Zion’s Evening Wind

Even as afternoon temperatures reach 109°F, we know that we can expect a windy night on our campsite. One of the park rangers we interviewed explained the science behind this phenomena. See, the wind on the higher elevations of the plateau, which occurs ‘up-canyon’ in Zion, will cool down after sundown each night and drop down the canyon.

When the sun returns in the morning, the air from the lower elevations warms up, and travels from ‘down-canyon’ to the higher plateau. So, as they say, this canyon breathes.

Wind is also responsible for shaping many of formations within the park, particularly on the east side. Pictured here is Checkerboard Mesa, where deep grooves and cross hatches were shaped by changing wind direction.