wind river september weather?

[frozenintime]

hi all

in researching the wind river range, this amazing site keeps popping up and many of you seem very well versed in the area.
so i thought i'd join up and come here with my question!

my wife and i are considering a last minute trip to the winds in september for an 8 or 9 day loop.

the only time we can get away, however, is somewhere around the 10th to the 20th.
given your experience, what should we expect at this time of year?
how likely is a blizzard, multiple below 20 degree nights, etc?

we have a fair amount of experience backpacking, but not in snow (we are from the northeast, where once it's snowing it's cold cold cold.)

my wife sleeps cold and tends towards it a bit the rest of the time as well. she can layer up and is very game and we are very excited by what we've read about the area, but being cold every night could put a damper on what is ultimately a vacation, and major snowfall just might put a damper on both of ours. (california is another option but there seem to be major fires and smoke anywhere we want to go!)

i know it's a broad question and i'm asking you to predict the weather, which doesn't exactly clock in on a timetable.
but at least one of you has got to be a little clairvoyant, right?! or at least experienced

 

[Nick]

The monsoon should be quieting down buy then, so you may actually have fantastic weather. Or at the very least, the forecast will probably be more reliable than when the monsoon is firing up. Just keep an eye on it and have a backup plan if it goes south.

 

[frozenintime]

The monsoon should be quieting down buy then, so you may actually have fantastic weather. Or at the very least, the forecast will probably be more reliable than when the monsoon is firing up. Just keep an eye on it and have a backup plan if it goes south.

apparently i haven't done enough research cause i haven't heard of this at all! i just googled wind river monsoon and wyoming monsoon and couldn't find anything.

 

[Nick]

Google Southwest US monsoon season. It rocks the wins every summer like clockwork.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Monsoon

 

[frozenintime]

got it, nick. very good to know! so less precipitation (or at least less sudden/violent precipitation) would be typical in mid september.

any other thoughts appreciated!

 

[Bob Wire]

apparently i haven't done enough research cause i haven't heard of this at all! i just googled wind river monsoon and wyoming monsoon and couldn't find anything.

The monsoon moisture (and the winds get some leftovers from the south occasionally) won't be your problem with the dates you mention but big cold fronts from the northwest could pose significant problems. I have had a foot of snow fall on my camp at Crescent lake in the north Winds in late August and had the same fortune on another trip in early September in Titcomb basin. In both cases the temps dropped into the mid to low twenties for a couple of nights and it took a couple of days to melt enough to do any sort of hard climbing. Psychologically be prepared to withstand a day or two of what looks like winter. On one of these occasions I fished most of a day breaking ice from the guides all day. Will this happen to you? Maybe, maybe not but be prepared for it .

 

[frozenintime]

hey bob

right, i've been reading that a foot of snow is possible. thank you for sharing your experiences!

our plan was to do the long but fairly on-trail green river lakes/titcomb basin loop outlined in douglas lorain's book. i don't have the book in front of me and am still very new to the area, but i think it is mostly on the highline and porcupine trails. for what it's worth.

 

[OldBill]

I go the Winds every mid-Sep for the past 12 years. Out there next week. You have to be prepared for Everything. To state the obvious, check forecast the day before you hit the trail. It's good for 3-4 days. 20% precip. chance in town means very likely in the mountains. "Usually", 20 F mornings, 60's by mid-morning on clear days. Hail, thunderstorms, heavy wind and snow are all possible. Snow usually melts, but I'd rather be on the West than East side when it hits. I carry a 10 F Western Mountain Versalite and NeoAir Xlite. With silk sleeping thermals, I have no problems.