Spring (April to mid-May especially) can be great, especially in Canyonlands
and Arches when the cactus and Indian Paintbrush are blooming.  Usually good
weather, not quite as many people unless you time it to hit the $%&# Jeep
Jamboree in Moab.

Fall can be great for good weather and the colors are usually excellent in Zion
around Nov 1 plus/minus 2 weeks or so.

Winter can be great IF you get a nice snowstorm followed by clearing skies,
especially at Bryce and Canyonlands.  Doesn't happen often but when it does
it's often spectacular.  For much of the rest of the time I don't like the
winter light though, too hazy and dull.

Late summer (say mid-July thru September) can be great IF you get a series of
afternoon monsoon thunderstorms with dark skies followed by clearing skies ...
if you're lucky you'll get a spectacular rainbow.

For my travel dollars the worst time is say mid-May thru the end of June since
it's often hot and crowded and there are rarely any stormy weather days, just
deadly clear skies, as a general rule.  I also avoid winter except when there's
a storm coming ... try to get there a day ahead of it to avoid driving in snow
and ice and then hunker down and hope for clear skies since the storms
typically blow thru quickly.  For some reason the snow storms are hard to
predict in this area -- I've often driven to the Grand Canyon for a big
snowstorm only to end up with drab rain and fog, and I got married on the south
rim on a day with a forecast of 'partly cloudy skies' that turned into 14" of
fresh powder.  You never know ...

Bill

It's a matter of opinion, but I like fall - September, or October before it
gets too cold.  Fall color in Zion is great.

Randy Stewart

"Robertwgross" <robertwgross@cs.com> ha scritto

For me, October!