WEATHER at the Diamondback is fairly predictable most of the summer. The winter months from November through March can be impossible to predict.Temperatures on the Diamondback range from the 80s in summer to zero or even lower in the winter. The snowfall will be substantially higher on the Blue Ridge Parkway with elevations from 2000 to 4000 feet.

There can many fair weather days in the winter, but they are not predictable. We have ridden Christmas and New Years, but we considered that lucky. We have seen snow on the BRP as early as Halloween. The Blizzard of 1993 dropped 4 feet of snow on the higher elevations in one day on March 13. We have seen snow and closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway as late as May.

WARNING Mountain roads can be extremely dangerous when ice and deep snow are present. North Carolina plows and treats the road after heavy snows, but we have seen severe road icing even after that. REMEMBER If the road is getting bad it will only get worse as you head toward the higher elevations. This is no place to get stuck overnight in the winter.

Many summer afternoons bring widely scattered rain showers. Often the weather stations and web weather will indicate rain for the entire area. BE AWARE that you can still have nearly a full day of riding before the summer showers hit in mid-afternoon. And these showers are spotty …. not everywhere. Go 5 miles and you might be in the clear. They often dissipate in the late afternoon leaving several hours of good riding before dark.