Weather
Signs of an Incoming Storm
How to Forecast Weather for Climbing
When
you are climbing in the high mountains, in wilderness areas, and even at your
local crag, you should know how to read the weather and how to use some common
indicators to predict what the weather will be in the next 12 to 24 hours.
If
you have been in a few bad storms, pounded by rain, wind, and snow, then you
realize how important it is to keep an eye on weather systems and know when to
beat a retreat to avoid getting hypothermia or being benighted on the side of a
mountain.
The
good news is that there are lots of warning signs and signals that help you
predict what's coming your way.
Here
are nine common signs of an impending storm.
Cumulus Clouds
Cumulus clouds,
giant pillowy clouds that appear heaped up in the sky, are a common summer
cloud formation that often portends severe thunderstorms accompanied
by lightning,
the usual afternoon threat to climbers and mountaineers.
Cumulus
clouds grow quickly as the day heats up.
They
often grow faster vertically than horizontally into massive cumulonimbus
clouds, which develop into black, anvil-shaped clouds with heavy thunderstorms
accompanied by lightning.
Building
cumulus clouds are a good indicator that you need to break out the rain gear
and get the heck off of a mountain summits and ridges.
Cirrus Clouds
Cirrus
clouds, forming above 20,000 feet in the atmosphere, are high wispy clouds that
portend a change in the weather, usually an incoming warm front and bad
weather.
These
high clouds are one of your first warnings that the weather could change in the
next 12 to 48 hours.
Don't
confuse cirrus clouds with condensation trails left by high-flying jet planes.
Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular
clouds, also called wave clouds, are long smooth cloud formations that
indicate high winds in the upper atmosphere.
Lenticular
clouds typically form over mountains and mountain ranges when the wind is
forced upward as it reaches the mountain's windward side.
The
upward wind curls above the mountain, forming the lenticular cloud on the
leeward side of the mountain crest.
A
localized low-pressure system often builds on the leeward side of the mountain.
While the clouds appear stationary, they often indicate a larger incoming
storm.
Moving Clouds
If
you look up at the sky and see two layers of dark clouds moving in different
directions, it is a good indicator that the atmosphere is the unstable and bad weather is coming.
This
is often a signal that a new weather front is moving against an existing front.
Southerly Winds
The
air circulates counterclockwise around low-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that strong winds out of the
south usually indicate the impending arrival of a storm.
Because
the prevailing winds in the United States are westerly winds, low-pressure systems or storms move to the
east, bringing southerly winds on their outer edges.
Do
not, however, be deceived by localized winds in valleys or off mountains, since
they are usually caused by heating and cooling during the day.
Warm Nights
Stratus
clouds are high layered clouds that often cover the entire sky with a
featureless gray cloudscape that blocks sunlight.
These
high clouds often indicate incoming storms.
They
also act as insulators, keeping the night warm and blocking heat from escaping
into the atmosphere.
If
the stratus clouds are combined with southerly winds, the night can be very
warm.
Decreasing Atmospheric Pressure
If
atmospheric or barometric
pressure decreases, it is a sure sign that the weather is
deteriorating.
A
falling barometer usually indicates rain or snow, often within 12 to 24 hours.
When
you are out climbing, you do not need a barometer to determine barometric pressure. Use an
altimeter on a GPS unit to figure out atmospheric pressure in the field.
If
you check the altimeter and it shows an elevation change when you have not
moved, then the pressure is changing.
If
the altimeter shows a rise in elevation, the barometric pressure is falling and
a low-pressure system is on its way.
If
it shows a fall in elevation, then it indicates a rise in barometric pressure
and an impending high-pressure system moving in.
When
you're climbing, calibrate the altimeter if you know the elevation of the
parking lot before you hike to the peak.
Later
in the day, check the elevation if
you reach a point and know the elevation. Always recalibrate the altimeter
whenever you can for accuracy.
Halo Rings
High
clouds, often at night, will refract a halo or ring of light around either the sun or the moon.
These
halos can be a good weather predictor and often signal incoming moisture and
fronts.
Look
at the moon at night. A halo around the moon indicates
that a warm front is approaching, but plan on at least a couple days of good
weather before it arrives.
If
the moon is bright and clear, a low-pressure system has blown dust out of the
air, so plan on rain.
Low Cloud Base
If
dark, thick clouds lower down and snug up against the mountain peaks and ridges,
plan on precipitation.
Low
clouds are a clear indication that the dew point, or the temperature that the
air becomes saturated with moisture, is dropping.
Rain
or snow, often lasting all day or night, is usually imminent. Plan on beating a
retreat back to the trailhead or hunker down in your tent and play a game or
two of cards.
Stewart
Green
Introduction
Author
of more than 20 books about hiking and rock climbing
Senior
rock climbing guide for Front Range Climbing Co. in Colorado
Worked
with the Colorado Department of Parks to solve climbing problems
Red Rock
Canyon Open Space and Garden of the Gods committee member
Experience
Stewart
M. Green is a former writer for ThoughtCo who wrote articles about rock
climbing for more than eight years. Stewart is an expert climber and co-owns
Front Range Climbing Company where he acts as the senior rock climbing guide in
the mountains of Colorado and Utah. Stewart started writing about and
photographing the outdoors around 1977, landing his first job with Springs
Magazine in 1979. Since that time, his writing and photography appeared in
numerous books and websites. Stewart's experience includes working as a digital
editor for Alpinist.com where he wrote about and photographed some of the most
famous climbers in the world.
Stewart
is a prolific writer. His work appears on many websites and magazines which
target the outdoor enthusiast audience. He has more than 20 books to his credit
about climbing and hiking. Stewart worked with the Colorado Springs Department
of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services to solve problems with rock
climbing in city parks. He was a member of the committees for both the Red Rock
Canyon Open Space project and the Garden of the Gods project.
Education
Stewart
M. Green earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Nonfiction Writing from
Goucher College in 2007. He also holds a Bachelor Arts (B.A.) in Anthropology
from the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs.
Awards
and Publications
2011
Golden Quill Award in Lifetime Achievement, Pikes Peak Library District
Best
Climbs Phoenix, Arizona: The Best Sport and Trad Routes in the Area (Falcon
Guides, 2017)
Rock
Climbing New England: A Guide to More Than 900 Routes (Falcon Guides, 2015)
Rock
Climbing Utah 2nd Edition (Falcon Guides, 2012)
Best
Climbs Denver and Boulder: Over 200 Of The Best Routes In The Area (Falcon
Guides, 2011)
Best
Climbs Moab: Over 140 Of The Best Routes In The Area (Falcon Guides, 2011)
Rock
Climbing Colorado, 2nd: A Guide to More Than 1,800 Routes (Falcon Guides, 2010)
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https://www.thoughtco.com/weather-signs-of-incoming-storm-756025
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