Weather is a decision, not a backdrop. The trail will still be there after a storm. You might not, if you treat a forecast as optional.
- Get a forecast that is actually for your ridge. Town weather is not pass weather. A satellite messenger with a forecast, or a downloaded model before you lose service, is the tool. Comments from hikers ahead of you tell you what it did. They do not tell you what it will do.
- Afternoon mountains. High country builds storms after lunch. Be off exposed ridge before they arrive. Start early. Eat the climb in the morning.
- Hypothermia is a summer problem too. Wet, wind, and 50°F will drop a tired hiker. A dry layer in a plastic bag is not extra. It is the difference between a story and a search.
- Heat. Desert and Mid-Atlantic heat both drop people. Walk the cool hours. Sit out the worst. Water you did not drink does not count.