One of the big reasons that we seem to be 'caught' by the weather when we're on the mountain is that the mountain forces otherwise harmless air to ascend and condense. As the warm and moist air is forced to ascend the mountain, the air quickly cools and reaches its dew point, water droplets form and a vicious cycle is set in motion.

This is especially true in the summer, when the sun can quickly warm the air at the bottom of the mountain. Most of the time this process is invisible to the naked eye. By the time we notice the clouds forming, we're already hours into what was going to be an enjoyable summer hike, and we don't have enough time to retreat.

If you feel up to some in-depth reading this is a great article: http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/cirmount/wkgrps/gloria/publications/pdf/Bishop_mtn_thunderstorms_031607.pdf

One of the big reasons that we seem to be 'caught' by the weather when we're on the mountain is that the mountain forces otherwise harmless air to ascend and condense. As the warm and moist air is forced to ascend the mountain, the air quickly cools and reaches its dew point, water droplets form and a vicious cycle is set in motion.

This is especially true in the summer, when the sun can quickly warm the air at the bottom of the mountain. Most of the time this process is invisible to the naked eye. By the time we notice the clouds forming, we're already hours into what was going to be an enjoyable summer hike, and we don't have enough time to retreat.

If you feel up to some in-depth reading this is a great article.