HarmsWay

We plan to drive on the I-5 to LA then I-10 to Phoenix. I understand there are a few mountain passes along the way but I have no first hand experience any time of the year. I live in BC now and grew up on the Canadian prairies so I'm familiar with driving on snow.

I'd planned to get some chains to take along for an emergency but there seems to be some disagreement as to whether or not chains can/should be used on the Q5. Our tires are the 235R55-19 all season.

What are the odds of snowy roads?

Thanks to anyone with insight they can provide.

big residual

SEA-PDX should be fine. It might snow a couple times a year, Nov seems early and it's a major interstate. I wouldn't sweat that part. Not sure about Oregon into N. California -- that seems like the only part I would sweat.

Transfer

If you're above 3000 feet you could maybe see some snow but chains required is quite unlikely. I would bet you'll have no issues.

Dalancroft

Ain't gonna be any snow that early. And in my experience, even with all-weather tires and AWD/4WD, there's a toggle -- either you can skate through, per a CHP wave-through, or it's so bad they turn you around and you find the nearest hotel. However, they still require chains on board so it's good to have a very cheap set in your vehicle to show them you have them. I bought some in your exact same size.

HarmsWay

Thanks for the info. I keep forgetting to look at the manual when I'm in the Audi to see what it says about chains.

Dalancroft - what type of chains did you buy? Most of them look like they'd mangle the wheels but I'd be getting them for an an emergency only so maybe I don't care.

MP4.2+6.0

As a CA driver with 10 years of going into the Sierras and probably 100 times thru chain checks, they never ask for chains. At most with a quattro sedan, I have heard literally one word if they even stop you w/out a wave by: "quattro?." Usually they just wave you on with not a word said. Different than when I was a kid many decades ago. A/S tires are legit w/ AWD/4WD in R1 snow conditions (chains required w 2WD, trucks or summer tires), and they virtually always just close the given freeway if it gets worse. Way too many "flatlanders" now with their newfangled AWD's/4WD's that somehow go flying off into the guardrails instead of blazing through the mounds of snow at 60 like they saw in the macho commercial, plus the semi jackknives and slides. The trucks are scrutinized more, but they usually have the chains hanging under the trailers in plain sight.

Frankly, if you were even concerned about the asking for chains, most any box or bag of any size would do. They simply don't have time to have anyone go to the back of a vehicle and start rummaging around, let alone confirm the size. Thus nominally true about what law and signs say, but just not followed up on in practice. A nasty secret about at least NorCal too is they use the chain checks to filter traffic down to fewer cars per hour--there are back ways around the locals know, and even obscure specific sign cues for locals who know the gig to give you a bail out point to the back roads); thus they can have hundreds of cars backed up, and sometimes miles. No way they then add asking you to cough up the chains. Same BTW on back road entrances with little traffic; slower paced and friendlier, but no questions beyond "quattro" w/ an Audi.

To your underlying question, your odds are very good of zero issues w/ snow. But the Donner Party did get stuck in the Sierra's in the first week of October, and that story didn't come out so good. On the other hand, I made it to Aspen last January with zero snow even over the high passes. If you saw snow, it would probably be on the Grapevine getting toward LA. But since drivers just can't deal with it there, esp. in swing season, the first few vehicles slide and they just close it outright. If weather seems bad, re route down 101 in CA and just avoid it, but again it's basically the grapevine near LA where it comes up occasionally in cold, wet weather.

HarmsWay

All great stuff - thanks! We won't be in any huge hurry going through in either direction, so not a problem if we're held up a day or two as long as it's in a hotel and not a snowbank. And we'll pack a few Cliff bars so we don't end up like the Donners.

Any advice for getting through LA? I was thinking get off I-5 after Santa Clara onto 210 then 10 at Redlands. I have no idea what time of day we'll be heading through.

Hockeymonkey

I have driven the Oregon/CA Grant's pass many times in the Q5. In the winter time that pass can get a LOT of snow. I have never used chains and have the all seasons on the Q5. You can check the weather conditions and "requirements" on the web.
I will say that a few times, I have run into snow and then freezing rain and this made for white knuckle driving - again without chains. As long as you are going slow and steady you should not have any issues. Its when people stop on the steeper parts that you run into trouble.

SQive

These people are on every road.
I refer to them as obstacles.