View Full Version : First big snow around NC mountains soon.
Earl Grey
12-31-2007, 18:13
My favorite is probably cold mountain or up mt mitchell. I was planning on going to cold mountain this week and hike around shining rock but as of 5pm on dec. 31 this is the weather forecast.
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA
MOUNTAINS EARLY TUESDAY...INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BY
TUESDAY EVENING. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES
ARE EXPECTED ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND ON NORTHWEST
FACING SLOPES. SOME LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF AROUND A FOOT WILL ALSO
BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NEAR THE TENNESSEE STATE LINE
IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 30
MPH...WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 45 MPH...COULD ALSO CREATE CONSIDERABLE
BLOWING OF SNOW IN AFFECTED LOCATIONS. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG
WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO CAUSE WIND CHILL VALUES TO
FALL TO BETWEEN ZERO AND 10 BELOW EARLY WEDNESDAY ACROSS MUCH OF
THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND
BLOWING SNOW ARE EXPECTED. STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS
ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?site=GSP&llon=-83.354583&rlon=-82.644583&tlat=35.895417&blat=35.187917&smap=1&mp=0&map.x=177&map.y=165
My sleeping bag is rated for 15 degrees and also I believe it will get at least 10 degrees lower than it says on the forecast.
I dont think ill go now.
IMPOSSIBLE.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-31-2007, 18:45
::: Dino pokes nose out from under pile of down quilts. Smells snow and burrows back in :::
Pedaling Fool
12-31-2007, 19:39
...STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND ON NORTHWEST FACING SLOPES. SOME LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF AROUND A FOOT WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...
Anyone know if there's some rule-of-thumb that equates amount of snow fall to amount of rain. For example if it snowed 7" would that be roughly equal to, say 5" of rain? Or is it a 1 to 1 ratio?
P.S. I'm from Florida, so don't get too technical.
Hikerhead
12-31-2007, 19:46
1 inch of rain will equal about 12 inches of snow, give or take. Then there's the variables...blowing snow, rain on top of snow, freezing rain ect. Those will knock the inches down some if not a lot.
Anyone know if there's some rule-of-thumb that equates amount of snow fall to amount of rain. For example if it snowed 7" would that be roughly equal to, say 5" of rain? Or is it a 1 to 1 ratio?
P.S. I'm from Florida, so don't get too technical.
1 inch of rain = 12 inches of snow. That's what I heard.
bigcranky
12-31-2007, 19:53
Hey, a blizzard! Sounds like fun. Go hole up somewhere with a nice warm sleeping bag until it's over, then snowshoe out over pristine snow under a clear blue sky. My favorite kind of winter hike.
$#%^ job....
The rule of thumb is one inch of rain = 10 inches of snow.
Lake effect snow which is very dry and fluffy can have a ratio of 40 to one.
Don't underestimate the power of the wind in the treeless areas of the Art Loeb in the Cold Mountain area. I've been knocked down by the wind on that trail while wearing a full pack.
Sounds like lots of snow. I am going to Mt. Rogers area tomorrow and walk back to Damascus. Will camp somewhere on Pine Mt or near Rotodendrum gap tomorrow night. Maybe I should look for a more sheltered spot. Getting going Wendesday morning is going to be hell.
Tipi Walter
12-31-2007, 22:23
When the weather pinheads call for snow, "dangerous" windchill and life-threatening cold, that's the time to get the gear and GO. Of course, to the pinhead pundits, anything below 20 degrees is considered severe and dangerous, I love when they mention 40 degrees around here as "cold".
The most worrisome part is how you'll get to the actual trailhead as sometimes the road driving can be the worst part of it. But I've found that hitch hiking in a bad winter storm is easy and fun, everyone will stop to pick me up since there's an excitement in the air, etc.
Hey, S.Dog, give me a full report when you get back. IF you get back:)
Earl Grey
01-01-2008, 00:06
When the weather pinheads call for snow, "dangerous" windchill and life-threatening cold, that's the time to get the gear and GO. Of course, to the pinhead pundits, anything below 20 degrees is considered severe and dangerous, I love when they mention 40 degrees around here as "cold".
The most worrisome part is how you'll get to the actual trailhead as sometimes the road driving can be the worst part of it. But I've found that hitch hiking in a bad winter storm is easy and fun, everyone will stop to pick me up since there's an excitement in the air, etc.
Hey, S.Dog, give me a full report when you get back. IF you get back:)
Thats just it though I dont have the correct gear to go :(
bigcranky
01-01-2008, 11:27
Sounds like lots of snow. I am going to Mt. Rogers area tomorrow and walk back to Damascus. Will camp somewhere on Pine Mt or near Rotodendrum gap tomorrow night. Maybe I should look for a more sheltered spot. Getting going Wendesday morning is going to be hell.
Hey, S Dog, stay in the top level of the Thomas Knob shelter. It's only a mile or so past Rhododendron Gap. The upstairs is well protected, sheltered space. It'll be cold, but you could set up a tent in there if necessary.
Have fun.
Earl Grey
01-01-2008, 20:20
And the temp has already started to drop.
http://149.168.1.195/~webcam/screenID001.gif
Lone Wolf
01-01-2008, 20:21
there ain't gonna be much snow at all
Anyone know if there's some rule-of-thumb that equates amount of snow fall to amount of rain. For example if it snowed 7" would that be roughly equal to, say 5" of rain? Or is it a 1 to 1 ratio?
P.S. I'm from Florida, so don't get too technical.
The rule of thumb is one inch of rain = 10 inches of snow.
This is what gets tossed around up here.
Snowball snow, really sticky, has alot more water per inch. That is what we are getting now. Gonna be a beast to clean up, coming off cold tomorrow night.
It's snowing here right now. They're calling only for about 2-3 maybe 5 inches in the higher elevations in the next 24 hours. Then it's suppose to warm up by Friday.
Earl Grey
01-02-2008, 11:17
http://webcam.srs.fs.fed.us/
Check out cold mountain! I need to be there!
http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/webcam/webcam.html
Mt Mitchell!
I just took a 4 mile hike. There was a dusting of snow here in Chattanooga last night. Temps in the low 20s at 8 AM. Great weather for a hike! 6 inches of snow would have suited me just fine!
bigcranky
01-02-2008, 16:16
http://webcam.srs.fs.fed.us/
Check out cold mountain! I need to be there!
Ooooooh! Aaaaaaah! Looks wonderful! The current temp is 7-F at 3:15 in the afternoon, with the sun out and a blue sky. Cold Mountain lives up to its name.
Complete bust. Little or no snow at all, they always overpredict/ overeact. Wind is cold enough to hurt your teeth, though.
Cars coming south on 77 through Wytheville looked like they had seen some.