 Good Morning, Clear skies and a colorful sunrise greet the early risers to start this new week. Conditions are breezy up top and quite cool for a change with temps in the low 20s. Once that last line of storms swept through late yesterday afternoon, skies began to improve, but the thermometer began dropping too as planned. The timing also contributed to a stunning sunset full of swirling clouds and dramatic sunbeams. The unabated sunshine should help us reach the mid 40s later today, but we have at least one more night around freezing ahead of us. So bring sufficient warm layers for time spent on trail and at the summit today. After that, we ought to enjoy warmer weather and superb skies the rest of the week. Still plenty of pollen filling the air as the greenery of forest canopies fill in and slowly climb the surrounding mountain slopes. Have a great day. 
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 Good Morning, Rain showers during the night have us starting out with a wet and cloudy Sunday. Expect trails to be a bit sloppy as hikers begin their treks this morning. We’ll be afforded intermittent breaks from the sour weather as scattered storms pass over the region throughout the day. High temps could reach the mid 50s this afternoon, but by tonight we’ll be having ourselves a mini-cold blast. The thermometer will drop toward the freezing mark and shifting winds will also ramp up, contributing to the wintry chill. Winds will accelerate during the night and could gust as much as 55mph tomorrow. Thankfully warmer temps and sunnier skies more in line with spring will be quick to follow suit. Tread carefully around any unbridged creek crosses and please let us know if you come across any freshly fallen trees as a result of these storms. Have a great day.   Good Morning, Hello Clouds, we meet once again. It can’t always be sunshine and rainbows atop everyone’s favorite mountain like it was much of the past week, but every now and then a little rain is a good thing. Today appears to be that day. This morning will see mostly cloudy conditions over the Smokies before the rain chances ramp up around lunch time. So everyone heading up or down the mountain today would be wise to start early and take care of business before the weather conditions sour this afternoon. Temps should reach a high in the mid 50s and a low later this evening in the mid 40s, but winds with gusts around 30mph will have it feeling chilly for some. Saturday is looking pleasant for a change, calling for a brief return of sunshine and warm temps, but then skies get nasty again on Sunday. Reminder that vehicular traffic in the park’s northern gateway communities will be thoroughly congested this weekend. From the Rod Run happening in Pigeon Forge, to tunnel rehabilitation on The Spur, be sure and pack the patience not only for the trail but for the drive. Have a great day.   Good Morning, We have one more day of decently dry and warm weather ahead of us, but tonight will mark the end of what has been a most enjoyable stretch of superb sunshine. Been a great week to be a solar panel above 6,000 feet for sure! Clouds will gradually increase and thicken throughout the day, and by late tonight the rain showers are expected to arrive. We could reach 60° up top this afternoon, and the lowlands should surely surpass 80°. Friday will bring intermittent showers and also see the winds return, gusting as much as 25mph at times. Maybe some of this rain will wash out all the pollen messing with everyone’s sinuses this past week. Trees around the base of the mountain, like silverbells, magnolias, fire cherries, and serviceberries are now starting to bloom. Have a great day.   Good Afternoon, More sunshine? Yes, please and thank you! It’s another delightfully sunny day on the mountain, and everyone from crew to guests are basking in it. We dipped below freezing once again last night but temps have already risen into the 50s. Today and tomorrow we could creep close to the 60° mark for a high, which will feel marvelous when mixed with sun and no wind. Come Friday our streak of beautiful weather will finally come to end, as the rains shall return. So anyone coming into town this weekend should come prepared for wet conditions. Speaking of town, Pigeon Forge will be hosting its annual spring Rod Run this weekend, so traffic throughout Sevier County will be significantly more congested than average. Plan your routes and timetables to and from the trailheads accordingly to avoid as much vehicular consternation as possible. We have had some folks inquire as to bringing up goodies for our crew, in which the timing is appropriate as their beloved candy bin is getting low. So if anyone feeling inspired to tote up some chocolate and sugary sweets for our hardworking crew, your consideration and charity is always greatly appreciated. The Reese’s peanut butter cups always seem to disappear the quickest with any lodge crew! Have a great rest of the day.   Good Morning, No snow. No rain. No problems! Another sunny day across the Smokies is on the books. We started off in the mid 20s again this morning, but temps jumped back above freezing faster than yesterday. We should enjoy a high in the lower 50s this afternoon, and hopefully the thermometer stays above freezing now and for an extended period. A couple more days of bountiful sunshine are on deck before rain and storms return for yet another consecutive weekend. But it’s too pretty outside to worry about that right now. The air is calm, and rambles to vistas like Myrtle Point are calling. Anyone hiking up today will get some grand views of the hazy valley below, likely a result of all the pollen overtaking the South. Hwve a great day.   Good Afternoom, Weather’s good. Trails are good. The hiking is good! We’re in the midst of one of our finest stretches of sun-filled days all year thus far. There’s still a bit of a chill in the air, but when skies are clear and conditions calm, you can’t complain about that. We dipped down to the mid 20s last night and woke up to some patchy frost, but the sun made quick work at melting it away. We could tap 50° this afternoon and then stand one more chance at hitting the freezing mark again tonight. Temps will warm steadily both day and night the deeper we go into the week. Staying dry shouldn’t be a problem this week, unless you fall in a creek! Have a great rest of the day.   Good Morning, Happy Easter everyone! It’s already turning out to be a beautiful day on the mountain. Last night we got down to 33° and managed to avoid any frost. As soon as the sun gained some height over High Top, it didn’t take long for our little cap cloud to break loose. Now we’re back in the 40s with clear skies and bright light. And the rest of the week is looking just as great. The mountain should be busier with visitors today who waited out the rain of this weekend. The crew is celebrating Easter by decorating eggs, basking in the sunshine, and will soon wolf down what should be a glorious Sunday feast. Have a great day.   Good Morning, There was little to no sunshine to be had Friday, as anticipated, but for much of the day there was also little to no precipitation. Despite how dreadful the radar appeared, the bulk of the wet weather stayed south of the Smokies. Well, until this morning at least. There were several occasions last night and earlier today where the lodge sat squarely between cloud layers, helping to keep us mostly dry. If we were an Oreo cookie, we’d have been the delicious cream filling in the middle and the cloud layers the outer crusts. Speaking of cookies, an interesting discussion among the crew of late has been pondering the true identity of our famous No Bake cookies. Would they be more accurately recognized if they were called Yes Boils? Though more true to its ingredients’ roots, it just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Guess we’ll stick with No Bakes! Anyways, back on topic. The rain clouds have finally hit their mark and we’re in for a damp day atop Mt. LeConte. Temps are hovering right at 40°, which doesn’t feel too bad given the wind isn’t really a factor at the moment. We are expected to dip down around freezing tonight. Odds are that the rain and lingering ground warmth of recent days will make it difficult for surfaces to ice over even if it does. Once we get through today, we can all ready ourselves to bask in glorious sunshine well into next week. So everyone layer up today and ready the sunscreen for Easter Sunday and beyond. Have a great day.   Good Morning, It’s a wet and dreary Friday, but a Good Friday nonetheless. We managed to dodge any wet weather yesterday, but it finally found us around sunrise today. Now and Saturday the Smokies are calling for 100% chance of rain both days. So gear up and come ready for soggy trails and damp skies if you have a reservation to start the holiday weekend. Temps have slid down the thermometer slightly, as we hang out in the mid 40s. Overnight lows in the 30s are being forecast the next several days. We just have to do our best to get through these next two days, because the extended outlook beginning with Easter Sunday sure looks better for rambles in the woods. Have a great day.  |
LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
November 2023
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