I-65 in Alabama and Tennessee

[useyourhead]

Hi.  My wife and I may drive from Florida to Indiana for Thanksgiving.  We've made the drive before, but in the summer.  We went via I-75, 24 and 64.  I am concerned about the mountain driving on 24W in cold weather, possibly snow.  (We also will have a 5 month old at that time.)  I read that 24 is very steep.  The other option sites have given is going through NC, but the highways are just as steep, if not more, going that way.

I did some research and saw that going taking I-10 to I-65 in Alabama to Nashville (and so on) would only add an hour to the trip.  I haven't been able to find out if the roads are less mountainous or not.

Could someone please help?  Thanks.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I've never driven I-24, but I have been on I-65.  There will be steep hills between Birmingham and Louisville. There is one noticeable valley between Huntsville and Birmingham and a noticable hill just north of Nashville.
I've driven I-65 in December and January several times over the last 5 years and I had no issues.

[allniter89]

I drove a 18wheeler for 20 yrs frequently on I65 from Mobile, AL to nw In. While I 65 is a less mountainous than I75-24, I 65 is hilly (nothing over a few hundred in elevation tho) and heavily traveled with a high percentage of truck traffic. North of Birmingham, AL there is still a chance for winter weather, not a big chance tho. The winter weather chance in Nov probably is more likely from Louisville, Ky and north. DO NOT follow I 10 to I 65 in Mobile, AL there are many many shortcuts from I 10 in FL to I 65 in AL w/out going all the way to Mobile. My suggestion would be I 10 to exit 130, go US231N to just south of Montgomery, AL, there you will see a sign for I 85, follow signs to I 85 then go I 85 SOUTH to I 65 north, this way you will avoid quite a few lights and alot of city traffic that you would hit following the signed routing to I 65. US 231 is a nice 4 lane median divided hwy w/ 65mph sl, the disadvantage is you must  follow a circular bypass around Dothan, AL and actually enter the cities of Troy, AL and Ozark, AL. You go thru Troy and Ozark on a 4 lane hwy also but there are quite a few lights in town, still a worthwhile route imho. Just watch your speed in the speed zones. Perhaps you should post exactly where your journey will begin in FL and where in IN you're going also. Regarding I 24 in TN, Monteagle Mtn at mm 139, it is steep but very safe, I never had any trouble crossing the mtn except that winter when the SE got FEET of snow in the 1990's(???) then I sat on the mountain 47hrs til they dug us out, but thats a abnormality!
I must respectably disagree with you osu, I dont think anything on I 65 could be called steep, the hill north of NAshville is strictly a uphill climb and the valley in AL is rather mild imho, the downhill from Elizabethtown, KY to Lousiille is kinda long and steepish but KYDOT generally takes good care of it regarding salting the road.

[useyourhead]

Thank you, allniter and osu, for the info.  All the routes I've seen don't go to Mobile.  I was just being general.  It's basically from Jacksonville to Indianapolis.