View Full Version : Mt Rogers / Grayson Highlands weather this week
doingtime
05-23-2016, 09:39
Looking to get a day or two loop in around Mt Rogers this week. Never been to the area, but I read a lot of info on the quickly changing weather conditions. The temps look great this week, but I wanted to ask any experts in the area what I might expect??
Gambit McCrae
05-23-2016, 10:31
Not that I am an expert but I went thru that area from Elk garden to Teas RD about a year ago. had great weather the whole trip. I know that the winter weather up there is quite a bit more extreme then what the local weather will be in towns below but during this time of year I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially with how well VA is looking weather wise this weekend. I am going up to SNP this Wednesday night with the anticipation of 20-50% rain pretty much the entire week. Should be fun :)
Sounds like you are doing a loop trip? I don't know what you have or have not seen on the perimeters of the park (Grayson Highlands), but I would like to suggest going to the lengths of Elk Garden and Fox Creek during your stay there. The lewis fork wilderness was very pretty in the spring time, and the grassy ridge on elk garden was nice as well, I camped there.
Tuckahoe
05-23-2016, 11:40
For current and historic weather conditions I use this link -- http://www.graysonfriends.org/pages/ww.html
Every time I was in that area the weather has been significantly different from one day to the next. A few summers ago it was 80-degrees F one day and low 50s the next. When I was there last January it was upper 40s the first day and single digits the last. So my advice is to plan for extremes. The forecasts based on lower elevations will not be helpful to you.
Looking to get a day or two loop in around Mt Rogers this week. Never been to the area, but I read a lot of info on the quickly changing weather conditions. The temps look great this week, but I wanted to ask any experts in the area what I might expect??
Anytime you're hiking and staying above 4,000', anything can happen weather wise. Especially during this time of the year something can boil up and release lightning. We will be staying up there as well (in our secret spot) and look forward to it every year. Be advised that during the holiday, it can be VERY crowded. Hence, the secret spot.
Also, don't leave anything outside your tent/bivy/hammock etc that's salty from sweat. The wild ponies will chew on your gear.
la.lindsey
05-26-2016, 18:04
I was just up there for a section the other day. One night at Elk Garden was cold and rainy and I stopped sooner than I usually would have because I was so cold (I get cold pretty easily, though, especially when I'm hungry. And I'm always hungry). I was comfortable in leggings and a long sleeve shirt most of the day, but definitely put on my fleece in some of the windier parts, then ended up in my sleeveless shirt later on.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It was absolutely gorgeous though. That was my 30th birthday section (500 miles hiked since January 2!) and I couldn't have asked for a better section. I hope y'all have a great trip!
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