Not everyone agrees on the best season for desert driving, but most agree that the middle of the summer is not the best time. Below, we have compiled some pros and cons to off-roading in the desert during each of the seasons.
Summer
Pros: The sun stays out longer during the summer, so if you drive through, you’ll have to stop for fewer hours at night than you would during any other season.
Cons: Summer in the desert promises blisteringly high temperatures and almost no humidity. If you can’t tolerate that kind of weather, don’t drive through the desert during the summer. Also, the heat makes some car problems, such as overheating, more likely.
Verdict: Summer trips through the desert can be merciless. If you’re interested in seeing the desert during the summer, go on a shorter trip – maybe a day or two – instead of a several-week-long road trip.
Autumn
Pros: In the autumnal season, days are still fairly long in the desert, but it is not quite as hot. At night, it gets colder, but not as cold as it does in the winter. Some of the earliest desert plants and flowers might begin to sprout, depending on when you venture out.
Cons: Autumn is a neutral time in the desert. It’s not as extreme as summer or as beautiful as winter and spring, although sunsets in the desert are striking during this season.
Winter:
Pros: Winter is an oft-selected favorite season for desert travelers. During the winter, desert flowers bloom, and the flora and fauna are at their most active. Temperatures during the day are lower.
Cons: at night in the desert, temperatures can reach negative thirty degrees centigrade easily. Deserts get extremely cold and night, and if you are not prepared for the harsh winter nights in the desert, your trip will be unpleasant at best.
Spring:
Pros: during the late winter and early spring, the desert boasts the most diverse flowers. Plants in the desert bloom between January and March, so February, though still the end of winter in temperate regions, is spring in the desert. Temperatures in the very early spring are usually the least erratic and extreme.
Cons: animals of all kinds are more abundant during this season, so if you’re planning to camp, make sure you secure your space against critters and crawlers.
We like late winter best for desert traveling, but you should be prepared no matter the season. Pack the equipment, food, water and clothing that you need, and you’ll enjoy your drive through the desert no matter when you choose to take it.