View Full Version : Spring Weather in the south
tiamalle
01-30-2006, 00:07
The weather in the south has been like spring.Day average is Lo to mid 50s
and nights upper 20s to upper 30s I went out for a few miles today and it
was perfect weather.
:sun :sun :sun :sun :sun
Yeah, would have been a good year for the Winter Solstice AT Challenge. Springer to Katahdin from Dec. 21 to March 21 backpacking, no support crew.
Who's going to be the 1st! :)
dixiehiker
01-30-2006, 00:42
I miss seeing a real winter though! It seems like years since we've seen one, continuous winter! It's January, and I wore a sweater to church this evening, but I got HOT in it! I like pretty weather, but I enjoy each season and wish we could have a true winter. I love to see snow in the mtns., even if it does slow down my hiking! It's worth it to see a real winter wonderland!
-dixiehiker
Ramble~On
01-30-2006, 06:46
I love winter camping and hiking.
The Smokies are great in winter as most people stay away and all the other area trails seem devoid of humans when deep snows pile on the ridges.
I've been out this year in 3 good snows.... Winter is in North Carolina but you have to go to 6000 feet to find it....and most of the time when you expect snow you only find rain....
For the last couple of winters though February and March provided some fun.
Think Snow !!!
Until it gets here I'll enjoy the light winter pack.
Skidsteer
01-30-2006, 07:00
I miss seeing a real winter though! It seems like years since we've seen one, continuous winter! It's January, and I wore a sweater to church this evening, but I got HOT in it! I like pretty weather, but I enjoy each season and wish we could have a true winter. I love to see snow in the mtns., even if it does slow down my hiking! It's worth it to see a real winter wonderland!
-dixiehiker
Winter's not over yet! Be careful what you wish for...:sun
mweinstone
01-30-2006, 19:17
his son is running things,i hear hes a hot head.
Ok..long as we are on the subject of winter in the smokies..
what is it typically like there in winter? at 5000 plus feet..three feet of snow common? and onthis subject.. how wintery or spring like is it in the smokies in Late March early April on the AT?
i understand that folks normally don't use snow shoes..so how bad can it be? Tell ya one thing..no crampons or snow shoes in the whites of New hampshire and you ain't gonna be climbin nothin' in a normal winter!!
Right now (7:30 pm) we have 30 degrees and freezing drizzle here in Concord, NH..not much higher than sea level.
David
Inn Keeper
02-04-2006, 17:04
Ok..long as we are on the subject of winter in the smokies..
what is it typically like there in winter? at 5000 plus feet..three feet of snow common? and onthis subject.. how wintery or spring like is it in the smokies in Late March early April on the AT?
i understand that folks normally don't use snow shoes..so how bad can it be? Tell ya one thing..no crampons or snow shoes in the whites of New hampshire and you ain't gonna be climbin nothin' in a normal winter!!
Right now (7:30 pm) we have 30 degrees and freezing drizzle here in Concord, NH..not much higher than sea level.
Davidweather is getting cold today in the south:o
Tha Wookie
02-04-2006, 19:12
Gotta love it!
:sun
Inn Keeper
02-04-2006, 23:19
Gotta love it!
:sunI Know.I was talking to my cousin down in Canton,NC and they were getting snow.
carolinahiker
02-04-2006, 23:51
Anyone have past experience in the area between Erwin tenn and hot springs nc i wonder what the weather is like in may ?
dixiehiker
02-05-2006, 04:18
Hooray! We are finally getting some cold weather in Georgia! We are going to the Smokies soon, and I'm hoping to see some snow! Keeping my fingers crossed! We've been two or three times in winter around this time, and we haven't missed yet! Oh, to DavidNH, the two or three times we've been in winter, I'd say 4 to 5 inches was the depth we saw. I know it can be worse at times, but severe blizzards and such are not very often in the South. I don't have any statistics on how often it gets say a foot or more. But, I know when we've been there, we see that 4 or 5 inches come and go in a matter of days. The temperatures just vary so in the South.
-dixiehiker
Ramble~On
02-05-2006, 05:51
Here's an example...
I live in Sylva, NC about 17 miles from Cherokee.
Yesterday it was 64 degrees and springlike.
Tonight on my drive home from Cherokee it was 27 degrees and snowing with a light accumilation.
Factor in that Sylva and Cherokee are both practically as low in elevation as you can get around here and you begin to understand what conditions would be like on the AT say at Spence Field, Rocky Top, Ice Water Spring..
441 through the park was closed to traffic early in the evening. They close 441 during periods of snow for good reason..the road is bad enough in good weather.
Weather in the south in the spring ?? One day can be 60 degrees and sunny and the next day can be sub zero with windchill and blizzard conditions.
5000 / 6000 feet right now ? It'd be a survival fest....if you were ill prepared/experienced.....wearing cotton that had gotten wet...you'd probably be in big trouble.
It happens every year......
Recent story from last year was some kids on spring break that decided to do the AT through the park.....ill prepared and non experienced....one case of hypothermia and I believe a helo rescue / evacuation....
Probably still a thread on here somewhere about that.
I love the park and this area that is why I live here. I love the park in winter far more than the summer as there are not crowds and hiking in fresh snow without a footprint in front of me is great.
At elevation in winter/spring the southern mountains can be dangerous.
Weather can turn just as it can say on Mt. Washington.
If you are planning to spend some time in the southern mountains in spring
be prepared for pleasant weather and be prepared for all out winter weather. Mother Nature doesn't have a calender and can whip out some nasty winter storms at 5000/6000 feet in April and May.
Snow. I'd be willing to bet that there is atleast six inches of fresh fallen snow along the "spine" on the AT through the Smokies right now....with more in drifts as the wind is blowing fairly good down here so up there it'd be blowing harder.
Anyone venturing into the mountains south or north in winter or spring should prepare themselves for any weather conditions.
Being ill prepared and getting into a survival situation puts more than yourself or those in your party at risk but also those that will come to aid you.
There are winter specific hiking books available that would be a good source of information. Elevation in winter is dry air and leads easily to dehydration.
Carrying a pack for a distance in deep snow can bring on fatigue quickly.
Sunburn in snow ? Oh yeah...
I have some pictures somewhere of a recent Smokies trip I'll have to post.
Anyone have past experience in the area between Erwin tenn and hot springs nc i wonder what the weather is like in may ?Summertime
TurboDog
02-06-2006, 15:24
Okay guys and gals,
I need some info. I'm scheduled to hike from Fontana Dam to Winding Stair Gap starting this Thurs and finishing Sunday. I've been keeping track of weather forecasts and things are looking good, but cold. The owner of The Hike-Inn, on hwy 28, guesses that there is 10 or more inches of snow on the mountain, but the folks at Nantahala Outdoor Center say there is some snow but not a bunch and expect it to mostly melt. I've been planning this trip for months and don't want to miss an opportunity unless it is absolutely necessary. The cold is not an issue for me as well as a little snow; however, I don't care about trudging through a foot of snow for miles upon miles. Short sections of snow would not bother me though.
Does anybody know the current conditions on the mountain?
I need to be deciding on whether or not to reschedule.
Thanks
TurboDog
Pennsylvania Rose
02-07-2006, 11:37
Here's an example...
Weather in the south in the spring ?? One day can be 60 degrees and sunny and the next day can be sub zero with windchill and blizzard conditions.
Isn't that the truth? Last week I wore short and a t-shirt, this week our pipes froze when it got down to 15 overnight.
Last April I took my kids to the Smokies. When we were in Knoxville, we were comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. By the time we registered and hit the trail a cold front was moving through and it was pouring - a COLD rain. At 3000' the rain turned to slush, and by 3500' we were soaked and there was 3" of snow on the ground. We met up with a ridgerunner with 3 thru hikers in tow and it didn't bode well. Soon after we decided to turn around to warm my daughter up in a motel. It was bitterly cold that night. The next day, though, it warmed back up and the only snow we saw on the trails by late afternoon was a dusting on the balds.
Okay guys and gals,
I need some info. I'm scheduled to hike from Fontana Dam to Winding Stair Gap starting this Thurs and finishing Sunday. I've been keeping track of weather forecasts and things are looking good, but cold. The owner of The Hike-Inn, on hwy 28, guesses that there is 10 or more inches of snow on the mountain, but the folks at Nantahala Outdoor Center say there is some snow but not a bunch and expect it to mostly melt. I've been planning this trip for months and don't want to miss an opportunity unless it is absolutely necessary. The cold is not an issue for me as well as a little snow; however, I don't care about trudging through a foot of snow for miles upon miles. Short sections of snow would not bother me though.
Does anybody know the current conditions on the mountain?
I need to be deciding on whether or not to reschedule.
Thanks
TurboDogappalachiantrailservices.com has the weather for each
trail crossing updated daily for 10 days click on state,trail crossing and
bulletins.
appalachiantrailservices.com is a nice site. Thanks for the link Mr. Oz.
Well the spring like conditions should be gone by about March 13th because I am going to start hiking on the 15th. That is ok though, and what I am going to say next is going to haunt me the whole time I am on the trail but... I cant wait to see it rain. It has not rained in Denver since August 24th. I am so looking to hear and smell the rain. I know you guys probably think I am crazy.