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View Full Version : What kind of rainfall can I expect in August and September on the CT?



heavyfoot
05-18-2012, 19:47
I won't be starting until late July.

Wise Old Owl
05-18-2012, 19:58
http://www.coloradotrail.org/snowandweather.htmlhttp://www.coloradotrail.org/snowandweather.html

OK I think the best question here should be posted directly to the maintainers.... so go on the above link and revel in it.

heavyfoot
05-18-2012, 20:40
I checked there. I know better than to think the weather in trail towns represents what goes on on the trail. :) I was hoping hear just general experiences from people who've been on the trail during those months.

Mags
05-18-2012, 21:05
When in August? mid July or so to mid-late August you can expect t-storms almost every afternoon with a good steady down pour. By early evening, it is gone. This general time is somewhat kidding called Monsoon Season. :)
http://coloradoouting.com/2010-07-21/colorado-news/welcome-to-monsoon-season-in-colorado/



Around mid-late August or so, Fall starts to hit the high country and the t-storms (and rain) starts to let up.

heavyfoot
05-18-2012, 21:47
The kind of downpour you just keep hiking through? That's fine with me, I'm more concerned about a hard nighttime rain.

fiddlehead
05-18-2012, 22:16
I remember hearing about these daily afternoon rainstorms and worried a bit about them
In reality, it might have happened that way 40-50% of the days.
Of course weather is never predictable either.

I remember one big storm late at night as I was hunkered down in my sil-shelter (stayed dry)
And only once did I have to bail off the tops for lightning (using my 5 second rule)

Good luck and Have fun.

StubbleJumper
05-19-2012, 20:45
I remember hearing about these daily afternoon rainstorms and worried a bit about them
In reality, it might have happened that way 40-50% of the days.
Of course weather is never predictable either.

I remember one big storm late at night as I was hunkered down in my sil-shelter (stayed dry)
And only once did I have to bail off the tops for lightning (using my 5 second rule)

Good luck and Have fun.


I'd say that I was rained on about 60% of the days during my hike last summer. Usually it's late afternoon, but I had some night rain as well. While getting rained on sucks, what's truly fabulous about Colorado is that you'll pack up a wet tent and wet gear in the morning but somewhere around 10:30am the sun becomes strong enough that you can spread out your gear in the sun during a 30 minute break and it's perfectly dry. That is truly fabulous. Every evening your bag is dry and your tent is at least dry when you pitch it. It's not like the east where once your gear gets wet, it might stay wet for another 3 days...

Papa D
05-19-2012, 22:15
Good thread - I'm starting in early August. I've always liked the challenge of a rainstorm - setting up or taking down - I'm typically dry - my main concern is having enough water to drink and cook with - form what I can tell - this is a challenge - if the thunderstorms will re-charge the sources a bit, this is good.

jbsbestfan
05-20-2012, 07:58
Last year in the san juans, here is what we experienced:
Day 1 - started eddiesville about 12:30 pm....rain by 3:30 that let up about 7 for an hour and then poured all night (but no lightning)
Day 2 - reached san luis saddle at noon, 65 degrees, sat for lunch and were enveloped by a could torrential rain and hail, and 30 dehgree temp drop with 10 minutes. Rain stopped after 30 minutes of torrential and then started steady again about 2 pm and did an on an off until we crashed..no night rain.
Day 3 - Torrential rain started about noon and rarely let up until we had crashed early....again (we had to have had 3 plus inches this day)
Day 4 -Started steady rain again about noon....turned torrential after we came out of the last drainage and stayed very heavy until we hit snow mesa (unbelievably hard right be fore we dropped to snow mesa), once on snow mesa light rain on and off until we dropped off, then clear to spring creek pass. Heavy thunder, lightning, and rain moved in that night (glad we were not on mesa).

Just like on the 6000 footers on east coast, you never know what ou will get or when you will get it......I do know that during that trip it was always clear from 7am to noon, take advantage of this. Unfortunately we had 3 teenage boys in our group and getting started by 7 was not possible.

I also read through yogi's guide and she said she had rain and sleet everyday until she was almost to denver (NOBO), but that she rain into a SOBO who had had almost no rain up to san juans.

Whatever you do, don't laugh off the "monsoon season" tag like I did....we probably had 9-10 inches in 4 days.

Even still, I am not deterred by the rain, we saw tremendous beauty and I am planning a thru-hike this summer.

Some final words of wisdom....the san juans rain is a very cold rain so have appropriate attire.....don't know what I would have done without rain pants, unfortunately my gloves were not water proof or resistant so my fingers froze for 2 days because the rain is also accompanied with a dramatic temperature drop and once my gloves were wet they satyed that way. I am taking waterproof gloves this time. (this will probably insure that I have very little rain this trip)

Have fun, it will be worth it even if it rains every day.

jbsbestfan
05-20-2012, 08:03
Other than failing to proof my post, i forgot to mention we started hiking on July 31

Cookerhiker
05-20-2012, 20:04
My hike last year was July 24 to August 30. We actually had a string of about 4 days between Twin Lakes and Salida with zero rain - none in morning, afternoon, evening, night. We also had 2 without rain in the "Dry Heartland" of Segments 16-18. Otherwise, we encountered thunderheads usually from 2-6. Most of the time, rain followed but sometimes it was just a few sprinkles. Not surprisingly, the higher the elevation, the more likely you'll get wet.

2 exceptions to the norm:

1. On August 2, we had a 4-5 hour soaker after dark - enough that I had water in my tent.
2. On August leaving Silverton, the heavy thunderstorms hit before noon, catching us as we ascended a pass. We were both cold and wet. We had been told that this last stretch (Segments 25-28) was the least likely to have rain but we had it every day except the last.

Try to avoid the high ridges in mid-late afternoon - easier said than done, especially when hiking Segments 22-24. Because we were up at 5 and hiking by 6 each day, we sometimes ended the day around 3:00 with a good day's mileage behind us.

Mornings are never rainy - always bright & sunny. That fact, along with the great photo-ops from the early morning light, makes it highly advantageous to get that early start.