Weather: Crossing Canada Hwy 1 in mid-May?
 

Hello.

I am planning a trip that will, in part, take me across a long stretch of Canada's Hwy 1, from west to east, beginning about May 20th.

The route will roughly be Vancouver > Kamloops > Calgary > Regina > Winnipeg > Thunder Bay > Sault Ste. Marie > back south into the USA.

I am wondering if this is too early for this route; my concern is running into late snow/icy weather.

As an alternative, I could make the trip in early September.

I am hoping someone familiar with the area could offer suggestions.

Thank you in advance!

Your start date for the ride from Vancouver sound s very good - it will be spring all along the route, shackles of winter's grip will have beem broken and only slight reminders along the roadsid ein the higher elevations will remain, all plantlife will be greening up.
Freakish snow events are of course a possibility in the Rockies and along the front of the mountains, but then such things can happen any time even in summer if the right conditions are present. Just keep an eye on the weather and the weather forecasts , carry clothing enough to deal with a chill day and rain .
Early September is really not much more likely to have less of a chance for freak weather,just more waning days of summer , and nightfrosts possible.
.Enjoy the r ide. whatever end of summer you choose..
If you sign off at Sault Ste Marie you know of course that you have only done the western half of the Trans Canada- Highway 1 extends into the island of Newfoundland.Next year's trip ?

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I will have to do the east 1/2 another time, due to time constraints.

Last year I left earlier - April - and did California (my home state) to Florida and back along Hwy 10 (going) and 40 (returning). It was beautiful.

This year I want to see Canada, but am tentative about the weather.

Thanks again.

It's very likely that during May in the mountains you'll see snow, especially in the passes.

If I may suggest a slight alteration ... instead of going through Kamloops, which entails using the superslab from Hope, try going east through the Crowsnest Pass on Highway 3 and follow it to Medicine Hat where it joins up with the TransCanada. The superslab saves a few hours, but at a cost of scenery and traffic. The TransCanada route has very heavily traffic, especially transport trucks.

This route means you'd miss Banff and Calgary, unless you're willing to make a 3-4 hour detour from Highway 3 in the south back up to the Calgary area and the TransCanada.

While it's the mountains that will have the highest likelihood of snow, even the Prairies have had snow in May, even this last year of 2010. If it snows in May on the Prairies, it'll cost you at the most a day or two - the main highways get cleared off pretty quick and the temps are generally warm enough to keep the roadways clear during the day at least.

I've been out to the coast this summer and last summer, and in 2008 my wife and went to Montreal from Calgary, although we went through the US on Highway 2 (Montana, N.Dakota, Wisc., Mich.) and in July/August.

Hope this helps - good luck!
ian

For the West, early September would be the better of the two choices. It's one of my favourite times of the year for travelling in this area (BC/Alberta). The weather is usually still quite nice and I believe the possibility of snow is slightly less than it would be in May. But the reality is that closer to Alberta, and in parts of Alberta snow has in the past fallen in every single month of the year, especially in the Lake Louise area. I experienced snow (not sticking to the road) during the first week of September on the southern route through BC (hwy 3) and I've had to cancel a trip from Calgary to the interior of BC in mid May when a freak storm dumped 30cm's of snow over the city.

September, while there is a slight chance of snow in the passes, also offers more opportunities to walk around in the mountains without the snow pack that usually still remains in May. But the towns are free of snow in May due to lower elevations.

May is actually not too bad either and I have ridden between Calgary and the BC interior. I would just pick whatever time works best for you and be prepared to wait out a storm for a couple of days in BC/Alberta.

Given a choice between a late May or early September ride, I'd also lean towards the September timing.

Not too much difference, but on the Wet Coast, spring (including May) can be quite showery at times while September starts to feel like fall but can produce almost summer like conditions.

Having said that, there was a blinding snowstorm in Banff yesterday but that's pretty early and the risk is probably the same in either of the periods you are considering.

Thanks again for all the replies!

I appreciate it.

Bain:

Leaving Vancouver May 20 is no problem, winter will be well and truly gone by then, and the temperatures will be 'mild' before you get into the mountains.

Prior to June 1, you run a bit of a risk of encountering some snow as you go across the mountains. But, the worst possible case would be that you get stuck at a hotel or lodge for a day or two. More likely, you'll get some overnight snow that will melt by noon hour - you will then have wet roads in the afternoon.

You don't mention how long you plan to take to do the trip. If it is going to be a two-week trip (putting you in the mountains in late May), the above applies. If it will be a two-month trip (putting you in the mountains in early June), then you don't really have anything to worry about.

Having said all that - If I was doing the trip myself, I would try for a June 1 start, simply because the weather would be warmer and thus the riding would be more pleasant. Mountains can be 'shady' places, and as a result, the air temperatures can be a bit cool in late May.

Michael