Temperature

[ZEKE #2]

I will be starting a thru hike in 4/01/08 starting at Springer. Given that time frame, what temperature extremes can I expect? I've looked at local averages, but these don't take elevation into consideration.

[Lone Wolf]

lows in the teens, highs in the 70s

[soulrebel]

That start date is right on the cusp of the sled or snorkle debate! GL

[wallace]

This link will take you weather data for Shenandoah NP in VA. The data is for Big Meadows which in at the higher elevations in the park. This is not exactly what you asked for, but it is another piece info that you can use to do a sanity check.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/climate/almanac-va-shenandoah-np.htm

[neo]

I will be starting a thru hike in 4/01/08 starting at Springer. Given that time frame, what temperature extremes can I expect? I've looked at local averages, but these don't take elevation into consideration.


try this link:cool: neo


http://www.thru-hiker.com/temporal.asp

[ZEKE #2]

Thanks for the help. Just don't want to have too much/little.

[Frosty]

Thanks for the help. Just don't want to have too much/little.No way to avoid it. Some days you will have too much, some days too little :)

I think the key is not to pack so much that you never spend a chilly night. If you ony have one or two chilly nights, then you have packed just right most of the time, and the reward for a couple of chilly nights is a pound or so of clothing not carried up every friggin' hill.

[moxie]

I slept in the snow and ice on Grannyttop, two days out of Springer in the snow on April 8th. The radio said it was 20 degrees in north Georgia but my thermometer said it was zero on Grannytop. My water bottle froze solid in my tent. A day later it must have been near seventy degrees and we were all wearing shorts an Neels Gap.

[rafe]

What Wolf and Moxie said. My experience also. Expect extremes, and anything in between. I had a touch of snow, frozen water bottles, and 75 degree days in my first week (April 4 start.)

[Rocketman]

I too have been wondering about the temperatures along the trail during the March to October season.

Here is one of the things I found for the Minimum Temperatures for the month of April.

[GlazeDog]

I started first week in April two years ago. We saw 89F pretty early that month one day. Can't remember where--just remember we camped up high that night and not at a shelter. And in the same month of April we saw 19F at Ice Box Spring Shelter between Frankling and NOC---woke to snow covered trail and headed out first into the snowy 10-12 mile hike into NOC. The Blazes dissappear somewhat when the snow sticks to the sides of the trees. Luckily the trail is fairly easy to follow there. It made me hike fast--I was at NOC for lunch by 12:30.

GlazeDog

[Rocketman]

Here is my second try at posting a graphical map of the Climatical average 1970-2000 April Low Temps, covering the USA, including of course the AT region. I noticed that the area around Springer Mountain experiences about the same low temps as does the Quad Cities area of IL/IA at the big bend in the Mississippi river almost straight west of Chicago.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1348&stc=1&d=1170462145

Hope it works. :confused:

[Rocketman]

These are climatology 1971-2000 minimum temps for February and March.

For the Very early birds, and for the early birds.

:sun

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1349&stc=1&d=1170463543
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1350&stc=1&d=1170463543