Temperatures in North Cascades?
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Hey, my brother-in-law and I do a fair bit of hiking, but mostly day-trips, or we camp out on the flats with the family. But we've been wanting to stretch our legs on trips like Blue lake, Image Lake, etc around North Snohomish County. Never having camped out at that altitude, I was wondering what sort of overnight temperatures we should prepare for, in spring, summer, fall and winter? And no, we don't plan on heading out in the winter untill we get some more alpine experience, but we *do* look forward to taking some snowshoes with us, some day down the road. ^.^ Thanks!
-Aeritus
www.TraditionalOutdoorsman.com
[QUOTE user='Aeritus'][QUOTE user='erlall']cold. or at least plan on cold temps...[/QUOTE]
Very helpful, thank you. ;)
I was surprised checking out that weather website, to see temps frequently dropping below 0 from late fall through early spring. I was thinking more along the lines of low 20's and maybe into the teens, with the exception of a few cold weeks during the heart of jan-feb. Definitely would of been ill-prepared >.<[/QUOTE]
You are definately welcome. It is just the unpredictable, damp/wet weather we can be faced with at this time of the year. It might be nice when you go, but I would not plan on it....
(I do not mean to sound like I am giving fatherly advise, however...) With that being said, it does NOT mean you should not go on the hike. Just be prepared. Bring plenty of waterproof and breathable clothing and an extra (WARM) set for when you get there. That will allow the first set time to dry out inside your tent in case the clothes get wet while hiking.
Have fun!
Very helpful, thank you. ;)
I was surprised checking out that weather website, to see temps frequently dropping below 0 from late fall through early spring. I was thinking more along the lines of low 20's and maybe into the teens, with the exception of a few cold weeks during the heart of jan-feb. Definitely would of been ill-prepared >.<[/QUOTE]
You are definately welcome. It is just the unpredictable, damp/wet weather we can be faced with at this time of the year. It might be nice when you go, but I would not plan on it....
(I do not mean to sound like I am giving fatherly advise, however...) With that being said, it does NOT mean you should not go on the hike. Just be prepared. Bring plenty of waterproof and breathable clothing and an extra (WARM) set for when you get there. That will allow the first set time to dry out inside your tent in case the clothes get wet while hiking.
Have fun!
erlall
[QUOTE user='erlall']cold. or at least plan on cold temps...[/QUOTE]
Very helpful, thank you. ;)
I was surprised checking out that weather website, to see temps frequently dropping below 0 from late fall through early spring. I was thinking more along the lines of low 20's and maybe into the teens, with the exception of a few cold weeks during the heart of jan-feb. Definitely would of been ill-prepared >.<
Very helpful, thank you. ;)
I was surprised checking out that weather website, to see temps frequently dropping below 0 from late fall through early spring. I was thinking more along the lines of low 20's and maybe into the teens, with the exception of a few cold weeks during the heart of jan-feb. Definitely would of been ill-prepared >.<
Aeritus
cold. or at least plan on cold temps...
erlall
That was actually very helpful, thank you both. And thanks for the website recommendation, checked it out and was totally amazed. They have Miner's Ridge and Lyman Lake on there, which is some of the area we intended to run around. Info was exactly what I was looking for!
Aeritus
I was just going to say roughly the same thing as Adam, but he did it better than I.
You will also want to explore the snotel site, which has been my favorite website to recommend for quite a while now. They keep a history of weather conditions for various places throughout the northwest backcountry, which can be pretty helpful when planning trips (including daily low temperatures):
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Washington/washington.html
I generally just pick a location near to where I'm headed at about the same elevation and get a pretty good idea of similar conditions.
You will also want to explore the snotel site, which has been my favorite website to recommend for quite a while now. They keep a history of weather conditions for various places throughout the northwest backcountry, which can be pretty helpful when planning trips (including daily low temperatures):
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Washington/washington.html
I generally just pick a location near to where I'm headed at about the same elevation and get a pretty good idea of similar conditions.
Forrest
There is no way to provide a solid answer. Usually mid-june to mid-september is safe from freezing temps. However; I have been snowed on in august and have hiked 90 degree days only to wake up to a frozen water bottle. Expect freezing temps, April, May, June, September, October, and teens to negative digits November-March.
Adam
Anyway, I'm starting fresh with gear. For now, I'm getting stuff together for day-trips and will be expanding into overnights, weekends, week-long trips and winter as I piece stuff together, and learning as I go.