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

Palisades Park, AL

Palisades 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 Tue, Nov 10 around 2 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 Palisades. 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 Palisadesmeasured forecast
Mon, Nov 2: 0.06 in measured0.06MTue, Nov 3: 0.07 in measured0.07TWed, Nov 4: 0.42 in measured0.42WThu, Nov 5: 0.25 in measured0.25TFri, Nov 6: 0.00 in measuredFSat, Nov 7: 0.00 in measuredSSun, Nov 8: 0.00 in measured•0%Mon, Nov 9: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceM0%Tue, Nov 10: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceT14%Wed, Nov 11: 0.00 in forecast, 14% chanceW27%Thu, Nov 12: 0.02 in forecast, 27% chance0.02T2%Fri, Nov 13: 0.00 in forecast, 2% chanceF0%Sat, Nov 14: 0.00 in forecast, 0% chanceS1%Sun, Nov 15: 0.00 in forecast, 1% chanceS
Last 7 daysNext 7 days
Gauges within 6 mi: COCO-AL-BL-9, COOPONEA1, TT404 · forecast: NWS
Rain gauges
Updates hourly

Last rain at these gauges: 80 h ago (3 days) · 0.73 in at Oneonta 0.9 SE, ending Thu 7 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 Palisades. Webcams near Palisades on Windy ↗ · AL road cameras ↗

Thanks and community

Local coalitions and stewards

  • Access Fund ↗For keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment across the country.
  • Southeastern Climbers Coalition ↗For buying, protecting and caring for climbing areas across the Southeast.
  • 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

GroupsAlabama Rock Climbing ↗Southeast Rock Climbing ↗
OnlineMountain Project Southern States forum ↗Rock Climbing TAG ↗
Local guidance

Local guidance

Park rule Blount County park: register at the park office and buy a climbing permit ($5 for three days or $35 a year). No bolting; most routes have fixed top anchors. Let the sandstone dry after rain. Mountain Project: Palisades Park ↗

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

Palisades Park on Mountain Project ↗Southeastern Climbers Coalition ↗
Rain check details

Light rain nearby, dry at Palisades

The gauges agree: the rain missed Palisades.

Where the rain fell (72-hour totals)

AreaGaugesRain
South, 21–28 miTrussville, Odenville, Moody0.00–0.02 in
Northeast, 20–24 miAlbertville, Albertville Regional Airport-Thomas J Brumlik Field, Albertville Rain0.00–0.01 in
West, 24 miHayden0.01 in
Palisades areaOneonta 0.9 SE, Oneonta, Oneonta0.00 in
North, 21–26 miArab, Guntersville, Guntersville NO.20.00 in
East, 27 miGadsden, Gadsden # 20.00 in
Southeast, 28 miPell City0.00 in
Southwest, 24–26 miPinson, Birmingham0.00 in
Northwest, 24–30 miUsrcrn Site North Alabama Horticultural Research Center, Cullman-Nahrc, Cullman Regional Folsom Field0.00 in

Palisades has dry gauges on 2 sides: southeast at Oneonta and south at Oneonta 0.9 SE. There are wide gaps between them, so a stray cell could have slipped through.

The site shows 🔴 Likely wet. Last rain: 0.67 in at Oneonta 0.9 SE, ending 80 h ago on rock still damp from earlier rain (about 0.01 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.

📍 Local climbers: we don't have Palisades's crag and wall names yet, so this can only say which side of the area got wet. Send us the crags and walls (a name and a Mountain Project link or map pin for each) and the rain check will name the ones closest to the rain.

From 25 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 Palisades: 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: 66°F now · next 24 h 35–69°F

Good friction temps (high 69°F).

Wind now: 1 mph from the NNW, gusts 6 · Oneonta (TT404), 5.2 mi, 29 min ago

3p65°64p63°5g105p58°3g96p53°3g87p46°28p44°1g69p42°110p41°111p40°112a40°11a39°1g62a38°2
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 Palisades ↗Sun and shade now (ShadeMap) ↗
Rain gauges

Last rain at these gauges: 80 h ago (3 days) · 0.73 in at Oneonta 0.9 SE, ending Thu 7 AM

  • Oneonta 0.9 SE
    COCO-AL-BL-9 · 3.2 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 80 h ago (3 days): 0.73 in, ending Thu 7 AM
    One reading a day (a 24-h total), so no hourly bars
    Reports about daily · CoCoRaHS volunteer rain gauge (read daily)
  • Oneonta
    COOPONEA1 · 4.8 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 93 h ago (3 days): 0.27 in, ending Wed 6 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports hourly · NWS cooperative station
  • Oneonta
    TT404 · 5.2 mi · checked 3:29 PM
    0.00 inlast 24 h
    Last rain 114 h ago (4 days): 0.07 in, ending Tue 9 PM
    24 h ago12 hnow
    Reports every 2 h · Fire-weather station (RAWS), 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. Sauta Cave limestone · 47 mi
    2. Blacks Bluff Preserve limestone · 73 mi
    3. Lake Nickajack limestone · 86 mi · deep-water soloing; boat or paddle in
    Miles are straight line from Palisades. 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 ↗

  • Southeastern Climbers Coalition

    For buying, protecting and caring for climbing areas across the Southeast.

    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