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Rainier Late March Weather?


grubburg

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March is the wettest month of the year

 

That doesn't sound right

 

It is not right. I misinterpreted some data compiled by our hydrologist. March typically has the heaviest rainfall, but on average Nov., Jan., and Dec. have higher accumulative rainfalls. Last year, however, March was the wettest month: http://www.seattleweatherblog.com/rain-stats/rainfall-2014/

Edited by DPS
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March is the wettest month of the year

 

That doesn't sound right

 

It is not right. I misinterpreted some data compiled by our hydrologist. March typically has the heaviest rainfall, but on average Nov., Jan., and Dec. have higher accumulative rainfalls. Last year, however, March was the wettest month: http://www.seattleweatherblog.com/rain-stats/rainfall-2014/

 

Yea, the old WE will get cha'

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March is the wettest month of the year

 

That doesn't sound right

 

It is not right. I misinterpreted some data compiled by our hydrologist. March typically has the heaviest rainfall, but on average Nov., Jan., and Dec. have higher accumulative rainfalls. Last year, however, March was the wettest month: http://www.seattleweatherblog.com/rain-stats/rainfall-2014/

 

just curious, why use seattle data for rainier precipitation? i'm sure there's a correlation, but how close is the correlation?

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The road from Longmire to Paradise may not be open for days at a time due to weather closure.

 

truth in that it may not be open for days at a time. however to clarify, at times, the weather is entirely unrelated to accessibility, there is a political process/component to opening the gate.

 

 

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Here is your data to answer this and all other "What is the weather like at X in Y month" questions:

 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa6898

 

Click around starting at

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/coopmap/

to find data for a couple thousand other weather stations (one thing to watch out for -- the "Period of Record" is different for every weather station, so if you want to actually compare two different stations you need to use something like "Custom Monthly Listing" to set the same time range).

 

 

 

 

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You could probably even Google some websites, and I also find useful data on the UW and NWAC sometimes. Maybe you'd have to contact them for historical data - I'm always able to get a few days forecast with altitudes,wind and temps; being a local helps. Check these links:

www.atmos.washington.edu/data/rainier_report.html

 

www.nwac.us/weatherdata/paradise/now/

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This is some what of the asshole reply - if you have to ask such general questions on the internet you probably should not be on the hill that time of year.

 

 

That said expect everything - one year we had very nice conditions except for winds strong enough to give one a snow flake enema. Of course then we saw the whole of the Willis drop a load.

 

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This is some what of the asshole reply - if you have to ask such general questions on the internet you probably should not be on the hill that time of year.

 

 

That said expect everything - one year we had very nice conditions except for winds strong enough to give one a snow flake enema. Of course then we saw the whole of the Willis drop a load.

 

not really a "general" question. it's really a request for links to reliable weather data, which the other members were kind enough to provide. thanks!

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Here is your data to answer this and all other "What is the weather like at X in Y month" questions:

 

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa6898

 

Click around starting at

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/coopmap/

to find data for a couple thousand other weather stations (one thing to watch out for -- the "Period of Record" is different for every weather station, so if you want to actually compare two different stations you need to use something like "Custom Monthly Listing" to set the same time range).

 

 

 

 

great data for march.

 

RAINIER PARADISE RNGER, WASHINGTON (456898)

Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary

Period of Record : 12/1/1916 to 3/31/2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual

Average Max. Temperature (F) 32.3 34.2 36.0 41.5 48.5 53.7 62.1 62.6 57.2 47.5 37.7 33.0 45.5

Average Min. Temperature (F) 20.5 21.5 22.2 25.6 31.3 36.5 42.7 43.7 39.7 32.8 25.5 21.2 30.3

Average Total Precipitation (in.) 17.51 12.21 11.83 7.82 5.01 4.33 1.73 2.49 5.34 9.99 16.21 17.95 112.42

Average Total SnowFall (in.) 128.7 94.6 107.0 62.3 22.8 5.9 0.4 0.1 2.9 26.9 86.9 116.2 654.8

Average Snow Depth (in.) 112 143 168 173 145 83 22 1 0 4 26 70 79

Percent of possible observations for period of record.

Max. Temp.: 92.7% Min. Temp.: 92.5% Precipitation: 93.4% Snowfall: 93% Snow Depth: 91.7%

Check Station Metadata or Metadata graphics for more detail about data completeness.

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The road from Longmire to Paradise may not be open for days at a time due to weather closure.

 

truth in that it may not be open for days at a time. however to clarify, at times, the weather is entirely unrelated to accessibility, there is a political process/component to opening the gate.

 

 

I don't understand what you are saying here. Please explain. Thank you.

 

What I wrote was based upon my direct experience. I went to do a climb in mid-March 2011. The snow was so heavy above Longmire that the road was not opened for three days to enable the plows to clear the road.

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Big Mitch,

 

It is certainly true the road closes due to weather at times. It is much too long to go into here to explain. But suffice to say the weather is absolutely not the sole reason the road stays closed/doesn't open/doesn't open in time. Read up if you'd like to know more.

http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=26113.0

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For winter attempts on Rainier as well as other Cascades peaks, good climbing conditions (firm surface and minimal avalanche hazard) are not predictable via any long term forecast. If you can adjust your climbing itinerary, try to go when it has not snowed for at least a week and, even better, when the freezing level rose up high before the dry spell.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've guided Rainier in March and from personal experience the weather and conditions have been unfavorable for climbing more often than not. In a way this has been ideal for my purposes, since the trips I usually guided were week-long Denali prep courses. The more wind, snow, and misery we encountered on Rainier the better prepared the clients would be for Alaska. I have never made it above Ingraham Flats on these trips. Even when the weather was tolerable the snow conditions were unsafe above Cathedral Gap. Lots of snow drifts on the upper mountain an builds up slabs that can become surprisingly deep.

 

It's certainly possible to climb the mountain at that time of year, but many stars must align to make it a pleasant experience. If everything works out it can be a special time to be up there since you won't have much company, but that's often for a good reason.

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