December 11, 2019

Good morning friends, 

The temperatures ranged from a high yesterday of 44 degrees and a low last night of 14 degrees The current temperature this morning is 13 degrees. We had 1.21 inches of new precipitation.  Along with 1.5 inches of sleet and snow.

There is currently 1.5 inches of snow on the ground and moderate winds have returned. 

Here is the official report from The National Weather Service

Detailed Forecast

Today Sunny, with a high near 31. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight Clear, with a low around 24. Northeast wind around 10 mph becoming east after midnight.

Thursday Sunny, with a high near 39. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday Night A chance of rain before 11pm, then rain or freezing rain likely between 11pm and 2am, then freezing rain likely after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible.

Friday Freezing rain before 10am, then rain or freezing rain between 10am and 11am, then rain showers after 11am. High near 39. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Friday Night Showers. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation 

It appears that US 441 is closed between Cherokee and Gatlinburg. Please check the NPS site for any possible changes or updates. 
@SmokiesRoadsNPS

Well guys yesterday reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies. The movie is Brave Heart and stars Mel Gibson as William Wallace. In one scene he arrives at the home of the young lady who is the target of his affection and soon to be his wife. It’s raining when he shows up and asks the father if she can go riding. The father looks at the sky and says “not today, it’s raining” Gibson’s character responds “sure it’s a beautiful Scottish day, the rain is coming straight down. They then ride off together. 

Well guys, we had some beautiful Scottish weather up on top today. The winds had died down and the rain was coming straight down. And it kept coming. 

So if you’re planning on hiking up this way, understand that the creeks are going to be swollen, heck for that matter so are many of the trails (as evidenced by our Photo of the Day) taken on Boulevard at around 4:30 this afternoon. Boulevard looked like a creek complete with its own little water falls. 

My advise if you do hike is wear good waterproof boots. Prepare for deeper than normal creek crossing. Be sure to have traction devices.(Around 5:30 I was already seeing some areas frost over with a thin coat of ice). This will only get more severe as the temperatures continue to drop and new sleet and snow come in.

And finally pack a dry pair of socks. They can be a life saver for your feet. 

Take care, happy hiking and stay safe. 
​
Steve