Ski trip to Mt Baker

Submitted by Street_Birthday_2935 t3_z3w3ea in Washington

I’m planning a ski trip to Mt Baker at the end of January. We were thinking about staying in Glacier and drive to Mt Baker in the mornings. Is the drive along that highway super difficult that time of year? I’m obviously planning on getting an AWD vehicle. Just don’t know what to expect.

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Jackthebodyless t1_ixoeq1r wrote

Just make sure you have chains in the car and you're fine. The weather is really unpredictable, could be completely dry road or could be 3 feet of snow. They are pretty good about plowing but we get warm snow here often which gets mashed into the slickest sheet of ice. Completely doable drive but just be prepared.

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Marmotskinner t1_ixoujwf wrote

Also in the Cascades it’s super common for the snow to be A-OK at dawn, but then slightly melt during the day and then become a sheet of ice once the sun begins to set in the afternoon. If I had six arms I could count the number of Subaru’s, SUV’s and pickups I’ve seen stuck in ditches and snowbanks due to inadequate tires.

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kkicinski t1_ixoh1ux wrote

Make sure you have winter tires. Last year we were up there at Mt Baker with two other families. It was snowing hard and the road was slippery. My buddy drives a Subaru AWD and had all season tires. On the way down, he slid off the road and almost rolled down into the trees. My car and the other family’s car both had winter tires and we were fine. AWD is not the solution to winter driving. Winter tires are more important! There were a lot of other trucks and SUVs that slid off the road that day. I’m sure most of them had AWD or 4x4.

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Piddy3825 t1_ixpahzf wrote

The DOT does a fairly decent job of keeping the roads plowed, but conditions can change pretty quickly. Best thing to do is be prepared by having you vehicle outfitted with winter tires and to carry a good set of chains, that you know how to put on. I'd practice that at least once before heading into snow country. There's nothing more aggravating than trying to put chains on your car in a foot of fresh snow! When it comes to driving in the snow, remember, slow and steady, arrive alive!

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Future_Huckleberry71 t1_ixpnbcs wrote

I'm unable to predict with accuracy what weather conditions will be at the end of January on the day you drive up the hill from Glacier. Be prepared to drive in very snowy and low visibility conditions with a fully chained up vehicle at greatly reduced speed. On the other hand road could be clear and dry with bright sunny weather.

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1dad1kid t1_ixo3g2h wrote

My friend who does it regularly says it's usually pretty clear

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