Why We WaitWet sandstone breaks. The science, the casualties and one very salty crimp.

Cowell, AR

Cowell now
Drying out, but holds are likely still soft; no more rain expected
Rest day. Hit the gym or a rainy-day crag, and let the holds live.
Likely climbable by Thu, Nov 12 around 5 PM.
⚠ This could be a sandbag: shaded, north-facing or seeping rock can stay wet longer than the gauges suggest. Touch the rock and check the ground before you tie in.
Updated · updates hourly
Sun and shade
Chase the sun or hide in the shade?
Live sun and shade map ↗ · ShadeMap
Live radar

Live radar

Updates hourly
Loading radar…

The last hour of rain and snow on radar; the pin marks Cowell. Green is light, yellow to red is heavy. Radar: NOAA/National Weather Service. Mountains can block radar in parts of the West, so light rain may not show.

NWS radar ↗ · Windy radar ↗

Rain, last and next 7 days
Rain at Cowellmeasured forecast
M–T–W–T–F–S–•–0%Mon, Nov 9: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceM1%Tue, Nov 10: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceT11%Wed, Nov 11: 0.00 in forecast, 11% chanceW1%Thu, Nov 12: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceT0%Fri, Nov 13: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceF1%Sat, Nov 14: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceS1%Sun, Nov 15: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceS
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 30 h ago · 0.01 in at WX1NWA Jasper, ending Sat 9 AM

Rain in the last 3 days: none <0.10 in 0.10–0.25 >0.25. Tap a gauge for its name and link.

Webcam

No webcam within about 20 mi of Cowell. Webcams near Cowell on Windy ↗ · AR road cameras ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

  • Access Fund ↗For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.
  • Arkansas Climbers Coalition ↗For climbing access and stewardship across Arkansas, from the Ozarks to Crystal Bluff.
  • Weather data ↗Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

GroupsArkansas Climbers ↗Arkansas Climbers Coalition ↗
OnlineMountain Project Midwest forum ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

General guidance Cowell's boulders and crags sit around a tiny town reached by road 6560: stay off private property, drive slowly to keep the dust down, and be friendly with residents. There are no toilets or supplies for miles. No local wet-rock guidance was found for this area. The general rule for sandstone: most areas need 2 to 3 days after rain and up to a week after big storms. If the ground at the base is damp, the rock is too. Climbing: wet sandstone ↗

  • Rock Sandstone
  • Group Hard sandstone: red for 24 h after rain, caution to 48 h (72 h in winter)

Cowell on Mountain Project ↗Arkansas Climbers Coalition ↗
Rain check details

Only a trace at Cowell

The gauges agree: the rain mostly missed Cowell. The north end may have caught a light trace. There was one round of rain, and it mostly fell elsewhere.

What happened

  1. Sat about 7 AM: Light rain reached Cowell. It dropped 0.01 in at Jasper (10 mi north).

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
Cowell areaJasper, Jasper0.00–0.01 in
Northwest, 17–20 miCompton, Buffalo River0.00–0.01 in
North, 17–29 miBuffalo River, Compton, Harrison0.00 in
Northeast, 26–28 miSilver Hill, Buffalo River, Gilbert0.00 in
East, 27 miBear Creek0.00 in
Southeast, 26 miArmstead Mountain0.00 in
South, 22–28 miBig Piney Creek, Illinois Bayou, Little Piney Creek0.00 in
Southwest, 24–30 miClarksville, Devils Knob, Spadra Creek0.00 in

Cowell has dry gauges on 2 sides: north at Jasper and northwest at Buffalo River. There are wide gaps between them, so a stray cell could have slipped through.

Where it might be damp: the north-end crags, like The Tombstone, The Cemetery and Font Red, are closest to Jasper's 0.01 in. That's a trace, not a soaker. The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 0.01 in at WX1NWA Jasper, ending 30 h ago on rock still damp from earlier rain (about 0.68 in). Drying it out takes about 44 h of good drying weather; at the forecast humidity, wind and sun, the rock is likely still wet. Touch the rock and check for damp sand at the base, especially in the shady canyons on the north end.

From 18 gauges out to 30 mi. Farther gauges as of 3:29 PM CST. Red means 0.10 in or more, amber a trace. Storm cells can be smaller than the gaps between gauges.
Local Beta Board

Local Beta Board

Climbers posting what they see at Cowell: which walls are dry, seeps, closures, approach and trail conditions.

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Rain chance, wind and temperature

Rain chance, wind and temperature

Temperature: 72°F now · next 24 h 45–72°F

Good friction temps (high 72°F).

Wind now: 0 mph from the N, gusts 1 · GW5619 Jasper (G5619), 8.7 mi, 29 min ago

3p63°24p60°15p57°06p55°07p52°0g58p50°0g59p49°1g610p48°1g611p48°1g612a47°1g61a46°1g62a46°1g7
No rain in today's forecast. Wind by hour (mph, arrow shows where it blows; g = gusts) and temperature. Forecast: National Weather Service.

NWS hourly forecast for Cowell ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 30 h ago · 0.01 in at WX1NWA Jasper, ending Sat 9 AM

  • GW5619 Jasper
    G5619 · 8.7 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 114 h ago (4 days): 0.01 in, ending Tue 9 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 5 min · Citizen weather station (CWOP), sends over the internet
  • WX1NWA Jasper
    AV703 · 10.0 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 30 h ago: 0.01 in, ending Sat 9 AM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 5 min · Citizen weather station (CWOP), sends over the internet

Bars show rain each hour over the last 24 h. "Last rain" looks back 7 days. Tap a gauge to see its full record on MesoWest. The site checks every gauge hourly.
Is it actually dry?

Check the rock yourself

Rain gauges measure rain, not rock. Sandstone is weak when wet and holds water long after the surface looks dry, especially on shady or seepy faces. If the ground is damp, the rock is too, and the route will still be there tomorrow if nobody breaks it.

Is it actually dry?

Field checks before you tie in

  • Is the sand at the base dry? It dries before the rock does; damp sand means wet rock.
  • Are the trail and the ground at the cliff base dry? If not, don't climb.
  • Look for dark damp patches, moisture behind flakes and inside cracks, and fresh sand on holds.
  • Shaded walls, spots under trees and grooves that channel water stay wet much longer.
  • Sun and wind dry rock fast; cloudy, calm, humid days slow it down, and winter drying is slow (great friction, bad drying).
  • After long, soaking rain the rock can stay wet inches deep. Give it extra time.
  • If any part of the route, base included, is wet, pick another climb. No send is worth a broken hold.
  • Wet day? These nearby crags aren't sandstone, so rain doesn't weaken the rock (it can still be slick), nearest first:
    1. Kyle's Landing limestone · 17 mi · deep-water soloing
    2. Steel Creek (Buffalo River) limestone · 18 mi · no permanent anchors on the national river
    3. Bella Vista limestone · 73 mi
    4. Crystal Cave limestone · 79 mi
    5. Diamond-H Scout Ranch limestone · 99 mi
    Miles are straight line from Cowell. Links go to Mountain Project.
Thank you

Thank you

  • Access Fund

    For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.

    Access Fund is the national climbing advocacy nonprofit. It works alongside local climbing organizations, like the coalitions thanked on each area page, on access, stewardship and education, including how long to wait after rain.

    How to assess sandstone after rain ↗

  • Arkansas Climbers Coalition

    For climbing access and stewardship across Arkansas, from the Ozarks to Crystal Bluff.

    Facebook ↗Instagram ↗

  • Weather data

    Rain gauges via Synoptic Data (MesoWest) from public and private weather networks. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Model estimates from Open-Meteo when gauges go quiet.

Local climbing community

Facebook groups and pages

Online: forums and meetups