As spring begins to turn into summer we can begin to believe that a sudden temperature drop will not cause a major safety problem. We may get uncomfortable but we are less likely to stumble into a life-threatening situation. As the real summer is upon us our major concern will be thunderstorms and lightning. We will discuss the latter below. But we also must keep in mind that snow, sleet, and strong winds can make us very uncomfortable in any month of the year, particularly at higher altitudes.
Problems become more serious as autumn approaches.
September is, to many of us, one of the very best climbing months., but it is also more unpredictable. Many have experienced a major snowstorm up high in early September. However in the fall of the year, the average temperature is lower and sudden attacks of wind and precipitation can become a major threat to those who venture out in only light summer garb. Deaths by hypothermia have occurred in this way. So when autumn has truly arrived, the full complement of winter precautions should click into place and stay in use until the late spring, where this particular story began.