 Good Morning, A calming sunrise greets guests to start this Wednesday on the mountain. Only patchy clouds fill the sky this morning, and despite a small chance of afternoon showers later today, we should get enjoy a fair amount of sunshine. Temps are somewhat cool and might not break 60° today. Any winds over the crest will be light. The forecast for the coming days looks similar before what could be a rather wet weekend in the park. A heads up for visitors beginning Thursday. Some roof shingle replacement work will be taking place on a handful of cabins this next week. So please pardon our progress that could involve some extra noise as well as temporary closures of certain paths for visitor safety. Thank you. Have a great day. 
1 Comment
 Good Morning, We’ve achieved one of those benchmark days on the calendar today, seeing as we’re now halfway through August, down to 100 days left in the season, and our daylight hours have dwindled to 13.5 hours. Normally those would all be signs that summer is in its last stages, but if this past weekend’s visitor traffic to the mountain was any indication, folks are still keen on spending time in the park regardless of crowd size. It should return to normalcy today, now that it’s back to a weeekday, but also the clouds have returned overhead after a mostly sun-filled couple of days. Winds will be a little breezy today gusting as much as 25mph, and there will be a slight possibility of light rain this morning and early afternoon. A break in the skies is expected by this evening which could afford a nice sunset or at least some star gazing for our overnighters. Temps will be consistent with where they’ve been of late, between the 50s and 60s. Looks a cool down is on tap for the region about midweek, so a scaling back of the heat and humidity could really have folks thinking autumn thoughts soon. Have a great day.   Good Morning, Another beautiful day is in the works for the Smokies. As expected, yesterday’s sunshine brought out the tourists in droves. One of the busier days on the mountain to be had this season. Several clouds hung close to the summit during the afternoon, but any small showers seemed to stay south and away from us. There is another slight chance for some precip this afternoon and evening, but nothing worrisome enough to uproot one’s plans into the park. Temps will be slightly warmer today in the mid 60s. Winds will be light to start but pickup by tonight, gusting as much as 30mph. Definitely have the wind breakers handy, especially if guests are afforded a breezy sunset up at Cliff Tops. Monday’s forecast looks very similar to today, so prep for the trail accordingly. Have a great end to the week.   Good Morning, We’re all waking up to sunshine this Saturday. Despite the clouds refusing to let go of the summit yesterday, that didn’t stop travelers from far and wide flocking to the mountain. Foot traffic on Alum Cave was easily one of the busiest days the trail has seen all year, which would indicate that today could be even more so. Temps should feel great while being active but could come across as slightly cool once you reach the top. The thermometer shouldn’t escape the lower 60s this afternoon, and winds over the crest will be light. There is a slight chance for some pop up showers later, so keep the rain gear handy just in case, but don’t let it dampen your spirits. The forecast for Sunday looks even better to cap off a beautiful Smokies weekend of outdoor exploration. Have a great day.   Good Morning,
It was slow to get going, but finally around dinner time yesterday the skies decided to unload some substantial rain. After receiving another solid inch of liquid precip on the mountain, folks can expect wet trails as they hit the trail today. Since dawn, the sun has been teasing us with glimpses of bright light and blue sky, but the clouds are relentless on their stranglehold of the summit currently. Conditions are expected clear off for this afternoon and lead into a beautiful weekend for travelers. Temps should range from the lower 50s to lower 60s these next couple days. Winds over the peak will be light. After such a long stint of turbulent skies, expect a surge in vehicular and foot traffic in the park this weekend. Have a great day.  Good Morning,
Well the forecast for today isn’t nearly as daunting as it initially was, as rain chances have continually been pushed back to later in the day. That’s good news for everyone who got an early start on the trail today. We’ve had some brief sprinkles up to this point, but nothing torrential yet. By tomorrow all that should linger in the atmosphere is some fog before clearing out for sunny skies. A couple dry days will be a good change of scenery for up here. Temps are still mild in the 50s and 60s, but Friday night is calling for a cool down. Who knows, we might even tap the upper 40s. Winds today will be light but could turn gusty if a storm cell hits us just right. Use caution on trail when it comes to creek crossings and slick surfaces until the weather clears. Have a great day.  Good Morning,
Calm skies and a colorful sunrise greet waking eyes this morning high above East Tennessee. Partly cloudy conditions will set the tone these first several hours to start this Wednesday. After lunchtime, though, we can expect some atmospheric excitement. Storms will be present this afternoon and evening bringing gusty winds and potentially heavy rainfall. That means localized flooding could happen later today, so folks with reservations should hit the trail early and get up top before the skies sour. Temps will range from the 50s and 60s. Thursday looks like it could be a wet day from start to finish before we have ourselves a sun-filled weekend. Phone and internet communication have been restored at our reservations office. Please be patient as our team catches up on all the voicemails and emails from the last 36 hours. If you aren’t an overnight guest with a reservation in the next day or two with an urgent need, we recommend waiting a little bit before calling to give our reservations team a chance to assist those folks first. Thank you. Have a great day and stay dry out there.  Good Morning,
A starry night sky has given way to partly cloudy conditions atop the mountain to start this Tuesday. We should be in for a pleasant morning before storm chances ramp up for this afternoon. Temps are quite comfortable in the 60s with only light winds. We appear to be in for a few more days with strong rain chances, but the weekend ahead looks promising at this point. Beginning today we will be adjusting our on site gift shop hours. Guests hoping to make any last minute purchases before departing the lodge can do so from 8:45-9:15 AM. Then all visitors to the mountain during the afternoon will have access from 12:00-4:30 PM. As usual, any overnight guests arriving after 4:30 PM should proceed to the dining hall where a crew member will get you checked into your cabin. The fiber optic cable providing phone and internet access to our reservations office remains down. We will advise when it has been repaired. Have a great day. To those attempting to reach our reservations office this afternoon, we are experiencing an unplanned service outage for phones and internet. Our reservations staff will respond to any recent email or voicemail inquiries as soon as we are able. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding.
 Good Morning,
Already a week into August and the summer of rain continues. Clouds and scattered storms hounded the mountain yesterday but eventually gave way for a superbly clear evening. Always a treat when guests get to end the day on a solid note after what can be a wet and muggy afternoon on trail. The park is under partly skies to roll into this Sunday, so folks trekking into the woods on the early side today might be able to avoid any turbulent weather. Later this afternoon the chances for storms increase, as per usual. Temps will continue to hang around the 50s and 60s while winds over the crest will remain light. Looking ahead to the coming week…expect more wet. Despite the persistent presence of rain the past month plus, the natural grounds of the lodge stand firm in putting on a grand show for all who achieve the climb. The coneflower, snakeroot, and monkshood are in full bloom and blend together in a complimentary fashion that is always pleasing to the eyes. Ragwort, krigia, and gentian are currently what line the trails higher up, cheering on hikers with each step. As anticipated, this will be an off year for the vivid red of the mountain ash berries after last autumn’s super crop. A couple more weeks of such displays are ahead before the fawns lose their spots and the seasons begin to change above 6,000 feet. Have a great end to the week. |
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
August 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|
|
