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Riding in the Pacific NW in March

littlebriar

Member
I'm planning a trip out west toward the end of Feb or March. I will be based in South Orange County but want to do quite a bit of riding for a month or so. I would like to ride North to Washington State and the rest of the PNW. What's the riding conditions like up there in March? I see the average low is 40F and the high is 50. Those temps are tolerable. Is March a wet month? I'll probably ride up there and back but haven't really started planning my route. Anything I should be aware of?
 
March in the PNW is typically cold and very wet...the mountains can get their biggest snow loads in March and April. If you're just riding the coast and not planning to cross any mountain passes, you should be OK, albeit quite uncomfortable. Summer in the PNW is spectacular riding.
 
Late February/early March is still prime time for snow events as stated, but very unpredictable.

An example, late April/early May of 2008 I purchased my 11S from a gent in Louisville, KY. Intended to visit family in Iowa, then take a direct route back to Seattle area. Assumed a long day in the saddle would get me to my brother’s house, it took 2 days because of the weather. Literally blown off the road near Champaign, Illinois. Blizzard conditions in the Rockies stretched from Canada through Colorado. My brother in law (long haul trucker) was stuck in Wyoming for 4 days at this same time. I opted to go through Texas and Arizona to get home, 7 days of riding to go 3400 miles. It was an adventure. :)

The weather is VERY unpredictable, good luck with your trip.

Starting from So Cal, you should be okay riding up through the Central Valley, but depending on forecasts, at some point it might be wise to take your route to the coastline north of the Bay Area. We used to live near Reno, and made frequent trips to Puget Sound. I-5 north from Redding, CA to Ashland, OR can be quite snowy. In the time period you’re considering, Siskiyou Summit just inside Oregon can be closed by snow/wind without much warning. Along a coastal route you could, if you wish, route back to I-5 from around Coos Bay or thereabouts.

Happy New Year...! :dance
 
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Thanks everyone. Looks like I need to stay south and save the PNW for another time. I've been up the coast in a car and the scenery is so good I don't want to deal with terrible weather. There's plenty of good rides in CA and I want to ride in Nevada, and go back into Utah & Arizona.
 
Thanks everyone. Looks like I need to stay south and save the PNW for another time. I've been up the coast in a car and the scenery is so good I don't want to deal with terrible weather. There's plenty of good rides in CA and I want to ride in Nevada, and go back into Utah & Arizona.

Sorry the timing/weather thing doesn’t work out for your PNW visit. Sweet spot weatherwise is mid July through August. Though to avoid cage turista season, first half of September can be pretty nice. An alternative to PNW in the early fall might be the Sierras, most fun I ever had on a bike was riding back and forth, east to west and vice versa, over a four day period. Hitting every Sierra Pass, with the exception of I-80 and US50, from Mt Lassen to Yosemite.

Have fun, stay safe!
 
There was a member on another forum who traveled from New Jersey to Seattle in April. We tried to warn him. He disregarded that. He got here and was greeted by snow in the passes and fog...and rain in the lowlands. He didn't get much riding in.

We have some fantastic riding here, but it is limited to only a few months in the summer. March is spring, not summer.

Chris
 
Most of eastern Washington, where there is some great riding, is fine for most of March. The safest bet for getting to the east side would be following the Columbia River, either on Highway 84 on the OR side, or Highway 14 on the Washington side. That time of year snow is really rare there. Much, much drier on the east side. We get about 8.5 inches of rain per year where I live. I take off for Mexico and other southern destinations quite a bit during the winter, on my bike. I've hit some sketchy conditions on Hwy 84 in the winter months before, but with some decent timing it's not too tough. Come on over to the dry side!
 
I licve in Spokane Valley - eastern WA and...

March - I'll drag my bike out about then. Right now it is cowering behind the snowblower in my garage. But - March rides will be on a pick the day basis. Some days will be sunny and cool. Some a little on the cool side, probably cloudy, maybe some intermittent rain. Some will be persistent and heavy rain, with wind. There will still be a few of the classic "colder than a well-digger's..." (you get the drift.)

You mentioned maybe doing AZ or NM in March. I lived in AZ for 20 years before moving to WA. My suggestion - March would be prime time for riding in a lot of AZ, even into the higher country if you check the weather before. Go there in March. Come back to WA and northern ID in July through September.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have specific questions.

Edit - JeffKreuger lives near me. He is probably younger than me (I'm 71) and therefore a bit more adventurous! :)
 
I have a daughter who lives in Portland, Oregon. I was planning a trip from MA to OR in April, 2016. She advised to forget that and come out in September. Turned out to be a great trip. Don't miss Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake NP when you finally get there.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'm currently in Southern California. Just took a ride on the Ortega Highway, CA74 to Palm Springs, then back on 74 to 371. 280 miles of sheer bliss. Weather was exceptional with temps in the low 80's and sunny. Very little traffic in the mountains. Except for the traffic in Temecula.
I'll be heading North to the San Gabriel Mountains next week., Then will head East to Nevada and Arizona before going home to Michigan.
I'll have to catch up with my sister in Washington in the fall.
 
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