Winter weather in the southern Utah

[BlackRockArt]

Hi y'all.

I am hoping to get some advice with regards to travelling there. I will be in the southern part of Utah between Dec 15 ~ Dec 22, my tentative plan is going around the Bryce Canyon NP, staying in Moab for 2 days, Arches/ Canyon Lands, Hanksville, Kanab/ South Coyote Buttes North/ South.

It's been almost a decade since I made the winter sojourn; last time I was in the region, the tempearutre dropped to 0'F, I was ill prepared. This time I hope I can fare better.

I have looked the weather forecast, it seems the weather will stay dry for the next 10 days, so my questions is: how cold does the temperature drop to at night ? Will the road be ok to drive on ?

Thank you all for the advice.

Oliver

PS: this was taken 15 years ago (?) on Fujifilm Velvia with my old Rolleiflex.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Temps where I live are very similar, and it's been cold and dry. 16-20 overnight and 45 in the day. Bryce will be colder because of the altitude. Dress warm and you should be ok.

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

I'll just miss you, Oliver. I'll take the same route just a few weeks after you do the trek. I expect bone-chilling temperatures. Hopefully not too much snow.

In any case, take warm clothes with you. Take chains for your car just in case you hit ice.

 

[BlackRockArt]

Temps where I live are very similar, and it's been cold and dry. 16-20 overnight and 45 in the day. Bryce will be colder because of the altitude. Dress warm and you should be ok.

Ben,

Thank you so much. 16F - 20F sounds very manageble, I think I will get dew warmer. The road should be eaiser to navigate, last time the cow dung rd was pretty much muddy and slippery.

I'll just miss you, Oliver. I'll take the same route just a few weeks after you do the trek. I expect bone-chilling temperatures. Hopefully not too much snow.

In any case, take warm clothes with you. Take chains for your car just in case you hit ice.

Hi Michale, yes, a friend got lucky to won the wave lottery, hence the odd time. Anyway, it should be a good trip.

Oliver

 

[JimFox]

Hey Oliver,

I didn't get a chance to comment yesterday.

That sounds like a really awesome trip! You have some sweet spots in mind!

First off, just because it's cold out doesn't mean the roads are safe for travel. Especially in the Coyotte Buttes area. I got stuck once as I have mentioned before going out to Temple of the Sun and Moon. It was December and it was snowing, so I figured I didn't have to worry about the clay in the roads and getting stuck. At the beginning of the road when I got off hwy 24, I even stopped, and got out and walked and felt the ground to make sure it was solid and not mushy. So I took off driving. I was about 3 or 4 miles in where the road goes up an incline with a 20 foot drop off on one side. Halfway up the incline my tires started slipping and the Jeep started sliding towards the gully. So I stopped. I got out and immediately each boot was swallowed up and caked in 6" of mud. It was 1 am, which meant it was really cold, so I had also thought that if the road was wet the cold would have frozen it. But it didn't. So being it was 1am and no one but myself was out, and there was no way anyone was going up that hill. I just crawled into the back to sleep till morning, with the hope the ground would dry out some as the snow had stopped and that I could get out in the morning. Which with the help of carpet strips, I was able to get unstuck and get going.

Sorry for repeating that story again. But it's to say, just because it's winter and seems likes it's cold, fresh snow can act like fresh rain. And there are lot's of roads made of clay in that area. So you may want to have enough idea's that if the roads are not good for traveling, you have some alternative locations.

When is your lottery ticket for?

 

[BlackRockArt]

Hey Oliver,

I didn't get a chance to comment yesterday.

That sounds like a really awesome trip! You have some sweet spots in mind!

First off, just because it's cold out doesn't mean the roads are safe for travel. Especially in the Coyotte Buttes area. I got stuck once as I have mentioned before going out to Temple of the Sun and Moon. It was December and it was snowing, so I figured I didn't have to worry about the clay in the roads and getting stuck. At the beginning of the road when I got off hwy 24, I even stopped, and got out and walked and felt the ground to make sure it was solid and not mushy. So I took off driving. I was about 3 or 4 miles in where the road goes up an incline with a 20 foot drop off on one side. Halfway up the incline my tires started slipping and the Jeep started sliding towards the gully. So I stopped. I got out and immediately each boot was swallowed up and caked in 6" of mud. It was 1 am, which meant it was really cold, so I had also thought that if the road was wet the cold would have frozen it. But it didn't. So being it was 1am and no one but myself was out, and there was no way anyone was going up that hill. I just crawled into the back to sleep till morning, with the hope the ground would dry out some as the snow had stopped and that I could get out in the morning. Which with the help of carpet strips, I was able to get unstuck and get going.

Sorry for repeating that story again. But it's to say, just because it's winter and seems likes it's cold, fresh snow can act like fresh rain. And there are lot's of roads made of clay in that area. So you may want to have enough idea's that if the roads are not good for traveling, you have some alternative locations.

When is your lottery ticket for?

wow, Jim, this sounds like a good holloween story ! Clay mud is my biggest concern, on top of the sands; I am debating with myself if I should bring a portable tire inflator, just in case; also, the old carpet strip could help, if I can find any in Hanksville. The unpaved road could really trap the cars after some wet weather, this is is probably why the badlands are so attractive to us photographers.

The lottery to Wave is on Dec 21, so it's kind of like a Christmas gift, after trying our luck for more than one year.

I only see one weather system in the next 10 days, so the road will be partially dry, hopefully the snow stays a bit longer.

Oliver