Weather in Utah?

Hello,

we are planning to visit Utah, Las Vegas and perhaps California
sometime in mid-June. Is this time okay or should we expect
life-threatening heat and inability to admire the Grand Canyon and
drive around without suffocating?

What is the worst/best time to visit the destinations?

wrote:
Hello,

we are planning to visit Utah, Las Vegas and perhaps California
sometime in mid-June. Is this time okay or should we expect
life-threatening heat and inability to admire the Grand Canyon and
drive around without suffocating?

What is the worst/best time to visit the destinations?

The terrible heat is mostly in late July/August. It will be warm in June,
especially late june, but not life threatening. (Actually I hiked the
canyon in mid August in 1999, and my life was not threatened, so it's not
THAT big a deal). The rim, especially north rim, is much cooler than the
river, so that makes a difference, too.

Best months are probably April/May and late September/October/early November?
for the South Rim, June/September maybe for the North Rim.

Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance. Since you'll
beat most US school holidays, it might still be OK, but make those reservations
soon. There is NOTHING like waking up on the Rim.

Both decent temps and less crowds would make June just fine. If it gets hot,
then make sure you drink lots of water.

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen
Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Note my response below is very Grand Canyon Focused. But Utah weather will be
cooler than the Arizona weather (particularly the south rim.). You might
consider the North Rim, as it is closer to Utah. Less infrastructure, but more
beautiful nature. Also, however, not a real good day hike into the canyon -
reputedly (I have not done this) you have to go quite a way down the North
Kaibab trail to get good views. South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge is my
favorite day hike in the canyon.

Julie

Juliana L Holm wrote:
wrote:
Hello,

we are planning to visit Utah, Las Vegas and perhaps California
sometime in mid-June. Is this time okay or should we expect
life-threatening heat and inability to admire the Grand Canyon and
drive around without suffocating?

What is the worst/best time to visit the destinations?

The terrible heat is mostly in late July/August. It will be warm in June,
especially late june, but not life threatening. (Actually I hiked the
canyon in mid August in 1999, and my life was not threatened, so it's not
THAT big a deal). The rim, especially north rim, is much cooler than the
river, so that makes a difference, too.

Best months are probably April/May and late September/October/early November?
for the South Rim, June/September maybe for the North Rim.

Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance. Since you'll
beat most US school holidays, it might still be OK, but make those reservations
soon. There is NOTHING like waking up on the Rim.

Both decent temps and less crowds would make June just fine. If it gets hot,
then make sure you drink lots of water.

Julie

--
Julie
**********
Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen
Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

--
Julie
**********
Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen
Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

Juliana L Holm:
Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance. Since you'll
beat most US school holidays, it might still be OK, but make those reservations
soon. There is NOTHING like waking up on the Rim.

I'm not a native English speaker (from Eastern Europe, actually) so I'd
appreciate your clarification on what is "to beat holidays". Did you
mean "coming later than the holidays end"? In such case, when do the
school holidays end in the US more exactly?

Thanks! I was very sorry that we couldn't visit Utah in mid-May as
planned before. I hope late June will be manageable.

wrote:
Juliana L Holm:
Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance. Since you'll
beat most US school holidays, it might still be OK, but make those reservations
soon. There is NOTHING like waking up on the Rim.

I'm not a native English speaker (from Eastern Europe, actually) so I'd
appreciate your clarification on what is "to beat holidays". Did you
mean "coming later than the holidays end"? In such case, when do the
school holidays end in the US more exactly?

No, you come in earlier than most holidays begin. It's an idiom, of course.
One beats something by getting to a point earlier than it. In a race the winner
"beats" the others to the finish line. It simply means to arrive earlier.

So you will arrive in the US before the schools generally close up (in the
third week of June.) American families tend to vacation in July and August,
so June is good.


Thanks! I was very sorry that we couldn't visit Utah in mid-May as
planned before. I hope late June will be manageable.

I don't think it will be a problem. Remember Bryce and Zion are geographically
higher than the Canyon (Bryce is highest) and they are cooler. I recommend
them highly. If you have any interest in American Indians, consider visiting
the large Navajo Nation, and the Hopi reservation in the center of it.

--
Julie
**********
Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen
Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

wrote:
Hello,

we are planning to visit Utah, Las Vegas and perhaps California
sometime in mid-June. Is this time okay or should we expect
life-threatening heat and inability to admire the Grand Canyon and
drive around without suffocating?

What is the worst/best time to visit the destinations?

Depends where you go in Utah, I was in Moab the middle of June doing
mostly hiking/backpacking which was restricted to mornings and evenings,
the afternoons were limited to the pool since it was extremely hot that
year.

what about biting gnats? I've searched and found that they are abundant
in Canyonland in June.

SNIP
Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance.
SNIP

Hi

By coincidence I had a conversation just last night with somebody here
in the UK who apparently tried to book lodging at the Grand Canyon
North Rim fairly recently. They were told it was booked solid for 2
years.

Regards
KGB

wrote: we are planning to visit Utah, Las
Vegas and perhaps California sometime in mid-June. Is this time okay or
should we expect
life-threatening heat and inability to admire the Grand Canyon and
drive around without suffocating? What is the worst/best time to visit
the destinations?

Both my brother and also my wife have experienced snow on the north rim
of the Grand Canyon in early June, so you might also consider taking
some warmer clothes also, although most places in the area in which you
want to go will have fairly warm days, not life threatening. Bryce
National Park is at a high elevation so you could also have chilly
nights there. Make sure to visit lower Antelope Canyon just east of
Page, Arizona, the narrow slot canyon with its fluted red sandtone
walls is magnificent. Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona just south of
Flagstaff is another good place to visit and is a nice contrast to the
Grand Canyon as you are down in the canyon and not just on the rim At
the Grand Canyon make sure that you go down a trail at least just a
short ways, you are now in the canyon and your whole perspective
changes.

I've visited this area in all seasons and there is no one best or worst
time. One of my favorite memories is a trip through Canyon de Chelly
in the back of a truck with a Navajo guide just after Christmas. The
truck was constantly breaking through the ice of the rivers we had to
drive through. Of course, some higher elevation places such as the
north rim of the GC will not be accessible in winter and slot canyons
should not be visited in rainy weather. If you go in the colder months
you can also drive your car in Zion Canyon instead of being forced to
ride a bus.

You should have a nice trip, I hope that you have enough time to see
most sights in this wonderful part of the US.

George

"KGB" wrote:
SNIP
Your biggest issue at GC at this point is finding lodging, particularly if you
hope to stay in the park. It can be booked up way in advance.
SNIP

Hi

By coincidence I had a conversation just last night with somebody here
in the UK who apparently tried to book lodging at the Grand Canyon
North Rim fairly recently. They were told it was booked solid for 2
years.

North Rim and Phantom Ranch are always terrible. There are some alternatives,
though.

On the north Rim, Jacob Lake, outside the park, usually has some availability.
The drive to the Rim is long, about 40 miles, but all beautiful parkland.
South Rim hotels and motels, Maswik, Yavapai, El Tovar, and my favorite, Bright
Angel, are available later than the North Rim is. North Rim has very few
rooms, South Rim has more. The town just outside the South Rim, Tusayan, is
also full of hotels/motels, and is very close to the Rim. I think you must
take the Park's transport in now, you cannot drive if you are not overnighting
at the Rim.

--
Julie
**********
Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen
Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm