What is Nevada, Arizona like this time of year?

[Aerindel]

Turns out I'm making a thunder run to the south in a few weeks....from a couple hundred miles south of the Canadian border, to about 50 north from the Mexican border. Anyone from those parts wanna tell me what to expect? I haven't been down there in about fifteen years.

 

[Bacpacker]

Be Safe

 

[Wingnut]

What's your route? That would give us a better idea of elevation, winter climate, etc.

 

[Aerindel]

What's your route? That would give us a better idea of elevation, winter climate, etc.

Vaguely.....Butte, Salt Lake City,Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Phoenix.

 

[Wingnut]

Your biggest worries in Phoenix will be traffic & crime, lol. I take it you're making the 'Vegas Detour' to actually trash around in Vegas? Or to dodge ice on the skinny UT roads? If so, just know that Vegas has changed since the days of Obama.

I've run every inch of I-15 along that route, more times than I can remember... you'll want chains in your rig just in case some areas require 'em, otherwise you're good to go. Hopefully you get a good weather window for the run.

There are a couple of stretches in southern Utah which occasionally require chains IF the weather is nasty enough, so keep that in mind... but if you keep tabs on the weather, you should be able to run down into that high & low desert sunshine.

Don't forget the kick@$$ view of Hoover Dam from the *new* bridge, that's worth a gander. If you haven't actually done the 'Dam Tour' it's pretty cool, but I have no idea what the status is of touring, AYE? With the fraudulent Covid scene...

Anyway, you'll want extra gear & clothing aboard your rig, just in case ya run up on foul weather... I'd carry water and coolers full o' food as well, or else just some dry goods, but ya want SOMETHING, lol. Beef jerky always works, lol.

Moi, I'd have fartsacks & Arctic gear aboard that rig, but if ya time the run right, so you're hitting the high stretches in daylight hours, you should be alright. Know that there's just as much crime in Vegas as there is in Phoenix...

I wouldn't leave ANYTHING unattended in either location, it'd be likely to grow legs and walk away, lol... I had a reefer fuel cap stolen in Vegas one time, off the loaded trailer (IBP) I was dragging to San Diego, lol.

No big deal, I wrapped the neck in plastic kitchen wrap (multiple times) and used stout rubber bands to keep the plastic in place. Dressed it all up in silver duct tape to resemble a 'fuel cap' and made it past the coops in Kalifornia, lol...

Anyway, good luck on your run, plenty of trucks running on I-15, particularly on that stretch between the I-70 split in Utah clear on down to L.A. and San Diego, ugh. Good thing you're turning toward Henderson outta Vegas, lol. Cheers!

 

[theheathen13]

Hello.. I live in Arizona but only get on here once a day! I live ing central AZ and weather wAs great today…. But wait 15 min and all can change!
What is your thunder run? I am a motorcycle guy if that is what you talking about?

 

[Aerindel]

What is your thunder run? I am a motorcycle guy if that is what you talking about

Its just military slang for a fast raid into enemy territory. It's pretty much how I feel about leaving my hill and going through a thousand miles of 'normal' America. I used to make this trip once a year but haven't been back in more than a decade.

Anyway, you'll want extra gear & clothing aboard your rig, just in case ya run up on foul weather... I'd carry water and coolers full o' food as well, or else just some dry goods, but ya want SOMETHING, lol. Beef jerky always works, lol.

I'm taking 1200lbs of camping gear, food, clothes, weapons, fuel, water, etc. Final destination is a five day, off the grid camping event so almost everything I'm taking is some kind of survival gear.

I take it you're making the 'Vegas Detour' to actually trash around in Vegas?

I have a friend near Vegas I'm going to crash with one night.

I wouldn't leave ANYTHING unattended in either location, it'd be likely to grow legs and walk away, lol... I had a reefer fuel cap stolen in Vegas one time, off the loaded trailer (IBP) I was dragging to San Diego, lol.

Yeah, I'm not planning any unsecured stops. One stop somewhere south of Salt lake, hopefully a small town motel, then a friend outside vegas, other that, just gas stations.

 

[theheathen13]

Don’t listen to wingnut! Northern AZ you will be just fine the lower part just be aware. The world isn’t as bad as everyone says it is! But I still carry every where.

 

[Spikedriver]

I run from south Arizona (Tucson, Yuma) up to Flagstaff every year or two for work, since 2012. Never had a problem in AZ other than some really nasty hotels. Been a couple years since I ran I-15 through Utah and Nevada, never had any trouble there either except for all the traffic around Vegas. I'm actually flying to Vegas on Sunday, for a job on I-15 near Barstow, California. Not looking forward to it, but the check should be good!

 

[montanabill]

Just be aware of blizzard road closures up north here, and the big cities are places things can go from bad to worse in a heartbeat. For that matter any rest area, truck stop etc seems to be ripe with crazy's for no apparent reason, then in the next heartbeat everything is fine. Even traveling the major routes here in montana I have noticed more strange behavior by people.
Beware the drug shipments coming up north along that corridor....
We made numerous trips from MT to phoenix and Albuquerque a few years ago......the cities down south are unpredictable to say the least.

If you need anything around Helena or want to chat over coffee look me up.

 

[INresponse]

I have a friend near Vegas I'm going to crash with one night.


Yeah, I'm not planning any unsecured stops. One stop somewhere south of Salt lake, hopefully a small town motel, then a friend outside vegas, other that, just gas stations.

Sorry to say but in or around any part of the Vegas Valley if your vehicle is parked on a driveway, in the street, or in a parking lot do NOT consider it secure. The bad guys will show up anywhere, even in the ritzy high priced neighborhoods. And many times when the hoodlums see a new car visiting for the night they know the traveler has a lot of stuff in the car that they didn't bring in for their short stay.
Weather in a couple weeks will be just like now, as you see it when you are there. It is very difficult for the weather morons to predict the weather in most parts of Utah, Nevada and northern Arizona due to the potential of things shifting and turning in and around the mountain ranges. 30 years in Nevada and Utah and unless a major storm is coming across California and directly at a specific part of Nevada and Utah they only have a 50/50 chance of telling us if it will actually be clear and sunny or cloudy and stormy. The next week or two there are predictions of storms coming in from the Pacific one after the other after the other. Further out than that we just have to wait and see. With all that gear you should be good, but consider tire chains/cables and a shovel to be prepared for a snowstorm.

 

[Morgan101]

You will definitely have to plan for two climates. You will have harsh Winter probably all the way down to Sedona, AZ. Once you hit Southern AZ you will have cold nights and mornings that will warm up all day. Plan on needing a jacket in the morning, and carrying it around in the afternoon.

I still have family in Tucson, and they never talk about any increase in crime, but I would never let my guard down.

 

[Wingnut]

Why shouldn't the OP listen to Wingnut? There's plenty o' crime in those big cities, particularly Vegas & Phoenix. SLC ain't so hot either, lol. Last time I rolled through Vegas (roughly 4 years ago), I spent the night in some cheap motel in town and the place was full of tweekin' crackerheads... I think the place was off Tropicana Blvd. When I walked outside, even in broad daylight, there were nothing but zombie trolls as far as the eye could see, in every possible direction... it was ridiculous, I couldn't believe how far downhill the place had gone. Meh, not my problem, I don't hafta live there... and I probably won't ever return, lol. I had my fun in Vegas back in the '90s, so I'm not missing out in any way.

I don't really agree about truck stops (or "travel plazas") being unsafe, the larger stops and plazas actually have better lighting, better security, more bathroom stalls, more choices when it comes to food, store merchandise, etc. And you won't find cheaper fuel at the smaller service stations, there's no way they can beat the prices at the big chain stops and plazas. There might be a few crackerheads in the area, and some transient hitchhikers, but I'd certainly use the truck stops and travel plazas over some funky service stations in the ghetto. A trucker's atlas and an "exit guide" come in handy on trips like this run you're about to make... maybe there's a web version of the exit guide.