In the time frame May 1 to June 15, what areas, national parks, etc., would be difficult or impossible due to snow and cold? I know it's a broad, vague question. We plan to be out to AZ in early May for a family thing, and want to take our Class C and work on our bucket list. And that list is just an general idea in my mind: -Grand Canyon-Colorado, Utah-Yellowstone-etc (see the big NPs and mountains out west)I would not count out Yosemite too. As I say, it's a very vague idea.So I'm just looking for some general guidance on when areas open up and are reasonably beyond winter.edit: after getting a few replies, I can see it would not be good to plan on the above.So how about going up the Pacific coast? How would it be in mid-May if we go all the way to the top of Oregon? Then, check out Oregon, then maybe Nevada and Utah on the way back to AZ? Would we likely find moderate weather on that routing?

Grand Canyon should be fine. As for the rest? It all depends on snow pack. Some years places like Yellowstone can be snowed in until late June. Others, wide open before Memorial day. Watch the mountain forecasts and see.

I have to disagree with part of saying the Grand Canyon would be fine. The north rim will be closed until May 30. I understand that is even with the road being passable earlier. Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass is normally plowed by May for the folks on the east side of the Sierra who want it done by April 1 for trout season. Yellowstone can be very cold in early May and snow is not unusual even in June.We've been to Rose's at Bryce in April when they had to plow about six spaces for us spring breakers and none of the campgrounds inside the park were open.All that said, there are usually work arounds if you can't camp inside a park and all of those places are beautiful when snow covered.I wouldn't let the weather stop me from a trip like yours but remember to plan other places to go and things to see. Check early for weather predictions and wear warm clothes.

Snowman9000 wrote:In the time frame May 1 to June 15, what areas, national parks, etc., would be difficult or impossible due to snow and cold? I know it's a broad, vague question. We plan to be out to AZ in early May for a family thing, and want to take our Class C and work on our bucket list. And that list is just an general idea in my mind: -Grand Canyon-Colorado, Utah-Yellowstone-etc (see the big NPs and mountains out west)I would not count out Yosemite too. As I say, it's a very vague idea.So I'm just looking for some general guidance on when areas open up and are reasonably beyond winter.In most of Colorado, at least the parts that are NOT the eastern plains, you'll likely encounter snow at a goodly number of locations and elevations that early in the season. Most CG/RV Parks don't open until mid- to late-May. I've already started looking at the reservation calendar, and for the locations that I want to reserve, most of them don't open until the weekend of May 19th or thereabouts. Keep in mind that in Colorado, March and April are among our snowiest months, late season snows are not uncommon. Planning to arrive in Colorado later in your itinerary will give you more options, and if you can extend your time in Colorado to later in June, so much the better.

You should be able to go to weather.com and plug in the location to get the averages for any month of the year.

Snowman9000 wrote:In the time frame May 1 to June 15, what areas, national parks, etc., would be difficult or impossible due to snow and cold?May is way too early to go, especially the further north you go and the greater the elevation. We arrived in Estes Park one year on May 30, only to find Trail Ridge Rd to the top closed :( ... just as we were turning around a road crew member arrived at the barrier, said they were working diligently to clear the road at the top, and if we waited a couple of hours they might be able to open it up. We waited and as luck would have it we did make it to the top that day ... but on motorcyles snow cleared on each side of the roadway was WAY above our heads, much like riding through a canyon of snow. That was the end of May - early May, no way, even when your SIG is Snowman. :W

US mountain west in May | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

Dick_B
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
You should be able to go to weather.com and plug in the location to get the averages for any month of the year.
Thom02099
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2016
Snowman9000 wrote:
In the time frame May 1 to June 15, what areas, national parks, etc., would be difficult or impossible due to snow and cold?

I know it's a broad, vague question. We plan to be out to AZ in early May for a family thing, and want to take our Class C and work on our bucket list. And that list is just an general idea in my mind:

-Grand Canyon
-Colorado, Utah
-Yellowstone
-etc (see the big NPs and mountains out west)

I would not count out Yosemite too. As I say, it's a very vague idea.

So I'm just looking for some general guidance on when areas open up and are reasonably beyond winter.

In most of Colorado, at least the parts that are NOT the eastern plains, you'll likely encounter snow at a goodly number of locations and elevations that early in the season. Most CG/RV Parks don't open until mid- to late-May. I've already started looking at the reservation calendar, and for the locations that I want to reserve, most of them don't open until the weekend of May 19th or thereabouts. Keep in mind that in Colorado, March and April are among our snowiest months, late season snows are not uncommon. Planning to arrive in Colorado later in your itinerary will give you more options, and if you can extend your time in Colorado to later in June, so much the better.
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
I have to disagree with part of saying the Grand Canyon would be fine. The north rim will be closed until May 30. I understand that is even with the road being passable earlier.

Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass is normally plowed by May for the folks on the east side of the Sierra who want it done by April 1 for trout season.

Yellowstone can be very cold in early May and snow is not unusual even in June.

We've been to Rose's at Bryce in April when they had to plow about six spaces for us spring breakers and none of the campgrounds inside the park were open.

All that said, there are usually work arounds if you can't camp inside a park and all of those places are beautiful when snow covered.

I wouldn't let the weather stop me from a trip like yours but remember to plan other places to go and things to see. Check early for weather predictions and wear warm clothes.
donn0128
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2016
Grand Canyon should be fine. As for the rest? It all depends on snow pack. Some years places like Yellowstone can be snowed in until late June. Others, wide open before Memorial day. Watch the mountain forecasts and see.

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US mountain west in May

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