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What's the winter weather like?

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PJFZ1

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PJ
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I only find myself getting to TX during the GP (and didn't this year), and here in East Tn we've got the roads, but I've got no time for trips during the riding season..

So my question is: If I break loose in December/January and truck to the gulf coast and want to ride over into the Hill country, how are the winter conditions and weather?
 
It varies. Can be warm, can be chilly. Dallas area can get ice but further south will be better. Winter really is a crap shoot down here and varies wildly if looking for specific dates. Betting on having better weather than up north is a good bet though. Even ice storms only last a few days usually.
 
PJFZ1 said:
I only find myself getting to TX during the GP (and didn't this year), and here in East Tn we've got the roads, but I've got no time for trips during the riding season..

So my question is: If I break loose in December/January and truck to the gulf coast and want to ride over into the Hill country, how are the winter conditions and weather?
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Winter on the Upper Texas Gulf Cost is like summer in Newfoundland, almost exactly. Fronts will come through once sometimes twice a week with lower temperatures and stronger north winds. Biggest weather problem will be rain. Ice happens maybe once a year. The Hill Country will be colder, but dryer, so again not much ice. Lows will be in the 30s to 40s with highs in the 50s and 60s. Random weekends will be warmer and a few fronts will push the temps down into the 20s and maybe teens in the Hill Country, but again that is just a few scattered weekends. The risk of fluffy stuff increases as you get north with DFW being a little worse and Amarillo being almost like eastern Colorado. Ride safe.
m
 
So it looks like if I look for the weather 4-5 days out I could get a good temp guess and get a winter break there...
 
You could also truck down one of those plated CRF230's and hit Big Bend. That would be a good winter getaway.
 
:tab Over the years, I have found that near the end of January and early February, the Hill Country usually gets about a week of really nice weather, like clear and in the 60s/70s during the day. Then it usually gets colder again until late March and early April. Mid November and December are when many TWT folks head to Terlingua (Big Bend) for a few weeks. In fact, you can ever rent DS bikes out there from November through about early April from GSMmotorents.

:tab Here in East Texas where I live, it is a complete crap shoot. A few days ago, we were down in the low 40s. Right now, we are in the mid 70s. Rain generally comes with the big sweeping fronts that roll in from the Northwest and shove their way across the state in a day or three. We don't get the random stuff like we do in the late Spring, Summer and Fall. If you can stay loose on when you want to come so that you can check the weather a few days before leaving, you'd probably be able to time it right. Locking in a date far in advance... well... like I said, it's a crap shoot.

:tab Back in December of 2004, I had a guy from Ottawa come down with his new 1200 GS. He wanted to get away from the Great White North for a week and enjoy the "mild" Texas winter to do some riding. I had a whole week worth of riding planned for him, taking him all over Texas. Then it started snowing... all the way down to Brownsville and Harlingen, the very Southern part of Texas! :lol2: He ended up just hanging out around here with me. He'd never done much dual sport riding so I took him out and did a few hundred miles of dirt, sand, mud, and gravel. He had such a good time, we did the same route backward the next day!
 
gixxerjasen said:
You could also truck down one of those plated CRF230's and hit Big Bend. That would be a good winter getaway.
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Tourmeister said:
:tab Over the years, I have found that near the end of January and early February, the Hill Country usually gets about a week of really nice weather, like clear and in the 60s/70s during the day. Then it usually gets colder again until late March and early April. Mid November and December are when many TWT folks head to Terlingua (Big Bend) for a few weeks.

:tab Back in December of 2004...
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Yep! Best weather I have seen in Big Bend was a week in December. Absolutely perfect 60s for five days then cold and clear for two. Absolutely the worst weather I have seen in Big Bend was on my birthday in January. Colder than anything I knew climbing in the Rockies. Froze my tookus off trying to sleep in the truck.

I'm thinking of heading out there in a few weeks. Maybe drop in on RK.

As for December 2004, there was a sheet of ice on my sailboat in Clear Lake. We can get hammered once in a while.

m
 
Cold or heat can be moderated with the proper riding gear. Snow and ice, not so much. In the Winter, I use my Aerostitch and electrics to keep warm. Keeps me smug as a bug in a rug.
 
slowGEEZR said:
Cold or heat can be moderated with the proper riding gear. Snow and ice, not so much. In the Winter, I use my Aerostitch and electrics to keep warm. Keeps me smug as a bug in a rug.
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smog: what comes out of cars
smug: what comes out of Prius's
snug: what bugs are in rugs

:)
 
I think the answer is it's a crap shoot, feely lucky? I've made a trip that way, similar time frame, weather forecast showed great weather. Needless to say it turned cold and drizzly after one night out, not my luck do you want to take with you! :)
 
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