View Full Version : Mid March in SNP??
saltysack
11-02-2015, 14:58
Looking ahead to my sons spring break for a section hike..what are conditions like in SNP then...I'm assuming it might be to early...we are planning fht between Xmas and new year..he's off from March 18-28....don't want to get caught up in the bubble in ga/nc. Thoughts.....
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Slo-go'en
11-02-2015, 15:08
It's still winter there. Good chance of being caught in a snow or ice storm. You'll have to watch the weather very carefully.
The coldest night I've ever camped out was mid March in SNP, (but I don't usually camp in winter). It was easily in the teens with snow on the ground. The day after I exited a snowstorm closed skyline drive, so be prepared.
chknfngrs
11-02-2015, 15:37
Cold, wet,freezing, damp, cold,wet. Which also makes it awesomely underpopulated
earlyriser26
11-02-2015, 16:18
The weather is very variable that time of year. It could be cold or very mild. I would look at conditions closer to the hike time.
jimmyjam
11-02-2015, 16:32
It will be cold and their will be no services open in the park, all campgrounds, waysides and restaurants will be closed.
saltysack
11-02-2015, 16:32
Cold, wet,freezing, damp, cold,wet. Which also makes it awesomely underpopulated
Yep...less people is the plus of winter hiking...my favorite. I'll keep my options open as its a ways off.
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If you are an experienced winter backpacker, you could do fine. If not, you'll either look back and say you hated it or that it built character. Hope you have a rare stretch of good weather that time of year in SNP or if not, you view it as building character.
I recall being out in SNP in 2000 in early March and during the day it was 80 degrees. I also recall the Blizzard of 1993 with four feet of snow and temps near zero starting March 15 where Spring Breakers had to be rescued. Weather can be either extreme in March in SNP, or anything in between.
Red Cinema
11-04-2015, 12:31
I've done this exact same weather math, as I too have a spring break in March. As described in many posts, it can get dicey....
MadAussieInLondon
11-10-2015, 13:17
mid march... freezing below 0F temps, frozen ground, frozen streams, nobody around, could be lots of snow or none but everything will be frozen solid
Consider the Foothills Trail. Mid March is probably even better than my early February thru hike this year. Cold but nowhere near as cold as SNP and I'm told that accumulating snow is not common.
saltysack
11-10-2015, 14:25
Consider the Foothills Trail. Mid March is probably even better than my early February thru hike this year. Cold but nowhere near as cold as SNP and I'm told that accumulating snow is not common.
Hoping to do fht between Xmas nd New Years....
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Right, I remember now. Didn't connect that you were the OP...