How are the winter weather conditions along Highway 101 from Oregon to California? -

I m going to be driving from Bend, Oregon to San Jose, California in mid-January. I ve driven the route before going highway 97 to I-5, but with the mountains through that route I m worried I ll have to chain up which is bad for two reasons: One, that I am a girl and I don t have snow chains nor do I know how to use them and two, that I will be traveling with my newborn son (who hasn t even been born yet), so he will be tiny and I prefer to take the safest route there is, even if it means an added 3 hours of drive time. For those of you that have traveled this route from Oregon to California.. Is highway 101 from Newport Oregon to San Jose California a safer alternative for winter driving? Are there areas that receive snow, and if so, how much? Is it likely I d need chains during mid January? What conditions do I need to watch out for when driving this route?I m not traveling for leisure--or else I wouldn t be doing it at all. My husband is overseas and I came home to his family in Oregon to have the baby while he s away. I have to be back in Virginia by February when he gets home, and I have to first drive my car to California to be shipped back home to Virginia so that my sister and I (and baby) can fly to Virginia and pick up my car when we get there.Any advice is appreciated!

Wow. A lot to consider here. Mid January is a tough call for you no matter which route you choose. Starting in Bend, I don t see how you avoid at least the possibility of snow on some pass. Here are the options I see: 1) Take 97 to Weed then I-5 South. You only need a little luck to be essentially home free after Mt Shasta City. The roads are generally in good shape, not that curvy, and if it does snow, it will be more powdery and easy to drive without chains. Can someone caravan with you, at least to Weed?2) If you are set on heading over to 101, I would recommend the Lake of the Woods Hwy 140 from K-Falls to Medford as your route over the Cascades. Again, a generally straight, easy road to travel if it is snowing. I would avoid Willamette Pass (58) or Santiam Pass (20) or the Diamond Lake Hwy (138) if it will be snowing.3) Hwy 101 can have its own winter challenges. First, it will add A LOT of time to your trip, certainly more than 3 hours. Second, while snow is less likely, torrential rain often causes mudslides and wash outs that temporarily close the road in parts of N CA.If it were me, without chains, but otherwise good tires, I would do the 97 to 5 route and hope for the best. Make sure you will have daylight for the entire 97 part. That route is the fastest AND the least likely to cause problems for you in snowy weather. Being east of the Cascades for most of that route is your friend. Start early. Pack extra food, water, and blankets. Expect a jack-knifed semi to cause a long delay. If it is snowing in Bend the morning you plan to leave, expect a slow trip to Klamath Falls, but then more normal speeds as you go south. Try to convince someone to caravan with you to Weed. Have a plan to stop for the night if you are delayed - like in Redding.Check the ODOT web cameras before you leave. They have pass cameras everywhere.