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Edwardo Rodriguez
03-23-2012, 20:11
After I saw some people yourtube video and saw that some of them was walking in the rain. It made me wonder what kind of weather there is on the AT. Being in the West Cost and in the Sierra I can expect afternoon thunder showers that will last for a few hours maybe showers that will last the day. Now along the AT if a storm roll in what can I expect. all day shower? One or two day rain? Over night rain ? Or all of the above

rocketsocks
03-23-2012, 20:16
All you mentioned and them some,like snow on Halloween or Easter,or a heat wave in february,at least in Jersey.

RWheeler
03-23-2012, 21:12
The rain can last seconds to days.

Weather is /very/ temperamental, especially when you get more into the Northeast. I was born on the West Coast, spent a lot of time between each side of the country growing up. The East Coast pretty much ingrained me with the mentality of layering as a standard for clothing. For example, it's March. The seasonal average right now is somewhere in the 50s. We've been in the 80s the past 4 days I believe.

You can expect rain, thunder, snow, heat, cold, humidity. And don't be surprised if you have 4 of those at the same time. For twenty minutes, then a new set of weather.

Slo-go'en
03-23-2012, 23:43
The old saying is "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute". That's how variable it can be, especially in the spring and fall when weather fronts are on the move - or sometimes get stuck. During the summer is when we get mostly the quick afternoon or evening thunder showers.

4eyedbuzzard
03-24-2012, 01:09
Sometimes it can rain for what seems like a week straight. Usually an exaggeration, but it is wet here, especially in the spring and fall. In spring and fall we tend to have two to three days of wet/rain, followed by 2 to 3 days of dry/sun. Summer can bring afternoon thunderstorms quite regularly, but warm and humid pretty much describes most of the days on the AT in summer (it usually does cool off at night, but sometimes not especially in the lower elevations). One of the biggest adjustments for a left coaster is the high humidity that is prevalent on the east coast even if it isn't raining. 90° and dry air is a LOT more comfortable to hike in than 80° and humid air. Your perspiration just can't evaporate and cool you like it does out west.

ScottP
03-24-2012, 01:31
lots of rain

humidity

Edwardo Rodriguez
03-24-2012, 03:50
OOOOH snap I forgot about the humidity (was in the east cost for 18 months while in the army). Well hum glad I ask need to rethink my cloths only was going to take a change of cloths so I have something to wear as I did my wash.

Spirit Walker
03-24-2012, 12:07
The average on the AT is that one day in three has some form of precipitation. What kind depends on the season and the year - i.e. snow and ice in March and April, wet fog most of the year, afternoon or evening thunderstorms in summer, etc. Dry years are easier to hike in, but may mean long treks to off trail water; wet years can mean rain for weeks on end. No way of predicting wet years from dry years ahead of time. Not like the west where often an El Nino year means rain in southern Sierras and a La Nina year means precipitation in the northern mountains. Some years spring is wet but the summer dry. My first thruhike we had rain for most of New England.

royalusa
03-24-2012, 17:36
When we thru-ed in 2008, 48% of our days/nights had some sort of precipitation. Snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain, or just plain rain. Mold grew inside our food bag and on our tent. Maine had 10-year record rains causing some of the trails to be knee deep in water and making some of the fords scary - one of them we took a jeep road and a logging road around as we did not feel comfortable crossing it, and we are both ex-competitive swimmers. One of the all-day rains in PA was just bone chilling cold and that day became our bench mark for all other days. If it wasn't as cold and wet as that day, we were doing 'fine'. Sure it gets old, but it is part of the challenge. It took us about a year to enjoy hearing the pitter-patter of rain on the roof of car or house again, as our minds would jump to the 'ah man, another day of hiking in the rain' and at that time we weren't even on the trail!

Edwardo Rodriguez
03-24-2012, 18:56
Well, well, thanks every one you sure enlightened me. In the back of my mind I was thinking that the weather in the east cost was more or less the same as in the west cost WRONG, I never hiked in the rain more that 6 hrs but now need to be prepare to me in the rain for how ever long it takes. Part of the planing and a thru hike is the challenge of what the trail, weather and what ever might come up. I just need to be prepare for what the AT has plan for me.