Autumn Expectations

We are actually having an Autumn season.  We can expect odd weather from time to time.  That’s part of living in north Georgia.  We are inland, and at a surprising elevation.  These things affect our weather.  There is no nearby large body of water to moderate our temp swings.  Most of our weather comes to us from somewhere else.  A lot depends on just which air masses get here, and in what order they arrive.

All that said, there is a La nina pattern in the Pacific.  This is sort of the opposite of an El Nino.  What it means for us is that we expect to see warmer than usual average temperatures, and drier conditions for the Fall and Winter.

Please notice the use of the word average.  We can expect to see big temperature swings on a daily basis, and over weeks too.  The averages will be higher, the swings will, likely, be wider.  It should be drier than the “normal,” but that doesn’t mean no rain.

What does that mean for cyclists?  We’re going to see some more really good riding weather, but we’ll need to be prepared for a wider set of conditions.  This is especially true for long rides.  It may start out quite cool, but the same day could turn very warm.  Expect to see plenty of days with a 25 to 30 degree temperature swing.  That means we’ll likely have to wear, and then carry, more clothing.

The long dry stretches will be tempting, but carry your rain jacket.  The rain, when it comes, will often do so without a lot of warning.

Learn to handle weather.  It’s going to be a good season to work on those weather skills.  For those who haven’t attempted colder riding, night riding, or Winter weather riding in general, this season presents opportunities.    We should see a wide range of conditions (sometimes all in the same day), but they should not be especially severe.  That should provide us with opportunities to attempt riding in varied situations, and yet not risk diving into something too harsh to handle.

It’s been gratifying to see how many folks have talked night riding this year.  Now how about night riding in cooler weather?  Rain?  Hey, maybe some will even attempt commuting.  Who knows where this could end?  We might even see some serious all season cyclists come out of this year.