How are the road conditions in October driving From Fairbanks, Alaska to lower 48?
We plan on driving out of Alaska to the lower 48 in the month of October. What are the road conditions like and how do we find information to help us plan our trip?
I did the Canadian portion of the Alaska Hwy in March and would say that it was probably considerably worse than what they are going to be in October since the roads had a winters worth of snow. October would be amazing with the fall colors and you might hit some snow in at some of the summits in Canada, but as for the Alaskan portion of the AK hwy, its pretty flat until about an hour outside of the Canadian border. There is a nice straight stretch between Delta Junction and Tok. But the one thing that I’ve always liked about travelling the AK hwy any time of year, is that people are considerate and will stop if it looks like you are having trouble. Plus now there is cell service for a good portion of the road. The worst parts of the hwy are between Watson Lake, Yukon and Fort Nelson, BC. There are two tricky spots, Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain. If you overnight in Whitehorse, just leave early so you are sure to hit those two spots during daylight. I did them at night and it had started to snow and I was by myself in a car with no snow tires. I made it through fine, but as long as you prepare for your trip better than I did, you’ll be fine.
For road conditions on the Alaska Hwy call 1877-456-ROAD. Also I’d advise to get a copy of the Milepost. It will help you find services that will be open in the off season if you needed it. Oh and fill up the car in Toad River. Its the last gas station for a while.
But one suggestion that I would make is that if you were thinking of taking the Cassiar Hwy out of the Yukon in to Central BC, I would advise against it. Cassiar is much more isolated and it would be harder to get help if needed. Plus its not paved all the way.
This info will at least get you out of the toughest part of the drive. From there I always have headed east to Edmonton, so I’m not sure about the road conditions for southern BC. But if you’re headed into Alberta at all…its flat. And you’ll be fine.
I did the Canadian portion of the Alaska Hwy in March and would say that it was probably considerably worse than what they are going to be in October since the roads had a winters worth of snow. October would be amazing with the fall colors and you might hit some snow in at some of the summits in Canada, but as for the Alaskan portion of the AK hwy, its pretty flat until about an hour outside of the Canadian border. There is a nice straight stretch between Delta Junction and Tok. But the one thing that I’ve always liked about travelling the AK hwy any time of year, is that people are considerate and will stop if it looks like you are having trouble. Plus now there is cell service for a good portion of the road. The worst parts of the hwy are between Watson Lake, Yukon and Fort Nelson, BC. There are two tricky spots, Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain. If you overnight in Whitehorse, just leave early so you are sure to hit those two spots during daylight. I did them at night and it had started to snow and I was by myself in a car with no snow tires. I made it through fine, but as long as you prepare for your trip better than I did, you’ll be fine.
For road conditions on the Alaska Hwy call 1877-456-ROAD. Also I’d advise to get a copy of the Milepost. It will help you find services that will be open in the off season if you needed it. Oh and fill up the car in Toad River. Its the last gas station for a while.
But one suggestion that I would make is that if you were thinking of taking the Cassiar Hwy out of the Yukon in to Central BC, I would advise against it. Cassiar is much more isolated and it would be harder to get help if needed. Plus its not paved all the way.
This info will at least get you out of the toughest part of the drive. From there I always have headed east to Edmonton, so I’m not sure about the road conditions for southern BC. But if you’re headed into Alberta at all…its flat. And you’ll be fine.
References :
My own experiences driving that hwy…which can be scary at times, but an amazing and growing experience after I did it by myself.