On the topic of weather

imported
#1

Any words of advice, wives tales, or proven scientific facts about predicting weather in the mountains? (winter or spring mainly, summer okay too) I get the feeling from all the reading that I have done and threads on these and other forums that trying to predict the weather in the mountains is a giant crapshoot, but WTF, maybe someone has something they noticed that seems to hold true MOST of the time, or heck, even once.

The scenario I am envisioning is me walking up on a shelter late in the afternoon, say 3:30 and feeling really good and seeing that the next shelter is just another 4 miles. In my midwestern opionion the clounds look “threatening” and the wind is “brisk”. What I am looking for is some “clue” or tell-tale sign that is going to tell me to hunker down or hike on. Does anyone use a barometer? I think Bono used a weather radio. Thanks in advance.

Ben Reuschel

#2

I am sure there are folks on this site who can give you the nuts and bolts scientific answer. For me, the weather had very little do with whether or not i continued to walk.The old saying of “No Pain, No Rain, No Maine” can explain that. You are going walking for four to seven months… during that time are likely to hit many many rainy days, snowy days, cold as hell days, hot as hell days, tornadoes, downpours, sprinkles and everything in between… If you never walked in bad weather you will make it to Blood Mountain at best. Some people dwell on weather and complain about weather and bi*ch about weather. Me personally, why cry about what you have no ability to change. Besides, as Jimi Hendrix once said: “Lay back and groove on a rainy day…” I like hiking in all different weather. After the first mile, it doesn’t matter if it’s 8 degrees or 100 degrees… I am still wearing shorts and a tee shirt… rain, shine or snow… the same outfit. I always stopped when I felt like stopping and walked when I felt like walking. Just go with the flow… Smiles not miles… peace

ASWAH

Aswah

#3

Hopefully you’ll get to experiance it all…snow, cold, wind driven rain, lightning storms atop Dragon’s Tooth it makes the sunny days all that much more enjoyable. :slight_smile:

yo-yo

#4

Unless of course its 15 degrees, raining and sleeting, 18 inches of snow on the ground and your in the Smokies. Being wet in this situation can be dangerous. Saying that, Aswah, his group, me and my son only went 5.3 miles that day.

But the time we spent in the shelter will always be remembered. Sometimes its best to just stay put.

Rain doesnt bother me, wind is cool, Cold is fine with me.
Combine Rain, wind and cold and high elevations together and thats a different matter.

As Aswah said, sometimes its best to just have fun. He taught me that well.

PS: Aswah, if you shoot me again at Trail Days with that Super Pumper Water Gun in 20 degree weather, I’ll kick your butt :slight_smile:

Rebel, with a Cause !!

Rebel, with a Cause !!

#5

something about red sky in the night means rain and red sky in morning means sunny…that is something like 3000 years old…Jesus called it hogwash, but people still have sailor sayings.

We have one, one day at a time, or hike your own hike

burn

#6

all i know is the weather seems to move quick when it comes.
you stand up on a mountain and it seems like miles away its cloudy and looks like rain; so u figure u better hustle it up to get to the shelter. no more than that thought hits then the wind starts screaming and the rain starts pouring. i guess cause the wind has to pick up speed to get over the mountains? im not a weatherman. but it clears fast; and it clouds fast; and when it rains; it either rains fast and hard; or all day. its not like living on the midwest plains when u see the squall line forming and coming from miles away. you’ll get used to it and make your own decisions.

my personal decision; if im wet already; i keep hiking. no use stopping if im already wet. but if im dry; i like to stay dry. unless ive heard longterm forecast for rain for next 5 days; i’ll shelter a storm out for a night and do a bigger mile day the next day . but if its gonna be wet for a few days; might as well get wet.

Big Boy

#7

OK folks hear ye about the weather. I know not whether this weather information will weather scrutiny. It comes from a table placemat in a restaraunt near Harpers Ferry not far from the trail. I kept it just for a occassion as this.

***Lightning in west or northwest usually is in a storm that will reach you. Storms in the south or east go past.***Birds perch more before storms because low-pressure air is less dense making it harder to fly.***High clouds won’t rain on you, no matter how threatening they look. It’s lowering clouds that drop rain.***Leaves show backs before rain. They grow according to prevailing wind: a change of wind turns them over.***When distant sounds are loud and hollow, look for rain. Lowering cloud ceiling acts as a sounding board.***Rising smoke foretells fair weather. Lowering pressure, preceeds rain, drives smoke downward.***Smells are stronger before rain. Odors held captive by high pressure escape as the barometer drops.***Face the wind and the storm will be on your right. In this hemisphere, wind circle lows counterclockwise.High visibility over salt water means rain is on the way. Salty haze is dispelled by unstable air currents.

If you are serious about weather, I recommend this book titled - Weathering The Wilderness: The Sierra Club Guide to Practical Meteorology…by William F. Reifsnyder, 1980.

David Tosten

#8

I always heard “red sky at night sailors delight,red sky at morning sailor take warning”.Not that i would ever pay attention to sayings.Bottom line Be prepared for whatever as others say.If you train yourself and observe your surrondings you can tell when the Barrometric pressure is droping and that is the best way to tell if precipitation is coming your way.

Newb

#9

One third of the time there is sun, one third of the time there is rain, and one third of the time there is a combination fog,snow,ice, high winds and anything else nature can dish out. You will many times curse your fate or nature but you will realize that it all part of the trail. It makes for great stories once you make it to the shelter and that not all bad.
Life is good take a hike…Swamp Dawg

Swamp Dawg

#10

if the whole herd of cows lays down it is going to rain, and newb is correct, when the barometer drops the trees will make popping noises…little ticking sounds all around. If you are hiking you will hear it but not as much as when you are still. wild life will disappear too. chipmocks and squirrels will call it a day, deer will find their beds, and hikers will forge on. don’t forget the quiet before the storm…you get the funny feeling it is here, the barometer has hit it’s rain point and it stops and wham, the storm hits.

burn

#11

Not exactly on topic, but check out the comments on today’s weather at Mt. Washington. Burrr.

http://www.mountwashington.org/cam/deck/index.php

Tim

#12

Its always going to rain the day after you finally get all your gear dry. Its always going to rain the day after I start a week long trip even in the middle of a drought. That being said I have had some amazingly beautiful hikes in bad weather. One of my first days in Geogia it was so foggy that you could only see 10-15 feet in front of you and the diembodied voices of my fellow hikers was really creepy. The day I came out of Hiawassee it was a cold windy freezing rain and when I got to the shelter there was a nice fire and the hikers that were there first were boiling water and making hot choclate for the hikers that were arriving wet and cold. That was the best trail magic I experienced on the whole trip because it came from my fellow hikers.

Big B

#13

One simple rule…“if you don’t like the weather now, stick around for about 15 minutes” that sums up mountain weather perfectly. expecially in north carolina/tennessee.

Big Dee

#14

Something that I learned from my dad as a small boy that has been correct for over 45 years that I have observed it. If there is no frost or dew in the morning there will be rain within 24 hrs. If there is frost or dew there will be no rain or snow in 24 hrs. I check it every morning. Dew and frost form during clear skys and High pressures. No dew or frost are cloudy low pressure days. It worked for us and is easy to remember. Just like Aswah, it don’t matter, we looked forward to cool days and rain (in summer). You get up, pack up and hike and enjoy the day no matter what happens. A bad day on the trail is better than any day sitting here in front of this dumb computer!!! PS. It is red sky at night hiker delight, red sky in morning hiker take warning.

Papa Smurf

#15

Basically at some point in your hike your gonna hit some really crappy weather, probably a few or even many times. When i started many of us had the attitude that we were gonna try to “avoid” the weather or get around it or beat it. Just accept it with open arms because your gona be wet, soaked, cold and uncomfortable. My main advice is to embrace it, open up your arms, throw on your pack cover and rain jacket and throw a smile on your face. Had some of my best convos and got to know many hikers walking thru an all-you-can-rain day.
Check out a farmers almanac, they are suprisingly accurate. Last years said that the winter (jan and feb) were gonna be very cold with lots of snow and that march would be suprisingly nice and warm but that it would be a very wet spring and summer. All were true! Good luck and have fun.

A-Train