Travel Route to Dallas - Isaac Impact
I planned to travel through Memphis and Little Rock for the game. Anyone else still taking this route with potential rain Thurs. and Fri from the storm? I'm more concerned with flooding in these areas. Not sure I should change my route or go for it. One option is to travel via Indy, St. Louis to Dallas and try to avoid some of the weather.
August 28th, 2012 at 7:25 AM ^
I'd advise to not go the st. louis route
August 28th, 2012 at 7:54 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 8:58 AM ^
it's the wind shear on takeoff and landing or lightning at the airport.
The airports will close in these cases.
If you destination or departure airport is closed - no flight.
Also, if you flight is coming from a connecting airport that is closed, there will be no plane for you.
August 28th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^
They'll fly around it or over it, depending on the storm itself. I'd guess they'll circumnavigate it to avoid any turbulence, but I don't know that.
Dallas - Fort Worth International won't close, so you should be fine.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:13 AM ^
Going through Indy is your best bet by Friday and cross before the storm comes through. Then again it's just rain, not truly big winds. I doubt you'll have much trouble that far inland
August 28th, 2012 at 7:52 AM ^
I was taking this exact route as well. I'm leaving for Nashville Thursday, then Friday leaving from there. Was going through Memphis and Little Rock as well. I'm nervous about it right now, but I'm gonna see how it plays out by tomorrow. That map above has changed so much in the last day. I am thinking of going straight south once in Memphis, hoping I'm driving away from the storms. But I have no clue how bad those areas will get with these types of storms.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:09 AM ^
I'm leaving from KY and taking the Nashville/Memphis/LR route too.
From what I can see going due south on I-55 is not a smart idea especially if one is concerned with flooding. 55 takes you to Jackson where you get on 20 and you are in an area thats expected to get 6-12in with upwards of 20 closer to Jackson/Gulf.
Sticking to the original plan gets you an expected 2-6in and your skirting the outer fringe of Issac the whole time.
Of course its a fluid situation so who knows what actually will happen.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:15 AM ^
I guess my thought process is it won't be raining or windy at that point, the storm will have passed by Friday. But flooding could be a major issue. We'll probably just leave early Friday and when we get to Memphis check the radar and see where its best to go. Does anyone know what kind of weather to expect for an inland storm?
August 28th, 2012 at 9:26 AM ^
Does anyone know what kind of weather to expect for an inland storm?Remember the 2008 Michigan/Notre Dame game at South Bend? That was remnants of a hurricane. Think that, but worse, since you'll be in the remnants with them having less time to lose steam over land. Basically, some wind but nothing you haven't seen before in the midwest, but it will rain, and rain hard, and rain a lot. Going around with some extra mileage isn't the worst idea, since if it's coming down too hard you won't be going the speed limit because you won't be able to see well enough to do so. I'd take Kass's route through IL/Iowa/Kansas City on the way there, then the Memphis route on the way back. Different BBQ stops each way. Both ways are likely to have a lot of boring stretches, so you may as well have it be different on the way back and see some other stuff.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:41 AM ^
Sadly, I have to go to Nashville to pick up the third member of our party. Otherwise I would not even hesitate with that option.
August 28th, 2012 at 10:07 AM ^
The issue you're facing if you try to drive south of the storm is not only are you dealing with the immediate aftereffects of any flooding and wind damage (down trees, powerlines, and roadway flooding) that occurred during the storm, you're also going to be dealing with the water flowing downstream from the storm's continued northward path. Even if you have to drive through the forward edge of the storm, you may be better off than driving through the country the storm's already passed through.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:00 AM ^
Isaac looks pretty weak right now. At most it is going to be CAT 1 when it hits, and it might not be a hurricane.
If you don't like driving in rain, sometimes heavy, drive around. Otherwise, ignore it.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:02 AM ^
Category 1? Weak sauce. Bring your Michigan windbreaker.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:13 AM ^
I honestly love using RainX on the car windows..I bet it could give you a clearer windshield even with those heavy rains, but I understand the flooding issue..
Safe travels to all! GO BLUE
August 28th, 2012 at 8:23 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 9:02 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 8:25 AM ^
Here in South Florida we had around 20 inches of rain and we are probably the best in the country for water management and we are flooded out. Winds were not a big deal its the flooding.
August 28th, 2012 at 8:31 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 8:55 AM ^
Head due west, then south.
From Ann Arbor, head west on 94 until it intersects with I-80 south of Chicago.
Take i-80 west to Des Moines. West of Des Moines, take I-35 south all the way to Dallas.
If you want, you can go several different ways south from Kansas City . . . just google map it and you'll see some options.
This route should pretty completely miss rain, and you can take the other route back from Dallas to Ann Arbor.
It adds a bit more than 100 miles to go through Des Moines and south, vs. the route south through TN. And if you get off the interstate south of KC, it will only add about 90 miles.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^
Insight that might help:
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit the gulf coast, and then came inland after that. I live in Birmingham, AL, so it hit us about 2 days later. It was a CAT 5 at one point as it approached land, and was a tropical storm when it came through B'ham. As it came some 250 miles north, it caused some power outages for a few days, steady constant wind and some rain, but nothing like what you see on the news right before a Hurricane makes land fall.
My point being, be careful, but a CAT 1 that you will be driving through 2 days later several hundred miles north of the coast will not be a big deal. A little windy, a little rainy, but not too bad.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^
It could be worse?
August 28th, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^
HAHAHA, thank you for that. +100000 for you.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:31 AM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 10:47 AM ^
Go West young man. Get to the 'clean' (western) side of the storm as quick as possible. After that you should be fine with no more than some wind/rain similar to any heavy rainstorm.
If you travel through the 'dirty' (eastern) side of the storm, good luck, Cat 1 or not, the 'dirty' side of a hurricane is no fun.
August 28th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
I'm as dissapointed as the next one in losing Ty Isaac to USC, but I think you guys are going a little overboard - changing travel plans to Dallas just because of Ty Isaac?
You guys are crazy.
August 29th, 2012 at 6:25 AM ^
he chose SC over AA
August 28th, 2012 at 1:09 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
United is prepared to shutdown Houston, anyone traveling thursday should fine as long as you get to dallas by mid-day friday your going to be fine. Travel by plane, its hard to fly over these things and everyone is going be going the same route through the weakest part of the storm. This really wont be bad to fly though this im kinda excited. Wind shear blows thats the only problem. Newark is gonna be slowed and ORD just a heads up.
Why do I say this I fly for United, I'm a pilot I know a lot about weather and have better weather prodcuts at my use than the general public.
August 28th, 2012 at 1:48 PM ^
So Mr. Weather Man, if I'm driving through Memphis and Little Rock on Friday, am I gonna die?
August 28th, 2012 at 2:25 PM ^
Time of day is important here.....A lot can change within 24hrs...What time do you expect?
August 28th, 2012 at 2:34 PM ^
We plan on leaving Nashville 6 or 7 in the morning, meaning hopefully we'll be in Little Rock by noon or 1.
August 28th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^
Should be starting right around then...
August 28th, 2012 at 5:49 PM ^
there ... even UM grads. Assuming you are ???
August 28th, 2012 at 8:46 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 2:49 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 3:24 PM ^
What about flooding?
August 28th, 2012 at 4:01 PM ^
August 28th, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^
good luck driving!! take some pics along the way.
this is my 100th post!!!