Change in Weekend Plans

The weather last weekend was beautiful. This weekend it's a little more challenging.This is the forecast for an area 15 miles west of Grand Canyon Village.

Tonight: Rain before 11pm, then rain and snow. Some thunder is also possible. Low around 30. Breezy, with a southwest wind 23 to 26 mph decreasing to between 15 and 18 mph. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Saturday: A 40 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. West southwest wind between 8 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 19. West southwest wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. South southwest wind between 7 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Dave, Todd and I had planned a 3-day, 2-night backpacking trip to the Painted Desert this weekend. The forecast left little doubt of rain (translate that as mud) and strong winds with gusts of 60 MPH. We decided to forgo the mud and wind and do one night in the Grand Canyon. We selected a 15 mile loop with some exposure (i.e. steep ledges and climbs were a fall would be fatal) and Dave opted out.

Todd and I leave at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning to get to the Back Country Office at 8:00 AM. Hopefully we can get a permit. If not, we'll try for a permit in another area.

Dave and I hope to do a backpacking trip in the Painted Desert soon.