Winter Trip Florida to Washington DC

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Aussie Pete

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Hi everyone.  I am an Australian traveller taking my family on our third RV trip in the US this December.  We are considering driving from Orlando to Washington DC and back - Coast up and inland return - a 20 day trip.

My question is - how are the roads as we go north this time of year?  Being an Aussie, I am not accustomed to driving in the snow  - let alone trying to do so in a 30 foot RV!

Any thoughts will be welcome.

Many thanks
 
x3.  Every year can be different, of course, but last year during December thru New Years, we traveled from FL to the NC line and saw lots of fog, rain, and humidity.  Weather was comfortably warm. 

One possible weather change from usual might come from this year being an "La Ni?a" year vs an "El Ni?o". 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ni%C3%B1a
 
Winter from D.C. through the Eastern Carolinas is an occasional thing. Temperatures and conditions vary widely and quickly, but December is pretty benign.  You are most likely to encounter dry, Spring-like conditions, especially farther South, in December.
But not guaranteed.
Offshore winter storms affect Virginia and the Carolinas. Offshore lows can pump in lots of cold moisture from the Atlantic, and storm systems from the Midwest track eastward over D.C. and Virginia to the coast.
In a typical winter, D.C. will get one snowfall of more than 3 inches and a handful of snowfalls ranging from light dustings to 2 inches. The heaviest snows tend to occur in January, but you can encounter white stuff any time between mid-December and Valentine's day. Snow in Williamsburg, Virginia which is in the Southern tidewater area, is a magically beautiful thing to experience.
The possibility of ice storms, freezing rain or "black ice" (frozen dew) runs pretty much from mid-December to early March from D.C. through North Carolina, with the frequency diminishing, obviously, Southward.
All of these things are occasional and except for the heaviest snows have short-term effects. After a storm, temperatures usually rise rapidly back above freezing.

 
And then you could also encounter the snow we had 2 winters ago. Maybe not so much in December (but you could).
 
Aussie Pete said:
Hi everyone.  I am an Australian traveller taking my family on our third RV trip in the US this December.  We are considering driving from Orlando to Washington DC and back - Coast up and inland return - a 20 day trip.

My question is - how are the roads as we go north this time of year?  Being an Aussie, I am not accustomed to driving in the snow  - let alone trying to do so in a 30 foot RV!

Any thoughts will be welcome.

Many thanks
Click to expand...

For the most part - you will be fine - BUT, just have an option if the weather is bad, Maybe not making it to DC if a storm is predicted. For the most part from the Carolinas south you will be safe.

Orlando and Disney first? then up the Coast to Daytona Beach - Can drive on the beach, then get over to the Coastal highway up to Jacksonville, Then - Amelia Island - Jekyll Island - Savannah - Hilton Head - Charleston - Myrtle Beach - ?Hatteras? -  Williamsburg - Annapolis - DC - (you will need your running shoes on here as there is just too much to see in the short period of time you have) - Check Weather for the Blue Ridge Parkway South - then to Asheville and the Biltmore - Lake Toxaway - Atlanta - Tallahassee - St Petersburg - Orlando.

Might want to add a few days as this is a lot to see and Do.

Best of Luck, get back to us with more details and we will help fill in the blanks.
 
I lived in VA 15 minutes south of DC for a loooong time. I would be prepared for both snow, and warm weather. In December if you get snow it should be minimal.
 
Thank you for your help and suggestions.  We're working on our itinerary now and looking forward to a great trip - now to select and book RV parks.
 
Just listen to the weather report each day before you travel.
DC, VA and NC can have snow and the bad part is the low country of NC has no preparations for it.

One year heading to Florida in December, we had snow covered road all the way from NC to Columbia, SC. this is rare, but it does happen. That is why we now head south in October.

Jack L
 
    We've travelled from Nova Scotia to Florida virtually every December for the past 15 years.  We have always considered Washington to be the point where we would be past the risk of snow.  In fact we stopped in Washington mid December last year and the Cherry Trees were all in blossom due to the warm spring like weather.
    However, Washington is not the problem, if you plan on heading back inland, you could easily encounter snow in the mountains.  I wouldn't plan on heading to places like Asheville that late in the year as they often do get snow, and you likely will encounter difficulty finding open campgrounds.

Ed
 
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