Southernn Tier December - January

[biketheusa]

I am thinking of doing the Southern Tier west to east begining appx. Dec 10.  Would appreciate any information on the weather during that period

[dubovsmj]

hey there
i plan on doing southern tier starting january 11th and have been
wondering the same thing...what i did was search folks' blogs on
crazyguyonabike website and sift through the ones that were close to
the time frame I'd be biking (though there were far less than i
thought).  also...i went to www.weather.com and typed in random
towns I knew i'd be biking through and went to an optino they have of
giving you the average high's/low's temps for the town you type in.  
also, the graphs on back of ACA maps give you a jist of weather
patterns in several major towns.  all and all, my thoughts are that
nights will be in the 30's and daytime high's won't be much more than
in the 60's, maybe low 70's.  again, i know it's hard to blanket statemet
for the whole U.S., but if it's warmer than what i expect then fine. and if
it's colder, well, then i'll still be prepared for that too.  hope that helps
some, though judging by your post you are possibly already on the
open road.  safe travels!

michael

[Westinghouse]

I have cycled the S-tier more than once in the dead of winter. Here is what I brought for the cold. A 15 degree F Slumberjack sleeping bag. A closed cell foam pad for insulation from the ground. A 10 by 12 foot polyethylene tarp for rain, and to break wind chill while sleeping. Down jacket and appropriate clothing. A light windbreaker for not so cold days. Sweat pants.

I had no trouble with the cold, but it can get very cold. You might consider Interstate 10 for possibly warmer days and nights. Blizzards and snow storms happen.

When I did it I did not do any research at all. I just took what I thought I might need, and it worked.

[biketheusa]

Thank you.  I think that pretty much answers it for me.  I neglected to say that I am referring to December 2009, not this year.

So what is the optimal time of year to do the s-tier?

[Westinghouse]

Some say the optimal times are spring and fall. When I say S-tier I do not necessarily mean ACA's mapped route. I mean the southern tier of states. The routes I have taken were partly on ACA's route. 2008, 9, 10---the weather is the weather in the south or anywhere. One year in winter in Van Horn might be quite nice. The same month and days another year and the place is covered in snow and blizzard. As for the rest of the route, it is similar; the weather varies at any given time and place. Christmas in northern Florida might be 25 F; it might be in the fifties or sixties. It is a matter of probabilities until it is.

[hohum]

I'd worry about March thru June in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  Really heavy winds can drive you out of your mind and create very dusty, dangerous conditions.  October thru February are very good times in the desert with occasional cold fronts that can drop temperatures.  If you follow the route as it goes through Eastern Arizona and Western New Mexico, you'll hit a couple of high passes and may encounter some cold and snow.  For the most part, it is wonderful cycling weather those times of year.

Good luck!

ho hum

[jeffreykellogg]

Michael
I did the ST Feb 18 - March 30 West to East in 2006

A great ride
Not to cold - one day of snow
Headwind most the Eastern part

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ventana is my blog

I am inbetween jobs again and was thinking of doing a 2-3 week tour - want company on the road from Jan 15 (about) to Feb 10??

Jeff
jeffreykellogg@yahoo.com

[polarplunge]

I'm glad to see folks have done the trek in the dead of winter, I'm researching various tours for next Dec-March. Will keep this one in mind!