Meadow River Gorge poster-style illustration
Why We WaitWet sandstone breaks. The science, the casualties and one very salty crimp.

Meadow River Gorge, WV

the Meadow now
Nearly dry: sunny faces may be ready, shady rock needs more time
Rest day. Hit the gym or a rainy-day crag, and let the holds live.
Likely climbable by today around 6 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 the Meadow. 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 the Meadowmeasured forecast
Mon, Nov 2: 0.04 in measured0.04MTue, Nov 3: 0.00 in measuredTWed, Nov 4: 0.11 in measured0.11WThu, Nov 5: 0.19 in measured0.19TFri, Nov 6: 0.24 in measured0.24FSat, Nov 7: 0.01 in measured0.01SSun, Nov 8: 0.00 in measured•0%Mon, Nov 9: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceM0%Tue, Nov 10: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceT7%Wed, Nov 11: 0.00 in forecast, 7% chanceW90%Thu, Nov 12: 0.06 in forecast, 90% chance0.06TF–S–S–
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Gauges within 6 mi: NALW2, COCO-WV-NC-3, SUMW2 · forecast: NWS
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 36 h ago · 0.04 in at Meadow River AT Nallen, ending Sat 4 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

Webcam: New River Gorge, Canyon Rim

New River Gorge, Canyon Rim, 10.3 mi from the Meadow. Latest picture, refreshed every 5 min. Image: National Park Service. Source ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

  • Access Fund ↗For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.
  • New River Alliance of Climbers ↗For access, anchor replacement and trail work around the New River Gorge.
  • 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

GroupsNew River Gorge Climbers ↗
OnlineMountain Project Southern States forum ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

Access rule The Meadow River is almost entirely private and mostly closed to climbing: only Lower Meadow (routes and boulders) and the Meadow Top boulders are open. Park only in the Dietz Road gravel lot (about 20 cars); no parking on Route 19. If it's full, try Summersville Lake or the New instead. Mountain Project: Meadow River Gorge ↗

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

Meadow River Gorge on Mountain Project ↗New River Alliance of Climbers ↗
Rain check details

Rain hit the Meadow

Rain hit the Meadow: 0.24 in at Runa 0.1 W. There were three rounds of rain.

What happened

  1. Thu about 4 PM: Rain fell to the northeast. It dropped 0.25 in at Tioga (21 mi northeast). All of it fell 21 or more miles from the Meadow.
  2. Fri about 5–11 PM: A band of rain crossed the area. It dropped 0.16 in at Mann Lookout Tower (17 mi south), and 0.04 in at Gauley Mountain (10 mi west).
  3. Sat about 3 AM: Light rain reached the Meadow. It dropped 0.01 in at Meadow River (4 mi southeast).

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
Northeast, 18–27 miTioga, Fenwick 2NE, Muddlety Creek, Cranberry River Gage Below Richwood0.00–0.28 in
the Meadow areaRuna 0.1 W, Meadow River, Gauley River Below Summersville Lake, Gauley Mountain0.00–0.24 in
South, 17–24 miMann Lookout Tower, Grandview, Meadow Bridge0.01–0.16 in
East, 17–29 miFenwick, Bee Knob South0.00–0.14 in
Southwest, 16–27 miBoy Scout Camp, Mount Hope, Beckley, Raleigh County Memorial Airport, New River0.00–0.05 in
North, 21–28 miLaurel Ridge, Birch River, Cresmont, Mt. Pisgah0.00–0.04 in
Northwest, 21–29 miElk River, Latuna0.00–0.03 in
Southeast, 22–26 miMaxwelton, Meadow Bluff, Williamsburg VFD0.00–0.01 in
West, 24 miLocks, Eskdale0.00 in

Where it's wet: Runa 0.1 W (4 mi east) caught 0.24 in, the most near the Meadow. That's enough to wet the rock. The crags closest to it: Upper Meadow, Meadow Top Boulders and Lower Meadow. The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 0.04 in at MEADOW RIVER AT NALLEN, ending 36 h ago on rock still damp from earlier rain (about 0.06 in). Drying it out takes about 18 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 east end.

From 32 gauges out to 30 mi. Farther gauges as of 4:29 PM EST. 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 the Meadow: which walls are dry, seeps, closures, approach and trail conditions.

No beta posted yet. Be the first to spray some beta from the Meadow: which walls are dry, wet or seeping?

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Rain chance, wind and temperature

Rain chance, wind and temperature

Temperature: 58°F now · next 24 h 36–58°F

Good friction temps (high 58°F).

No nearby station is reporting wind right now.

4p58°6g145p55°5g126p52°5g147p49°5g138p48°5g139p47°5g1410p46°5g1411p44°5g1412a44°6g151a43°5g142a44°6g153a43°6g15
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 the Meadow ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 36 h ago · 0.04 in at Meadow River AT Nallen, ending Sat 4 AM

  • Meadow River AT Nallen
    NALW2 · 3.8 mi · checked 4:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 36 h ago: 0.04 in, ending Sat 4 AM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 15 min · River and rain gauge (HADS), sends by GOES satellite
  • Runa 0.1 W
    COCO-WV-NC-3 · 3.9 mi · checked 4:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 57 h ago (2 days): 0.24 in, ending Fri 7 AM
    One reading a day (a 24-h total), so no hourly bars
    Reports about daily · CoCoRaHS volunteer rain gauge (read daily)
  • Gauley River Below Summersville Lake
    SUMW2 · 4.9 mi · checked 4:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 42 h ago: 0.01 in, ending Fri 10 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 15 min · River and rain gauge (HADS), sends by GOES satellite
  • Gauley Mountain
    GUMW2 · 9.6 mi · checked 4:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 81 h ago (3 days): 0.51 in, ending Thu 7 AM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 2 h · River and rain gauge (HADS), sends by GOES satellite

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, or its own network's site). 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. Nelson Rocks quartzite · 87 mi
    2. Seneca Rocks quartzite · 96 mi
    3. Eagle Rock (WV) limestone · 100 mi
    Miles are straight line from the Meadow. 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 ↗

  • New River Alliance of Climbers

    For access, anchor replacement and trail work around the New River Gorge.

    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