Weather

Know before you go. Weather is the one variable that touches every activity on this site — it can turn a routine trip into a search-and-rescue call faster than almost anything else.

1. Check the forecast for your destination, not just home — mountains, coastlines, and canyons all make their own weather.
2. Check it again right before you leave, and build in a way to check it again mid-trip if conditions can shift (satellite communicator, NOAA weather radio).
3. Know your lightning plan. Get off ridgelines, summits, and open water; a hard-topped vehicle or substantial building is the only real shelter.
4. Watch the wind, not just the temperature. Wind drives cold-water shock, wildfire spread, and offshore drift for paddlecraft.
5. A 30-degree swing is normal in spring and fall — dress and pack for the coldest and wettest part of the day, not the forecast high.

Relevant Every Month, Especially

• Trip Planning & Navigation (February) — build the habit of checking forecasts before you build a habit of anything else
• Snow, Ice & Avalanche (January) — forecast checks are non-negotiable in avalanche terrain
• 4×4 & Roadside Recovery (October) — flash floods and early storms catch overlanders off guard

Part of the Rec+Safe Theme of the Month calendar.