trans-am and pacific coast advice please

[joshuacove]

Hi,
I'm planning to do the trans-am east to west starting end of july, finishing in vancouver and then down to san diego. my question is if it is really a good idea trying to cross the rockies and northwest in october-november, or if this is asking to ride in snow and rain the whole time?
Thanks, Josh

[valygrl]

Yeah, not ideal at all.  Starts snowing in Yellowstone early September, and the average rainfall starts doubling in the pacific northwest starting in October.  You might squeeze through the Colorado rockies before it gets bad, but I would be surprised if you didn't get at least some freezing nights and at worst some actual storms.  If you have to do this route on this timeframe, I would build in a little extra time for waiting out storms, and a little extra money for indoor accommodation when the weather is really bad.

Weather.com has seasonal average temp and rainfall, and can be useful.

Without knowing your goals and constraints, and with a probably wrong assumption that you want to cross and do the coast, I would consider starting with the Pacific Coast and then riding across on the Southern Tier.  I think that lines you up a lot better with the weather.  Either that or just start the TA in the west, you'll be out of the mountains before it gets really bad. 

I started my home-made-northern-route crossing 8/1 and had great weather everywhere except Yellowstone, where it was winter already in late August.

[RussSeaton]

I rode in central/western Colorado in the first two weeks of September a few years ago.  It was rainy and cold.  I was staying in motels every night.  I would advise against riding in the Rockies any later than mid September due to the weather.

[mucknort]

Good info to be reading. My family and I are planning a Northern Tier (Boston to Seattle) then Pacific Coast down to LA starting in mid June. Hoping we are starting early enough.

[Westinghouse]

I am from Florida, and am no authority on the Rockies. Surely there are internet pages that can give you all kinds of info. on weather there. There are large chunks of ice on the roadsdes in some places in the Rockies in July. I would imagine they might be extremely cold and frozen at high elevations in November.