Zion Traverse

Daylight is your primary planning variable. Sunrise at 7:08 AM and sunset at 5:26 PM gives you 10h 18m — that's workable for the Zion Traverse but only if you're moving at the trailhead right at first light. The traverse runs roughly 48 miles end-to-end; at a 5 mph trail running pace that's close to 10 hours of moving time, leaving almost no buffer for navigation, water stops, or any slow terrain. If you're not confident holding that pace all day, plan a two-day split with a camp at Kolob or the Hop Valley junction. Don't start late hoping to make it up — you won't, and the last section in the dark above the canyon is not where you want to be improvising.

Weather is clean Wednesday and Thursday. High of 62°F on Wednesday, 60°F Thursday, both sunny with light ENE winds under 15 mph. No afternoon thunderstorm risk in the forecast — this is November, not monsoon season, and the pattern is stable and dry. Overnight lows drop to 37–40°F, so if you're bivying at elevation bring enough insulation for a cold clear night. No precipitation risk until Friday, when a 48% chance of light rain arrives with southerly flow shifting to SSE at 14 mph. That's not a dangerous storm, but wet sandstone in Zion is dramatically slicker than dry sandstone — if Friday is your finish day, get through the technical canyon sections in the morning before any rain moves in.

The stream flow data flagging elevated flows is from California gauges (Salinas River, Llagas Creek, Alameda Creek) — these are geographically irrelevant to Zion and should be ignored. Virgin River crossings at Zion are the actual concern, and no local gauge data is available in this briefing. The Virgin typically runs low and easily fordable in November, but check the NPS Zion Narrows flow page before committing to any canyon bottom routes. If you're staying on the main traverse corridor, creek crossings are minor and not an issue at this time of year.

No fire smoke, no avalanche terrain, no heat stress at these temps. Hydration needs are moderate — 62°F dry desert air means you're losing more moisture than you feel, so don't underestimate water carry between sources. Know your water cache points in advance; some springs run thin or dry by late fall. Wednesday is your best day — get your longest miles in then.