Best time of year to elope in Zion National Park & WEather info

The seasons in southern Utah are phenomenal! Each season brings something new and exciting! 
Personally my favorite time of the year is the spring and the fall in Zion, but I've listed all the things you need to know about each season and it's weather to help you plan for the best elopement ever. 

Note: I've listed the temperature for valley floor of Zion. If we decide to go to a location on top of the canyon, the temperature can be a bit different. I've listed that difference in the location details.
Note #2: Zion valley floor is 4,300 ft above sea level, the top of the canyon's elevation is 6,500ft. If you are not used to such high elevations there are steps you can take before hand to help prevent altitude sickness. 

Winter
Average Temperatures: High: mid 50°s Low: low 20°s
Due to the drastic elevation difference between the the valley floor and top of the canyon, there is almost always snow on top of the canyon, & occasionally on the valley floor. Shoe spikes are recommended after a fresh coat of snow for hiking or walking around in the park.

Spring
Average Temperatures: High: mid 70°s Low: mid 40°s
Any snow is melting fast, mostly sunny with some rain (watch out for flash floods). The area is full of blooming dessert life! The spring time is definitely the most colorful time in Zion, especially in the later spring, around May. 

Summer
Average Temperatures: High: low 100°s Low: low 70°s
If the heat doesn't bother you, the summer is great! Nearly everyday is full of bright sunshine! 

Near the end of summer is wildfire season. On occasion, there will be fires in Utah, but most of the time they are put out pretty fast. However, the smoke from the California & Nevada wildfires blows right towards Utah. This can cause issues if you have allergies, plus it is best to avoid breathing the smoke if possible. There are some spots in the mountains to escape to that avoid the smoke.

No matter if you are on top of the canyons or the valley, make sure you are drinking tons of water to help compensate for the high temperatures and dry weather,

Fall
Average Temperatures: High: mid 80°s Low: low 40°s
Just like the summer, but a little cooler. The desert foliage found in Zion doesn't change color like alpine climates, although there is a variety of color throughout Zion in the fall, especially if you are visiting the top of the canyon. In the later fall, sometimes snow can be found on the top of the canyon. In my opinion, you can never go wrong eloping in the fall, and Zion is no exception! 

Watch for Flash Floods
Since Zion is primarily made of rock, flash floods are a pretty often occurrence anytime it rains. In Zion, and nearly every desert environment, the soil the plants sit in is pretty shallow and not able to absorb much water. When it rains, the soil can't absorb much, plus the canyon walls don't have any plateaus for water to gather. Pretty much any water that comes to the Zion area will find its way to the valley floor in the Virgin River, pretty quick. Since the canyon is fairly narrow, its very easy for the river to over flow and rush through the canyon's valley, creating a flash flood.

Anytime there is rain, Zion is probably not the best place to go, but it also doesn't rain there very often. When rain is predicted and 24 hours after any rainfall, be extremally cautious! I don't want anything to happen to you or anyone, especially not on your wedding day. 

If you're working with me as your photographer for your elopement, I purposefully block out the day before and after your scheduled elopement date, specifically for purposes like this. If it's suppose to rain, or any form of not so fabulous weather, the day of you elopement, we can move the day by a day or two to ensure we can all be safe.