 Good Morning,
We’ll be sending August out in style today. Once some patchy fog around the park clears, visitors should get sunny skies to enjoy this Thursday. After several days of rain, and fortunately being spared from Idalia’s wrath, our mountain is slated to see a beautiful holiday weekend to welcome September and close out the summer tourist season. Pretty soon we’ll all be admiring changing leaves and crisp temperatures. Speaking of which, conditions are going to feel delightful up top these next several days. Highs in the low 60s with light winds, then dipping into the 50s overnight. The ascents won’t sap one of their energy as quickly when it feels so pleasant. Expect big crowds in the Smokies this weekend with such a favorable forecast, and have a game plan ready for getting to a preferred trailhead effectively. Have a great day.
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 Good Morning,
It’s going to be a soaking and soggy Tuesday across the Smokies. Percentages are high for precip falling all day, although the bulk of the downpour is expected to take place the first half of the day. Localized flooding, particularly in the hollers and drainages of the mountains, should be monitored closely as plenty of rain has fallen in recent days to keep surface soils saturated and creeks running high. Trails without footbridges over all creek crossings really should be avoided during this time, such as Rainbow Falls. Conditions up top are going to be cloudy, breezy, damp, and cool. The lodge will be lucky to scrape the 60° mark this afternoon. Looks like we have a couple more days of this before forecasts improve leading into the holiday weekend. Use caution and do your best to stay dry while out on trail. Have a great day.  Good Morning,
A Flood Advisory for the region expired during the night, but there is plenty of rain expected over the coming days that is certainly going to saturate trails and keep creeks riding high. Conditions across the upper elevations are quite cloudy this morning with some small scattered showers in the vicinity of the Smokies. The chances for heavy rain and severe storms return in earnest by mid afternoon today. Guests with reservations ought to make haste, whether trekking up or down the mountain today, in order to avoid the worst of what the skies might produce. Temps in the upper 50s to lower 60s will likely feel cooler due to the persistent wet surroundings. Waterproof layers from head to toe are strongly advised. Right now we’re also keeping tabs on Hurricane Idalia in the Gulf, but it doesn’t appear as though it will pose any threat to the Southern Appalachians this coming week. Have a great day.  Good Morning,
The late summer cool down is coming. Today will begin sunny and beautiful across the Smokies with plenty of lingering haze still, but by this afternoon skies will become quite active. Rain and storm chances will develop as clouds build, and don’t appear as though they’ll be leaving us alone for the next several days. Daytime high temps are also going to plunge a bit from this hot and humid norm we’ve grown accustomed to, dipping about 10-15°, compared to recent trends. Overnight lows in the meantime should stay relatively close to where they’ve been. So if a mountaintop that’s hovering around 55-60° sounds chilly to you, best bring extra layers, especially if the summit is in a continual state of cloud and mist or more. Everyone should hit the trails early today to beat the souring weather. Also pack the patience for the drive to and from the park today as this year’s Jeep Invasion concludes. Have a great day.  Good Morning,
The weather is going to be a mixed bag of offerings this Saturday. Outdoor enthusiasts will be treated to mostly sunny skies and warm temps this morning, but by this afternoon we will see the beginning of a mutli-day stretch with increasing rain and storm activity. So everyone is encouraged to go play in the woods early today to beat the incoming wet and choppy conditions. Once all this precip makes its entrance, temps across the region will finally ease off some, so much so that we’ll see high temps at all elevations be at least 15° cooler than they’ve been of late. No reason for visitors to Mt. LeConte not to come prepared with layers for staying dry and warm this weekend and into September. These last two weeks of solid sunshine really helped to bring on the unique and elusive Grass of Parnassus and Purple Gentian around the mountain. The grand displays of blooms will be at peak these next several days for hikers to enjoy (and most definitely not ever ever pick!). One of the best stands, if not the best, can be found at the Grassy Slide approximately 3/4 of a mile down Alum Cave Trail. Some of summer’s last flowers before everyone’s focus shifts to the changing leaves… Have a great weekend.  Good Morning, The heat wave will continue to roll in the Smokies today and lead into the final weekend of August. The lodge has endured its longest stretch of consecutive days in the lower to mid 70s this week, with ascents of the mountain feeling extra humid of late. Thankfully these llama days of summer are about to get the boot, as temps will begin a slide down the thermometer by Sunday. And although stronger possibilities of liquid precip drenching the mountain aren’t expected until the backside of this coming weekend, our streak of superbly sunny days was finally snapped mid afternoon yesterday. The storm rolled out just as quickly as it rushed in, but not before dumping a heavy rain mixed with pea-to-marble sized hail. Today will be hot with mostly sunny skies and that persistent haze. Slight chances for rain won’t take place until late this evening. Winds will be light, but coming out of the NW might add a nice touch of coolness against the skin in this summer heat. Have a great day.   Good Morning, The basking in bountiful sunshine continues atop Mt. LeConte. Clear skies, albeit what one can see through the haze, will be the norm once again today. We still have several more days where the lodge is expected to top 70°, which means it’ll be that much warmer in the lowlands. In fact, the crew found a wise way to get some reprieve during what has been the hottest week of the season…enjoying the spoils of good old fashioned hand-cranked ice cream! A rare and precious luxury above 6,000’ when miles from any road or grocery store. There could be light winds across the peaks today, and clouds will slowly start thickening tonight and into tomorrow. Come Thursday we see a return of slight afternoon thunderstorm possibilities, so consider throwing that rain shell in amongst the hat and sunscreen. Have a great day.   Good Morning, That faux fall we got enjoy last week seems like a distant memory now, even if the first witch hobble leaves have begun to change color. Yesterday’s high temp of 76°, the warmest our lodge thermometer has gotten thus far in 2023, just proves that summer isn’t done with the Smokies yet. In fact, there is a Code Orange Air Quality Alert in effect for our region today, so anyone with respiratory sensitivity should take caution if exerting themselves in the outdoors. The mountaintop is expecting more sunny skies and toasty temps this Tuesday, mixed with plenty of haze on the horizons. Be sure and pace yourself during any hike in these conditions, while also staying well nourished and hydrated. A heads up to travelers that this coming weekend marks Pigeon Forge’s annual Jeep Invasion. That means increased traffic congestion among our gateway communities. And with all this sunny weather, many of those crowds will feel the attraction to drive through the national park with tops rolled back and doors off. Pack the patience or start your adventure early if you hope to avoid the crowds. Have a great day.   Good Morning, This next full week of August is calling for more sunshine over the mountains. We’ll have intermittent clouds some days, but right now we still don’t stand to see much, if any, rain in the near future. And this coming week is going to be toasty across all elevations, as summer isn’t quite done with us yet. The lodge will experience several days getting into the 70s which starts to get pretty warm in our neck of the woods. Pack those wide brimmed hats and sunscreen for any outdoor exploration, and plenty of water and snacks for staying hydrated and well nourished for a sweaty outdoor activity. Have a great day.   Good Morning, A sunny Sunday is what outdoor enthusiasts have to enjoy today. The heat has returned in the lowlands and thus the upper elevations of the Smokies are following suit. Conditions at the lodge will be clear with temps in the 70s and calm winds. The next several days are calling for more of the same. The late summer flowers are coming on strong now with all this glorious sunshine. Coneflower, white snakeroot, asters, and the first types of goldenrod are filling in nicely along slopes and openings. 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
June 2024
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