4, I-8, I-10, I-12, and I-19, are there any other interstates that have never received any kind of snow either in dusting or large amounts.
I-10 gets snow once in a while. Wouldn't surprise me if the others do too, if you wanted to look.
Quote
Texas interstates reopen after blizzard
From Joe Sutton, CNN
updated 7:17 PM EST, Fri January 4, 2013
(CNN) -- Authorities reopened Interstates 10 and 20 in west Texas on Friday afternoon after crashes in blizzard conditions caused their closure earlier in the day.
Remainder of story, with photo: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/us/texas-weather/ (http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/04/us/texas-weather/)
And that's for a full blizzard with closure, not just a dusting.
The higher elevations of I-8 and I-10 probably get snow every once in a while. I've seen snow along the Mexican counterpart to I-8, Mex 2D, which is at about the same elevation. And there was some discussion here about de-icing systems proposed in El Paso, for example, which suggests that part of I-10 is vulnerable. Even San Diego gets occasional dustings, so I-805 is a maybe at best.
As for the Texas Interstates, one winter San Antonio was crippled for a few days by an ice storm, so I would hesitate to rule out any of the south Texas Interstates.
But the H- and unsigned PRI- Interstates are pretty safe. It snows in Hawaii, but rarely below 10,000 feet, and all the H- Interstates are pretty close to sea level.
Quote from: roadman65 on November 18, 2014, 05:29:55 PM
Now also to consider the three digits of Southern California and I-515 in Nevada which do not get any precipitation, however those around the SF Bay area due get a dusting or two I would imagine as many inland are away from the Pacific Tradewinds that prevent San Francisco from getting snow or long term ice.
I can say, from personal experience, it has snowed on I-680. I was headed southbound in 2002 and encountered snow falling from just south of Dublin to the CA-84 interchange in Sunol. This happened at night and surprised the hell out of me. FWIW, the snow did not stick to the pavement.
I've also heard reports of snow on I-280 up around the Crystal Springs Reservoir. Given the elevation of the Altamont Pass, I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on I-580 east of Livermore. The other 3DIs in the S.F. Bay Area, I-380, I-780, I-880 and I-980, I'm pretty sure they're snow-free.
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 have a hard time believing that I-12 hasn't gotten any kind of snow.
The east end of I-4 got "light snow flurries" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_in_Florida#21st_century_.2814_reported_events.29) in 2003:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fd%2Fd0%2FJanuary_24%252C_2003_Florida_snow.JPG&hash=f0b20ca937422cbb8ef27db5178fa5c492341930)
Quote from: myosh_tino on November 18, 2014, 06:02:34 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 18, 2014, 05:29:55 PM
Now also to consider the three digits of Southern California and I-515 in Nevada which do not get any precipitation, however those around the SF Bay area due get a dusting or two I would imagine as many inland are away from the Pacific Tradewinds that prevent San Francisco from getting snow or long term ice.
I can say, from personal experience, it has snowed on I-680. I was headed southbound in 2002 and encountered snow falling from just south of Dublin to the CA-84 interchange in Sunol. This happened at night and surprised the hell out of me. FWIW, the snow did not stick to the pavement.
I've also heard reports of snow on I-280 up around the Crystal Springs Reservoir. Given the elevation of the Altamont Pass, I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on I-580 east of Livermore. The other 3DIs in the S.F. Bay Area, I-380, I-780, I-880 and I-980, I'm pretty sure they're snow-free.
The flatlands of the Bay Area do get snow, just a light dusting maybe every 20 years or so. But it has happened. I've seen Berkeley and Palo Alto with a dusting of snow, not in the same year of course.
I might have speculated about Florida's I-195, 395, and 595, but it did snow in Miami in January 1977 (including on Miami Beach and as far south as Homestead), so I suspect those routes got a bit even though it presumably didn't stick.
Interstate 10 has probably gotten some snow, despite how far south it runs. I don't have records of snow storms on I-10 :-D 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.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on November 18, 2014, 06:35:05 PM
Interstate 10 has probably gotten some snow, despite how far south it runs. I don't have records of snow storms on I-10 :-D 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.
Look further up the thread. "kkt" addressed that route.
What about 16?
Quote from: 1 on November 18, 2014, 06:42:27 PM
What about 16?
I can tell you for certain I-16 has gotten some snow. That being because (I totally forgot when) some years back, Savannah actually got a
huge snowstorm. Since I-16 ends in downtown Savannah, I don't see how it wouldn't have gotten some snow.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on November 18, 2014, 06:35:05 PM
Interstate 10 has probably gotten some snow, despite how far south it runs. I don't have records of snow storms on I-10 :-D 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.
I have actually witnessed snow on I-10 in east Texas. I had parked on a downhill slope near a bridge overpass to rest for a while. Later when I woke up there was snow accumulating above my windshield wipers. Also police stopped and asked me to move. He said he was afraid that someone would slide on slick pavement and hit my car.
I know 10 & 12 had parts shut down due to ice last winter.
Quote from: robbones on November 18, 2014, 08:53:23 PM
I know 10 & 12 had parts shut down due to ice last winter.
1989 Jacksonville had a couple inches if snow.. All the bridges over St John's river were closed. In 1977 I think there may have been 6" snow in Jax
I once drove from L.A. to Houston in February and it snowed in Benson, AZ. And ditto on the snow on 680 over the Sunol Grade.
I've driven on I-10 in El Paso in snow--not a blizzard and it didn't stick much--but really good squalls nonetheless. As I recall, the Purdue 2002 Sun Bowl team photo was being taken outdoors at Sun Bowl Stadium (just off I-10) at the time, resulting in everyone squinting as they were being hit in the face with the stuff.
On the parts of I-10 in Louisiana I've been on, I've noticed the Bridges Ice Before Pavement signs (not even folding ones, visible year-round) so at least ice is a possible issue if not accumulating snow. I believe in late 2001 (or 1/02) or so a bowl game in Mobile was played in a nasty snow storm, so it's certainly possible way down south.
I-12 and I-10 (in southeast Louisiana) last got snow in 2008, to my knowledge (I was there at the time.)
Quote from: oscar on November 18, 2014, 06:02:31 PM
The higher elevations of I-8 and I-10 probably get snow every once in a while. I've seen snow along the Mexican counterpart to I-8, Mex 2D, which is at about the same elevation. And there was some discussion here about de-icing systems proposed in El Paso, for example, which suggests that part of I-10 is vulnerable. Even San Diego gets occasional dustings, so I-805 is a maybe at best.
As for the Texas Interstates, one winter San Antonio was crippled for a few days by an ice storm, so I would hesitate to rule out any of the south Texas Interstates.
But the H- and unsigned PRI- Interstates are pretty safe. It snows in Hawaii, but rarely below 10,000 feet, and all the H- Interstates are pretty close to sea level.
I-8 gets closed at least a few times each winter for snow. It gets over 4000' at its highest and sustains over 2000' for quite a few miles.
Technically, I-2 hasn't gotten snow, but the road it follows has had snow :P
Might I-10 at Chiriaco Summit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiriaco_Summit,_California), 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.
Quote from: roadman65 on November 18, 2014, 05:29:55 PM
Other than I-4, I-8, I-10, I-12, and I-19, are there any other interstates that have never received any kind of snow either in dusting or large amounts.
As other have shown, it would surprise me if even these routes, with the possible exception of I-4, had never seen snow as some point in their lives.
We've mentioned some of the 3dis in Florida already; how about the ones in Southern CA? Are there any that have never been subjected to snowfall, perhaps those that stay further away from the mountains? I know the region does get much colder than FL, but it also is much drier.
Back in December 2010, I'd heard that FLL experienced an extremely light case of morning flurries, so that might rule out I-595. It didn't snow at all near my house, which was about twenty miles to the north.
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:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5288/5308195184_4f2db2acd5_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/964TuC)DSC03754 (https://flic.kr/p/964TuC) by okroads (https://www.flickr.com/people/12472136@N05/), on Flickr
Is it just Hawaii, Puerto Rico and some 3dis down south?
I-2?
Quote from: SSOWorld on November 19, 2014, 06:16:35 AM
Technically, I-2 hasn't gotten snow, but the road it follows has had snow :P
I thought that was the case. South Texas had a big Christmas Eve snowstorm in 2004 IIRC.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 19, 2014, 12:32:13 PM
Might I-10 at Chiriaco Summit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiriaco_Summit,_California), 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.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi96.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl200%2Fmrkf%2Fimg011_zps4da42ce9.jpg&hash=9b6e8bf6fb2acb6c47af1a9e27fbd5e1ac740d6e)
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!
Quote from: US81 on November 19, 2014, 11:38:48 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on November 19, 2014, 06:16:35 AM
Technically, I-2 hasn't gotten snow, but the road it follows has had snow :P
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.
Quote from: admtrap on November 18, 2014, 06:08:18 PM
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.
How about Interstate 49? I'd imagine that interstate only receives a few flurries a year.
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 01:22:43 AM
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.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on November 18, 2014, 06:35:05 PM
Interstate 10 has probably gotten some snow, despite how far south it runs. I don't have records of snow storms on I-10 :-D 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.
Quote from: dfwmapper on November 23, 2014, 02:30:15 AM
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 01:22:43 AM
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.
Most of 59 got snow and/or ice at some point last winter.
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 09:18:35 AM
Quote from: dfwmapper on November 23, 2014, 02:30:15 AM
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 01:22:43 AM
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.
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)?
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".
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.
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 11:03:45 AM
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.
Quote from: 1 on November 23, 2014, 09:52:38 AM
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.
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.
Quote from: Zzonkmiles on November 23, 2014, 11:03:45 AM
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.
Quote from: english si on November 19, 2014, 06:01:59 PM
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
Quote from: allniter89 on November 20, 2014, 01:23:47 AM
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.
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.
Quote from: ET21 on November 24, 2014, 12:16:35 AM
Quote from: english si on November 19, 2014, 06:01:59 PM
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.
Quote from: admtrap on November 30, 2014, 04:51:52 PM
Quote from: ET21 on November 24, 2014, 12:16:35 AM
Quote from: english si on November 19, 2014, 06:01:59 PM
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.
How about I-516 in Savannah, GA? Since it's by the coast, I'd imagine snow is rarer there compared the I-16 inland.
Same with I-295 in Jacksonville, FL.
Quote from: sawblade5 on November 30, 2014, 10:16:35 AM
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.
Can't get any more snow-free than the H-1, H-2 and H-3! I don't know exactly how high the H-3 gets, probably no more than a thousand feet or so (same with Hawaii 61 and 63 which roughly parallel the much newer H-3) and that's tropical rainforest up in those mountains, called the Koolau (KOH-oh-lao) Mountains. In Hawaii, snow rarely, if ever, falls below 9000 feet, so only the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala (on Maui) get snow.
Brownsville and McAllen recorded some snow flurries yesterday morning in the course of Texas' ongoing crazy weather. Thus, even if we had allowed I-2 to qualify since it hadn't been designated yet in 2004, it has now seen post-designation snow, along with the I-69 branches.
Per records, it snowed in San Diego as recently as 2008, though it last snowed in the Los Angeles Basin in 1962.
Thus, I-105 has not seen any snow since it was built. And while the freeways that are now I-110, I-605, and I-710 have seen snow, they have not since these designations were assigned to them.
But if any snowfall since 1956 on the current location of an interstate knocks it out, even if it wasn't built or designated yet, then it would appear that nothing in the continental US qualifies - only the interstates in Hawaii and Puerto Rico do.