S. Pa. Weather Mid-November

[Debbie]

I'm doing a section from Pen Mar to Boiling Springs the second or third week in November. I realize weather can vary wildly, but what kind of day/night temps might I encounter?

[moldy]

Be ready for 25 to 40 degrees as the overnight low temp.

[johnnybgood]

Take your 20 degree bag and winter hiking apparel. Daytime temps could be 45-55 * on average. Lows in the 30's .

[Cookerhiker]

Not weather-related, but keep in mind that the freshly-fallen oak leaves, when dry, make even the easiest slopes quite slippery.

[Debbie]

Thanks all; that gives me a pretty good idea. Good point about the oak leaves Cookerhiker. I remember going down into Pearisburg a couple of Octobers ago; the last downhill took forever because of the fallen leaves.

[Cookerhiker]

Thanks all; that gives me a pretty good idea. Good point about the oak leaves Cookerhiker. I remember going down into Pearisburg a couple of Octobers ago; the last downhill took forever because of the fallen leaves.

Debbie, same here. That's why I always repeat this lesson when anyone mentions hiking the mid-Atlantic in November. I had a section hike in mid-late November where the dry leaves greatly shortened the miles we intended on a fairly easy stretch (New York east of the Hudson River). Oaks are the worst and certain oaks are more slippery than other. http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=121844

Two weeks ago, I hiked the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks. Most leaves were down in my last 2 days but they were mostly maples, birches, and beeches - no oaks. They weren't slippery at all.

[UnfamousK]

plan on lows around 20 and be ready for rain or snow, bring poles, as others have mentioned lots of oak leaves......blaze orange never a bad idea in PA in november either.....

[FarmerChef]

plan on lows around 20 and be ready for rain or snow, bring poles, as others have mentioned lots of oak leaves......blaze orange never a bad idea in PA in november either.....

Ditto on the blaze orange. The slippery leaves can be a real pita but, sometimes, they can be just plain fun. As for temps, daytimes in the 40s to 60s are possible but sometimes a cold snap keeps them in the 30s. Nighttimes, as others have said, in the 20s or 30s, sometimes in the low 40s if the stars align. Then again a cold snap can sometimes take them into the teens at elevation but it's not that common in early Nov.

[The Solemates]

i go hiking in PA every year from sat-wed thanksgiving week. been doing it for almost 10 years now. i've had temps as high as 70 during the day, and temps as low as the single digits at night. It has snowed on me about half of the 10 trips. One year it snowed 14 inches. Be prepared for anything.

[Debbie]

This sounds like fun; I think I'll take eveything I took last Dec. on my section from Front Royal to Harpers Ferry. Maybe I'll get to use my new microspikes. I'm actually hoping for some cold weather-I never get to see any except when I'm hiking on the AT.

[ki0eh]

Microspikes are often a good idea for winter hiking in the mid-Atlantic. I have not yet seen them needed before Christmas in the A.T. region of PA (this statement does NOT apply to their desirability in Laurel Highlands, PA Wilds [Susquehannock, Quehanna, etc.], or even Mid State Trail which are all higher elevation and closer to the usual early snow generators of the Great Lakes).

I don't think they'd help for long on the oak leaves either. The oak leaves CAN be slippery as noted, and if in areas of a high mast crop even the number of acorns in early fall sometimes can cause appreciable traction loss.

So, for a November A.T. trip I might bring them if you have them, but not cancel the trip if you order them and they don't come in.

[Debbie]

Thanks Ki0eh;

I do already have them, so I'll bring them in case. After my experience last year with yaktrax, I got the Katoolahs and I think I'll be glad I did at some point. I know weather can change quickly. I got stuck in Snowtober a couple years back-started out in fairly mild weather and it changed overnight.