Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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rijaca
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by rijaca »

TallGrass wrote:Read the clouds and keep looking 360 degrees (and up too). Thin strips are high altitude but puffy cotton balls are condensating which can, but doesn't always, come back to the ground. Not direction and speed of both wind and clouds. Winds shift, fronts collide, and sometimes you can see clouds coming your way even though the wind isn't.

Mountains can trap moisture in a cycle where it rises as steam from basins and valleys, cools into clouds like where mountains force air up higher when it runs into them causing it to rain back down later in the day. That's why you'll see clear skies all around except for a chain bedecked in seemingly permanent clouds.

I've started as late as 11am and 4pm and encountered beautiful weather thru the night, and had dawn starts from high camp turned back by rain and hail (graupel). Clouds and wind were pretty reliable indicators.

Sometimes rain or clouds pass and you can continue on, or it's warm front rain (light, steady, can last all day) which doesn't generate lightning like cold fronts (heavy, varied intensities, often pass within an hour). +1 on what ChicagoTransplant wrote. Read up on reading weather, staying alert, and adapting are better than any rule of thumb like "off by noon."
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by rijaca »

Being off the summit by noon is neither gospel or final deadline, but rather a good suggestion. I agree with CT's and Scott's tips, and would add to look at the hourly forecast on NOAA.

This past Saturday I spent an 1.5 hours on the summit of 13er in view of the Dirty D. Noon to 1:30 pm. Would have stayed longer but had a dinner engagement back in town.
Last edited by rijaca on Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by TA2773 »

What about climbing 14ers solo, is that alright?

I would prefer to hike with friends, but I don't really have any friends outside of the Denver area in Colorado.

I haven't climbed a 14er yet, so I don't know how I will handle the altitude change, but I have been as high as 12k (Loveland Pass) without feeling altitude sickness, so hopefully I'll be alright.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by jenkscolin »

TA2773 wrote:
Jim Davies wrote:Be sure to check the summit forecast, not the forecast for Denver.
Or is there a better way to check the localized weather for that specific peak?

http://www.mountain-forecast.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by San Juan Ron »

FYI, one of our heaviest rainstorms last year occurred on a 0% chance of rain day. One little cell developed and parked over us for over an hour with heavy rain. No other rain on the radar in all of SW Colorsdo. So, it's extremely rare, but can happen.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by ezabielski »

TA2773 wrote:What about climbing 14ers solo, is that alright?

I would prefer to hike with friends, but I don't really have any friends outside of the Denver area in Colorado.
Plenty of people hike 14ers solo, especially the less technical ones. If you like hiking alone, go for it. I've done a lot of 14ers alone and I enjoy both.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by bergsteigen »

TA2773 wrote:What about climbing 14ers solo, is that alright?

I would prefer to hike with friends, but I don't really have any friends outside of the Denver area in Colorado.

I haven't climbed a 14er yet, so I don't know how I will handle the altitude change, but I have been as high as 12k (Loveland Pass) without feeling altitude sickness, so hopefully I'll be alright.
Hiking solo is wonderful. Probably half of my trips are solo. You don't have to worry about your pace. If you are slow, you're not exhausting yourself to keep up with others. Just make sure to tell someone your plans. Most 14ers will have plenty of people on them on weekends, that you won't truly be alone anyway.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by Scott P »

What about climbing 14ers solo, is that alright?
Whenever I am hiking solo, I talk to myself in order to make sure that I'm getting expert advice.
Last edited by Scott P on Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by polar »

If you use the NOAA/NWS web site for forecast, don't just look at their 7-day forecast, but read their "Hazardous Weather Outlook" too. It's not in the most reader friendly format, but they talk about things like cold front and such, which can be very useful.
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by Trotter »

jenkscolin wrote:
TA2773 wrote:
Jim Davies wrote:Be sure to check the summit forecast, not the forecast for Denver.
Or is there a better way to check the localized weather for that specific peak?

http://www.mountain-forecast.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
+1

another excellent one. Breaks it down hourly.

http://www.hikercast.com/plots/cowyut.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by ChrisRoberts »

Scott P wrote:
What about climbing 14ers solo, is that alright?
Whenever I am hiking solo, I talk to myself in order to make sure that I'm getting expert advice.
Those are words to live by
Some rise, some fall, some climb to get to terrapin
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Re: Top Weather Tips For Climbing 14ers?

Post by DArcyS »

I'm a big fan of futurecasts that project out the precipitation. Unlike the NOAA/NWS forecasts that give a forecast for a small region, futurecasts give you a better idea of the extent of the precipitation over the area so that you can better gauge the strength of the system. Additionally, futurecasts give you a better idea about the intensity of the precipitation -- light green means light rain, red means watch out. And it's easier to project when the brunt of a storm will occur as well. Just keep in mind that these are forecasts, but at times I'm amazed at their accuracy.

Here are the two I look at, noting that you have to adjust the maps to zoom in over the area of your interest.

http://www.nbc-2.com/category/190119/fu ... e-forecast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (projects out to 48 hours)

http://www.krdo.com/weather/futurecast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (projects out to 24 hours)

The monsoon season peaks around the last week of July and the first week of August. Not that you can't climb then, but I'd plan my biggest trips, such as a trip into Chicago Basin, for different times. Typically, I plan on climbing peaks close to Denver over this period, so if I get rained out, I'm not too disappointed.

As for climbing in September, keep in mind that if you're climbing a class 3 or 4 peak and you need to use your hands a lot, your hands probably won't be as comfortable as they would be in July. There are three trip reports for Lizard Head (the toughest technical 13er) in September, and each of them discussed how cold they were. Generally speaking, if you get up early enough in the summer, you should be able to complete most of your climbs. And you won't need to worry about how icy a route is after the first snowstorm has arrived. That's my preference -- get up early in the summer and climb on warm rock. But to each their own. If you're patient, flexible, and take advantage of the occasional blue bird weekend forecasts, you can complete your "epic" climbs under warmer conditions than you'd find in the fall.