Zion Traverse

The Flood Warning issued last night (NWS Salt Lake City, expires 8 AM MST Nov 2) means slot canyon and wash sections are potentially dangerous right now. Zion's canyon floor and narrows areas can move water fast after upstream rain events, and you won't necessarily see it coming. Don't enter technical canyon sections until after 8 AM and you've physically scouted the washes yourself — water can stay elevated hours after a warning expires. The stream gauge data in the briefing reflects California stations and isn't applicable here, so rely on visual assessment at each crossing.

Once you're moving, weather is about as clean as late October/early November gets out here. Highs in the low 50s, overnight lows right at 31°F, and basically zero precip chance all three days. The north and northeast winds (7-14 mph today, lighter Tuesday and Wednesday) won't be a factor at canyon depths, but on exposed ridge sections — especially the west rim — factor in wind chill for stops. That 31°F overnight means any wet gear from creek crossings becomes a real problem if you're moving slow or stopping at altitude after dark.

Daylight is your logistics driver. You've got 10 hours 36 minutes of usable light, sunrise at 6:58 and sunset at 5:34. The Zion Traverse runs roughly 48 miles point-to-point depending on your exact line. Even breaking it across three days, that's 16+ miles per day on technical canyon terrain — factor in that canyon walls cut your effective light significantly before official sunset. Build your camp targets around being done moving by 4:30 PM. If you're doing any of the ridge or mesa sections on Wednesday, that's your best weather window: lightest winds, full sun, 52°F.

No fires within 50 miles, snowpack is zero at all stations, and the cool temps mean heat and hydration are a non-issue — this is prime running weather. Source water in the canyon is generally available but treat everything given the recent rain event flushing the system.