Weather and water conditions in MA & VT

[Speer Carrier]

Generally speaking, what kind of weather conditions and water availability can one expect in MA and VT from the middle of September through the first week of October.

[Tinker]

Cool and rainy with few bugs (except when it is warmer than usual - varies from year to year ). This time frame is exactly the time in which I did most of my New England Section hikes. I don't remember water availability ever being an issue (now too much water, that's a different story).

[burger]

Actually, Tinker, Sept./Oct. are no wetter than any other time of year in MA and VT. New England has no rainy season. I did a couple of trips last fall, and it was nice and dry (a little too dry in some places). Anyway, between the foliage and the nice temps, that's the best time of year to hike in NE.

[Papa D]

I hiked the LT last year and (while we were just fine) I think that the common worry was that later in the summer and early fall the springs would dry-up and water would be an issue ---- I'd say drought would typically be more of a concern than wetness - temps should be fairly pleasant in September -- October could see below freezing temps and probably an early snow.

[Driver8]

Actually, Tinker, Sept./Oct. are no wetter than any other time of year in MA and VT. New England has no rainy season.

VT's rainy season is the non-snowy season. Seriously, Papa D is correct, some years, for example last year, it can get dry in the stretch from 8/1 or so to 10/15 or so. Good idea to watch the weather reports before you come this way to hike, I'd say.

[burger]

VT's rainy season is the non-snowy season. Seriously, Papa D is correct, some years, for example last year, it can get dry in the stretch from 8/1 or so to 10/15 or so. Good idea to watch the weather reports before you come this way to hike, I'd say.

That's just not true. Check your climatological data--on average, New England receives almost exactly the same amount of precipitation every month of the year. Yes, in winter it falls as snow, but there is no dry season. Fall can get dry--or it can be wet (like it was in 2006 when I was hiking up there)!

[Deadeye]

There are only a few spots where water is an issue during dry spells, and most are identified as such in the LT Guidebook, i.e. the water supply at the shelters will be described as reliable or not! Places like Butler Lodge, Shooting Star, Lincoln Mountain Ridge, and a few others may dry up in late season spells, and there is very little reliable water North of Laura Woodward Shelter until you get to Journey's end. Other than that, lack of water is rarely an issue - you will cross frequent, sometimes too frequent, springs and streams on most days.

[Driver8]

That's just not true. ... Fall can get dry--or it can be wet ...

You just contradicted me, then yourself. I've looked at climatological data to which you refer - have been a weather geek as a hobby and took a class in it in college. The rain *does* vary month over month, on average. And it WAS dry in NW CT and W MA last year, droughtish to the point that they worried about fires. I was there and talked with rangers about it at Greylock. So clearly it CAN get dry that time of year, given that it did.

IIRC, the driest months of the year in CT (at Bradley Air Field) are August, September, December and January, on average. This past January, however, was one of the wetter. Connecticut is in New England I'm sure nothern VT is different, Cape Cod, too. Probably not wise to generalize about a "the climate" of a 70,000 mile region with a large coastline and significant mountains.

[Driver8]

70,000 *square* mile region. Need to pony up so I can edit. ...

[burger]

IIRC, the driest months of the year in CT (at Bradley Air Field) are August, September, December and January, on average.

But the average differences among months are very small. It would be wrong to say that MA or VT has a "dry season" or that fall is usually dry.

And I didn't contradict myself anywhere.

[burger]

Here's the climate data for Bennington VT:
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...graph/USVT0017

Here's Great Barrington MA:
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...graph/USMA0158

Aside from a minor dip in late winter (which may or may not be real depending on how many years of data went into the graph), there's no trend here.

[Driver8]

And I didn't contradict myself anywhere.

Apply some logic, and you'll see that you did:

1. I said "it can get dry from 8/1 to 10/15." (emphasis added)

2. You replied "That's just not true." "That" had to be 1, above, since I discounted my "rainy season = non-snowy season" as a joke. VT *is* pretty wet/snowy, most will agree.

3. Then, in the same post, you said: "Fall can get dry." (emphasis added).

I said "A". You said "not A," then turned and said "A." Self-contradiction if ever I saw it.

Now, to meteoroligical substance - thanks for taking the time to link.

Re: Great Barrington - I think most meterologists would call the December-March stretch the "dry" season and May and August "wet seasons." A 50% different difference in 30-year-averaged rainfall rates is significant, climactically. In Great Barrington, the distribution is more even, though, as you note, there's quite a big dropoff in Jan and Feb.

Not sure all of this is something to get hot under the collar about.

[Driver8]

Argh, I meant to say in "Bennington, the distribution is more even. ..."

One thing: August will be drier than May in New England, for instance, given the same amount of rainfall, since August is much warmer, so water evaporates and blows away in the wind much more quickly in the warmer temps. Most hikers in these parts, most people for that matter, would tell you August is a relatively dry time of year, with brooks and streams running lower and more slowly.

[burger]

Are you seriously still thinking about this? Get a life, dude.

[Driver8]

Shocking, I think about the weather and trail conditions. Continue to process such things and, horrors, learn more in the process. And succeed in not being petty or hateful in the process. Yea me! ...