Real Time AT Weather

[Brushy Sage]

I drove from NC to MD and return over this past stormy weekend, and checked the temperature at AT trail crossings: On Fri, Jan 23, the temp was 18 at Sams Gap, where the AT now goes under I-26; 23 at the crossing near Atkins, vA (Village Motel and Red Barn restaurant); 32 at the I-81 crossing northwest of Roanoke, and 21 at Harpers Ferry. On Mon, Jan 26: 14 at Harpers Ferry, 18 northwest of Roanoke, 23 at Village Motel crossing, and 38 at Sams Gap. Other than just interest in how the weather is along the AT, is there any useful application of reporting weather? Maybe it's useful for those planning to hike this season (thru or section). I doubt that it is useful at all for those already on the trail. I mean, how often can you get to a computer terminal; even the weather channel is sometimes hard to find!

[Brushy Sage]

I drove from NC to MD and return over this past stormy weekend, and checked the temperature at AT trail crossings: On Fri, Jan 23, the temp was 18 at Sams Gap, where the AT now goes under I-26; 23 at the crossing near Atkins, vA (Village Motel and Red Barn restaurant); 32 at the I-81 crossing northwest of Roanoke, and 21 at Harpers Ferry. On Mon, Jan 26: 14 at Harpers Ferry, 18 northwest of Roanoke, 23 at Village Motel crossing, and 38 at Sams Gap. Other than just interest in how the weather is along the AT, is there any useful application of reporting weather? Maybe it's useful for those planning to hike this season (thru or section). I doubt that it is useful at all for those already on the trail. I mean, how often can you get to a computer terminal; even the weather channel is sometimes hard to find!

I'm answering my own post. Very interesting that there have been 40 views to date, and with no responses. Seems that I got the answer to my question (no apparent interest within the online AT community in getting current weather along the trail). In a way this underscores the validity of the WhiteBlaze concept: members are free to comment or not. That's real freedom of expression.

[highway]

AYCE at thruhiker.com has (or at least had) on his site the facility to call up various places along the AT, at various months of your selection,to give you a nice graph of highs,lows, median temps. I consider it extremely useful to get some idea of the past temperature extremes so as to "guess" at the next year's temperatures for any given location, for the requested month. I even copied some of the Southern portions beginning with Springer. Perhaps they are still there if anyone is interested. They helped me.

[flyfisher]

I use the webcam pages below to get an idea what is going on in the southern mountains. The pages not only have photos, they have temperatures, and minimum/max for the last 24 hours. I use the photo to tell me whether there is snow cover on the ridges.

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmcam/grsmcam.htm

http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmpkcam/grsmpkcam.htm

Rick

[steve hiker]

AYCE at thruhiker.com has (or at least had) on his site the facility to call up various places along the AT, at various months of your selection,to give you a nice graph of highs,lows, median temps.
I beleive this is the site Highway is talking about. Gives average temps for the different months at various towns along the AT:

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

Also does anyone know if the high ridges in TN/NC got hit by the snowstorm this week?

[highway]

[QUOTE=steve hiker]I beleive this is the site Highway is talking about. Gives average temps for the different months at various towns along the AT:QUOTE]

Yep, thanks.

I used it trying to plan an upcoming section hike, trying to determine high/low temps so as to know what clothes to bring. Ayce did an outstanding job on it. But, being fickle weather, it'll still be a shot in the dark! But a slightly more-educated one

[Brushy Sage]

Well, I jumped to a conclusion too soon (not unusual for me -- ha, ha). Thanks for the responses, and for the great websites you suggested. As to snow in the mountains from the recent storm: the mountains in central Virginia and north got much more. There is some accumulation in the mountains west of Asheville, but the event turned more quickly to an ice and freezing drizzle storm. The schools in NW North Carolina were closed today due more to slick roads than to deep snow.

[Brushy Sage]

Snow is falling in Asheville this morning (Thur, Feb 26), with 8-12 inches forecast for the high ridges. Hiking on the AT in western NC might not be very pleasant for the next few days.

[snowshoe]

Snow is falling in Asheville this morning (Thur, Feb 26), with 8-12 inches forecast for the high ridges. Hiking on the AT in western NC might not be very pleasant for the next few days.



You get can get weather forcast through a NOAA weather radio. They are small and light. Some models even go on by themselves when there is a weather warning. I have one and is very usefull. You can get reception in most places since NOAA has offices all over.

Since when is snow not pleasant. The more the better.

[Brushy Sage]

Rain/snow showers along the NC/TN border today; one of those days for hiking fast to keep warm, and then early into the sleeping bag at night.

Now
Scattered rain showers will drift northeast across the North Carolina mountains through the morning...with the greatest coverage near the Tennessee border. Some light snow showers may mix in early at elevations above 4000 feet near the Tennessee line.
Forecast for Buncombe County

[Jersey Bob]

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[Jersey Bob]

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[Jaybird]

Rain/snow showers along the NC/TN border today; one of those days for hiking fast to keep warm, and then early into the sleeping bag at night............................................. .........


i saw where the wx folks are predicting a couple of inches of SNOW in the mountain of east TN & mtns of NC tonight (03/31) bundle up thru-hikers! :D

[flyfisher]

It looks like a couple inches have already fallen today. I put up a live link to the Webcam at Purchase Knob on my homepage. It repeats from the air quality site.

Third picture down on the left at:

http://www.imrisk.com

Oh, if you check it at night, all you will see is the darkness... :p

[Brushy Sage]

The Purchase Knob webcam shot is awesome at 7:15 p.m. Mar 31, with snow abounding. The latest Carolina Mtn Club newsletter gives notice that the Mt. Mitchell webcam has been taken down for repairs, so there is currently no picture from the highest peak east of the Mississippi.