June 25, 2021

Good Morning,

Rolling into the last weekend of the month and it’s shaping up to be a decent one for outdoor exploration. We’re waking up to cloud-capped mountains, but that status is not expected to last. Forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies over East TN for at least one more solid day. Temps are currently in the upper 40s but should have no problem breaking the mid 60s this afternoon. Winds to be light during the day and then gusting upwards of 25mph overnight. Saturday will start off nicely, but clouds could build as the day progresses with the chance for thunderstorm development in the afternoon and early evening. So unless you have plans of racing up and down the mountain before lunch, good to have that rain shell handy in case the weather sours late tomorrow. With such a promising forecast, one can expect the park to be drawing in the crowds, so bring patience for the drive and when scoping out the popular trailheads. There also tend to be more traffic jams caused by wildlife sightings in the summer, namely bears, deer, and turkeys, so pay extra attention if and when visitors decide to exit their vehicles and occupy the roadway.

​Have a great day.