Spring in Zion: Tips for Spring Weddings
It's hard to beat spring in Zion National Park. The desert comes back to life, flowers bloom, the trees turn green and temperatures hit that sweet spot between our chilly winters and scorching summers. This ideal combination makes spring one of our busiest seasons every year for weddings. Curious what all the fuss is about and if a spring wedding is a good fit for you? Read on for tips on having a Zion National Park wedding in the spring!
Summary of Spring Weddings in Zion
Short on time? Here's a quick overview of springs in Zion!
Season: Beginning of March until End of May
Pros
Ideal Temperatures: We see cool mornings and evenings with warm days until mid-May when the temps start to rise quickly.
Lower Visitation than Peak: Visitation quickly rises between March and May, but we still see fewer people than the summer months.
More locations accessible: Once we're through spring runoff, the dirt roads begin to dry out and we can access more and more location options
Beautiful Scenery: Zion is gorgeous year round, by April we commonly see the leaves back on the trees and desert flowers beginning to bloom adding to the beauty!
Cons
Off-season Hours: Prior to Memorial Day, most restaurants and experiences still have more limited off-season hours.
Wide temperature variability: The temperatures vary widely between sunrise to midday and then sunset, which can be tricky for choosing clothing
Lots of events: Spring is event season in Zion. Races and other big events sometimes close portions of the Park or the surrounding area that we have to work around.
Weather
High Temperatures: 60℉ - 90℉ (15℃ - 32℃)
Low Temperatures: 35℉ - 55℉ (2℃ - 13℃)
Precipitation Likelihood: 17% in March, 11% in April, 7% in May
What's Zion like in the Spring?
Spring conditions in Zion vary pretty wildly between the beginning of March, with it's lingering winter temps, and the end of May, which starts to feel more like summer very quickly. The desert comes alive (can you tell that's our favorite part, we've only mentioned it three times so far 😆) and slowly but surely the dirt road dry out and we can finally access a whole bunch of places we couldn't all winter.
Temperatures
Source: Weatherspark
March: mid-day highs between 55-70℉ (13-21℃) and overnight lows between 35-45℉ (2-7℃)
April: mid-day highs between 65-80℉ (18-27℃) and overnight lows between 40-50℉ (4-10℃)
May: mid-day highs between 70-90℉ (21-32℃) and overnight lows between 45-60℉ (7-15℃)
Source: Weatherspark
Precipitation
By the time we get into March, we rarely see snow, even at the higher elevations. The probability of precipitation peaks at the end of February/beginning of March and quickly descends throughout the spring.
Road Conditions
As we transition to spring, road closures due to weather events become far more rare. However, between the higher precipitation probability in early spring and the temperature swings that cause a freeze thaw cycle, Zion experiences relatively frequent rockfalls in this season. While the rockfalls are typically small and localized, they can at times close roads until crews can clear the debris. You should be especially careful driving through the Park at night and in the early morning.
Outside the National Park
Spring runoff from snow in the higher mountains often soak the areas dirt roads, making them impassable until they dry out. Depending on our snow depth from winter, we typically expect most of these dirt roads to dry out by mid-April or early May.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
Daily shuttle service in the Park typically starts in March. During shuttle service, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to personal vehicles without parking permits. So you'll need to ride the shuttle to access trails along the Scenic Drive or rent bikes to explore it at your own pace.
Trail Conditions
Early spring trail conditions can sometimes still have patches of ice in the shadiest places or in the deeper slot canyons. These patches decrease significantly as spring progresses. The snow runoff and high precipitation chance in early spring means the Narrows and other slot canyons stay closed. The Park closes the Narrows when the flow rate exceeds 150 CFS. The flow rate closure typically runs between late March and mid-May, but changes each year depending on conditions. Make sure you watch the weather forecast and avoid flash flood prone areas like slot canyons when the forecast calls for rain.
Visitation
Visitation ramps up quickly throughout the spring months. The numbers stay lower when compared to the summer peak, but you can expect to see significantly more people the later we get into spring, especially on the weekends. The three months of spring account for roughly 27% of Zion's yearly visitation on average.
March - 8%
April - 8%
May 11%
Keep in mind, these numbers may seem low, but 8% represents roughly 350,000 people. May is only 1% behind the highest months of June and July. Locally, most regard Memorial Day as the kick off to Zion's peak season that lasts through Labor Day.
Source: NPS
Activities and Amenities
Since most of the locals see Memorial Day as the start of busy season, many restaurants and experiences keep their off-season hours in the weeks prior. This can mean shorter hours of operation, closed days, and limited offerings. If you look carefully, you can still find some deals on lodging, but they aren't as readily available as the winter months.
Events and Races
Springtime in Zion often means event season. Most weekends you'll find a variety of races and events occurring in the Park, the towns, and the surrounding public land. Sometimes these events close roads or alter traffic patterns in the area.
Spring Weddings in Zion
The nice weather and increased accessibility make spring in Zion an excellent time to plan your wedding. You wouldn't be alone, we see more than a third of work in a whole year in the spring! It's a very popular time of year to get married! Here are a couple of tips to help plan your spring wedding in Zion!
Bring Layers for Early Spring
The temperatures vary quite a bit throughout the day, so you should plan to have some easy layering options in case it gets warmer or colder quickly. Generally, you can get away with a medium weight coat. We recommend trying your layers on with your wedding clothes to ensure you can put them on and take them off easily.
Treat Late Spring more like Summer
For many people, our late spring weather feels much more like summer than spring. So make sure you hydrate, pack sunscreen, and wear moisture wicking fabrics when possible. These will all help you stay cool and ready for the warmer weather.
Plan your timeline carefully
Make sure you look at the hours for restaurants in the area so you can plan accordingly for dinner on your wedding day. The trickiest season for this is between the start of Daylight Savings (2nd Sunday in March) and Memorial Day, when restaurants adopt busy season hours. During this time period, sunset happens late enough that most, if not all, the restaurants in Springdale close before we can get back to town. To get around this you can:
Plan to eat dinner before heading out for sunset photos
Book a private chef for a private meal at your lodging
Grab what you need to make or have food ready at your lodging when we finish sunset photos
Consider planning for a weekday
Most of the spring events in the Greater Zion Region bring extra people in, who often visit the Park. That means Fridays through Sundays tend to be busier than the middle of the week like Tuesday through Thursday. If you plan your wedding for a weekday, you'll have a higher likelihood of seeing fewer people throughout the day. Visitation is pretty unpredictable day to day, so this isn't a guarantee, but it definitely increases your chances.
Have back up plans
All these potential "problems" spring presents make it especially important to have backup plans in place. That way if you have to avoid an area for an event, don't feel comfortable with road conditions, or have to change your timing to avoid a storm, you're ready to go! It helps to work with local professionals who have lots of experience and already have back up options in place (like us)! [Link to Contact] We can help pivot at a moment's notice and keep the vibes high the whole time!
Stay flexible
On that note, spring weddings especially benefit from flexibility. We recommend not holding on too tightly to any particular location, timing, or kind of weather. We obviously want your wedding day to go off perfectly! However, in our experience, couples who choose to embrace whatever comes always have the best experiences. Everything that happens makes your wedding unique to you!
If you're looking for a local Zion expert who can help you navigate all the pros and cons of planning a spring wedding, we are ready and waiting!
Looking for more tips about getting married in Zion? Check out our elopement guide for Zion!
