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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 11:16 am 
You're apt to find heavy competition at popular campgrounds for camp sites (Goblin Valley etc.) as this will be spring break time for many schools. Other than that, it's a nice time too visit the area.

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Bedivere
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PostTue Dec 31, 2019 5:47 pm 
Wondering about typical conditions in early April in the 4-corners area. Contemplating a road trip to the area at that time. Any info appreciated!

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RumiDude
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PostTue Dec 31, 2019 6:22 pm 
In general it should be pleasant. Lingering spotty snow in the higher elevations and starting to get warm lower. Rumi

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Randito
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PostTue Dec 31, 2019 7:38 pm 
It can also be windy. Temps depend on where you are and what elevation. Compared to here, the spread between the overnight low and the afternoon high can be dramatic. I was in Santa Fe two years ago and it was 23F overnight, but 75F mid-afternoon.

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canadug
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PostTue Dec 31, 2019 11:19 pm 
Pretty hard to predict. We planned to go down that way last year at that time and it was still snowy and very wet. Went to the Mojave Preserve instead and it was cool at night but pleasant. Just have a Plan B and Plan C and you will be good.

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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 11:31 am 
Elevation is the enemy that time of year. Night time temperatures around 20 are common. Wind can be an issue. It's a roll of the dice, with your odds of comfortable weather going up by the day. All that said, if the cold nights are not an issue, and if you can duck down in canyons and find sheltered places to hike it could be fine.

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treeswarper
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 12:00 pm 
If I remember correctly, April can get warm at 6000 feet. Or not. You'll have to figure it out when you get there. April is kind of the month of changes at the elevation of Pinyon and Juniper, also called PJ country. I lived up on the Mogollon rim for a couple of years.

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Bernardo
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 1:21 pm 
What is a good two night trek in this area at this time?

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Songs2
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 1:31 pm 
Bedivere, I went to that general area a couple of times before deciding to visit WA State in April (smile). I will PM you (eventually) some info about Cedar Mesa and walkable canyons with prehistoric shelters and pictographs, if that is your thing. Some BLM sites for free overnight camping. I did not go to the Moab area. There is also a ton of info on YouTube. Do you have a rough itinerary in mind?

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joker
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 1:48 pm 
There are decent climate tables online

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Bedivere
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 5:07 pm 
Thanks for the responses everyone!
joker wrote:
There are decent climate tables online
I'm sure. Still, it's nice to hear people's personal experiences and input. So far, what I'm hearing is about what I expected. Potentially cold at night with lingering snow in places and possibly unsettled weather. Sounds like early April to me! Yes, it's going to be spring break but I was planning to look for more out-of-the way places to camp and we will probably be staying in hotels most nights.

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Eric Hansen
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 8:37 pm 
+1 to all of the above re April in SW. I've been there a lot then, typically hiking low and mid elevations, skiing higher up. Several NOAA products here that I find useful for trip planning. Good to spot cold (or warm) fronts, or just to confirm that it looks like quiet weather. http://wxmaps.org/pix/temp1 Ditto here for precipitation, good for spotting large systems possibly approaching http://wxmaps.org/pix/prec1 Just be sure to note the calibration of those sites, which is pretty broad. FWIW that precipitation url spotted Flagstaff's 2nd biggest snowfall ever about 9 days out years back. I kept looking at the map and thinking it was an error, that the Mojave would dry the system out. It didn't, it came in as projected. For more short range precipitation definition, sharper timelines, I like this one. For under 3.5 days out it gives expected precipitation in 6 hour modules. Bear in mind that the lightest precipitation shown on these maps is barely a tenth of an inch. https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/qpf2.shtml

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gb
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 6:26 am 
Early April is yet very unpredictable in the SW, and realize that many areas are at 4500-6000'. Storms that time of year are usually short lasting, but can sometimes result in light to moderate snows, but almost always with quite strong winds. Behind a system it could drop overnight to the mid to upper teens, but would rebound into the 40's in the daytime. A day or so later it can be very pleasant, but still chilly at night. In the canyons with the sun angle getting higher and if not windy it would be very nice. Wind is the bane of the SW because there can be a lot of airborne fine sand and dust. My last trip of many was in the third week or so of April in 2014. I came out of a canyon and it was blowing like stink. My tent was absolutely full of sand and dust and un-sleepable. We got a motel; and considering a motel option is a pretty smart thing to do especially in spring. However, when nice, except for chilly to cold mornings, sleeping out under desert skies is one of the great rewards. Typically, by about the 25th of April the weather is more predictable in Southern Utah. But earlier you can often go south to the Grand Canyon, Page/Kanab and Zion, or further yet to Sedona, or east to Canyon de Chelly (not much hiking there, but pretty), or to the fascinating Hopi/Zuni Mesa country.

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Randy
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PostThu Jan 02, 2020 4:58 pm 
Agree that late April is preferable for weather; May even better. Our last two trips to Bears Ears/Natural Bridges (2nd week of April 2017 and 2019) have involved camping through snow storms and generally cool and wet weather.

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Eric
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PostFri Jan 03, 2020 10:00 am 
Depends on what you're looking for geographically and elevation wise. Four corners area is quite large. If you want dry desert to hike in that would be no problem to find South of the Mogollon Rim. If you're looking to hike mountain peaks that's too early for UT/CO but you can find lower desert peaks in places. It can be hit or miss as I've been in several snowstorms in April in the SW. But the later you go the greater the risk of it getting hot. Tradeoffs. I think you'd be ok if you'll be South of I-40 but North of there you'd want to be later.

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