 Another chilly day befalls the mountains this Halloween, but rejoice, as sunshine is on the way! Between the icy temps and cutting breezes, it’s going to feel frigid up top today, with windchills easily dipping into the teens at times. The injections of sunlight in between fracturing clouds will do well to boost the hiking spirit though, even if there’s little warmth to be had from it. Count on trails to be plenty wet down lower and even icy up higher today. With what little snow we received over the past 36 hours, the sun should have an easy time melting off what ever remains on trees and other exposed surfaces. We’ll have to endure another sub-freezing evening tonight, but Saturday is expected to bring slightly warmer temps in the 40s at our elevation combined with partly sunny clouds. It’s sure to be another busy weekend in the national park. Visitors will be flocking to the upper elevations to catch a glimpse of lingering snow or experience the icy temps. Others will be oohing and aahing over the changing leaves currently peaking across the mid to lower elevations of the park. In all instances, come prepared for the colder conditions and pack the patience for bustling roads and trails. As the federal gov’t shutdown lingers on, it’s been announced that the national park will continue to receive outside funding to maintain basic services through the rest of the year. As we get into the second half of autumn, it is typical that various roads and facilities around the park are closed for the winter season anyways. The Lodge will press on as normal these final few weeks of the season. To learn more, visit https://friendsofthesmokies.org/blog/smokies-to-remain-open-through-jan-4-amid-ongoing-shutdown/ . Reminder that this Sunday sees the time change associated with Daylight Savings. So don’t forget to reset those clocks and alarms sometime Saturday night. What’s that mean for Lodge guests? Well, as is typical we have to shift guest supper service to a later time to account for the earlier setting sun. So that guests can still have an opportunity to enjoy sunset at Cliff Tops, we’ll be serving supper at 6:15 PM starting Sunday and thru the next week. Guests will be able to catch the grand spectacle first, then safely make the trek back down to the dining hall to partake of a fitting warm feast afterward. All other meal times and visitor service hours will remain as is until we close in a few weeks time. 
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 Well, it’s happened…the official first snow of autumn 2025 has been recorded! At exactly 3:00 PM Wednesday there was a 30 second flurry that interrupted what was another day full of rain. But overnight, once temps cooled low and long enough, the icy precip finally decided to stick. Mountain denizens were then treated to a wintry white surprise this morning upon waking up from their humble and cozy abodes. What the summit tallied is little more than a dusting, but enough to glaze most surfaces in that contrasting powdery canvas. The occasion certainly has everyone excited, as you’d be hard pressed to ever find a moment anywhere that goes viral like a first or last snow atop Mt. LeConte! Conditions up top will continue to be cloudy today along with a mix of rain and flurries. We could see some more accumulation, but not much is expected if any. It’s still a little windy across the crest, and trails are sure to be a slog once again today. Depending on your choice of footwear, count on getting wet feet between the heightened drainages, unbridged creek crossings, and all around river-like trail. Temps will remain frigid in the 20s and 30s today, made to feel colder under any breeze. Layers for staying dry and warm will be a must. All roads providing access to the various trailheads remain open thankfully. Reminder that anyone who secured 2026 reservations earlier this month has until Monday, November 3rd to remit payment. Otherwise you risk forfeiting your hard-earned booking. If you already have a check in the mail, great. If not, you are wise not to delay paying via credit card any longer, as the phones are likely to be quite busy with last minute callers tomorrow and Monday. Business hours are weekdays from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Congrats to our banjo-pickin’ crew member Kendall for predicting the season’s first snowfall!   Our week of wet weather continues, although things about are to get more interesting beginning today. We are currently under a Wind Advisory until 10:00 PM, with breezy conditions expected to ramp up across the mountains while calling for gusts as high as 55mph. Rain showers will be prevalent from start to finish, so expect wet and slick trails all around whether going up or down today. Late tonight or early tomorrow morning, depending on how the temperatures swing, is when we could see the rain transition to snow showers. Thursday then could see a mix of liquid and fluffy precip, all depending on how that freezing line tracks around our elevation. At this time, little accumulation is expected, especially if air and ground temps remain above freezing.
Visitors will want to pay very close attention to road conditions. Storms of this nature during the autumn season pose unique hazards in the mountains. A steady influx of rain can oversaturate shallow surface soils. When that rain becomes ice or snow, that precip can harden to the leaves of trees that have yet to shed them, adding extra weight to vegetation not accustomed to carry it. Throw in strong winds that hammer the forest giants like boat sails, and you now have a recipe for an increased number of landslides and downed trees. So, one, use extreme caution when out and about today. And two, don’t be surprised if the NPS deem it necessary to implement temporary road closures due to hazardous driving conditions. Have alternate plans drawn up and ready, and certainly come dressed for the challenging climate.  The final weekend of October was much like the others before it…decent skies, plenty of sunshine, comfortable temps, and bustling crowds all flocking to the Smokies to observe the colors. These last few days of the month are likely going to paint a much different picture though. We are bound to experience a diverse assortment of weather conditions, but sunshine and warmth won’t be among them. Substantial rainfall already began yesterday and is going to be a recurring presence all week. By early Thursday, temps will drop enough to see precip at our elevation transition over to snow. Trails are going to be a sloppy slog this entire week. Anyone dressed unprepared for the conditions is sure to endure a miserable hike due to the unavoidable wet and cold elements.
With it being autumn, this presents other hazards in the way of trees and leaves. Freshly fallen leaf litter can obscure rocks and roots underfoot that also become especially slick during rainfall. Then trees still clinging to their leaves can become weighed down by added snow and ice and are more likely to sag or snap, which can create blockages on trail or along roadways. Pay close attention to forecasts and road conditions in the park this week if a visit to Mt. LeConte is on the agenda, having alternate plans already drawn up if your preferred route suddenly becomes unattainable.  Skies over the mountain are a mix of sun and clouds this Friday. The veiled heavens and their somewhat gloomy grey only enhance the icy coolness of the wintry spell we’ve been under. The day’s earliest hikers will find conditions quite frigid still, as we dipped well below freezing last night. Once the sun has had a chance to gain some height, we expect air temps to warm into the 40s at least. Tonight we should creep close to frosty temps again before we kick off a warming trend that will see average highs and lows get comfortably away from the freezing mark. This final weekend of October will be a tale of two halves…mostly sunny on Saturday coupled with rain showers on Sunday. Plan your adventure to the mountain accordingly to have as safe and an enjoyable a hike as possible.
 We’re in the midst of a multi-day stretch of bright sunny days. Don’t be fooled though, as there’s little warmth to be had from these clear skies at our elevation, as temps remain quite brisk. It’s catching a number of visitors off guard who are clearly unprepared for the cold, ill equipped when it comes to layers, nourishment, and nighttime illumination. Please don’t forget the self-preservation part of your brain at home if you have a trip to Mt. LeConte on your agenda anytime soon. Hypothermia is no joke anywhere, but especially in the remote backcountry with limited resources and inherently different response times compared to say the plentiful city life. We have a few more nights ahead of us that will see the thermometer dip down around freezing. Add in the winds and it’ll feel plenty colder. Day time highs are slowly going to improve as we trudge into the weekend, ascending into the 40s daily at a minimum. With each subsequent frost, the ground is more susceptible to hardening and surfaces can quickly become slick, particularly those log-made water bars and steps. Use caution with your foot placement in such instances, or you’ll end up on your backside in a less than desirable fashion.   The day began under unblemished skies, utterly spotless save for the handful of shining stars that eventually yielded to soothing orange tones on the horizon. Anyone hitting the trails early today would have enjoyed clear blue skies accompanied by temps warmer than what was endured just 24 hours prior. Starting out in the 40s is certainly less jarring after opening that cabin door and setting foot outside for the first time. It’s still a bit breezy up here, and it’s shaping up to be that way for a couple more days. The winds will keep conditions feeling cool just about anywhere along the crest or on trail even when the thermometer reads above freezing. Clouds have swooped in this afternoon, as we are anticipating some light rain before supper. By tonight though, the gray veil should clear out and bring us open skies once again. Mid week looks sunny but this cold trend will continue.   That cold wind is a’blowin’ across the mountain today! After Sunday brought a chaotic assortment of rain showers, skies eventually cleared overnight and the temps plummeted right along with it. As expected, the winds and rains knocked around what was once a uniform canopy of changing leaves across the upper elevations, now relegated to blotchy bright islands among an overwhelming gray and brown canvas. And while there is abundant sunshine to be shared today, the sunshine has its work cut out for it to offer outdoor explorers any moments of warmth. The thermometer dipped down to 25° this morning, with gusts cutting through at windchills feeling like the teens. The ground still retaining its waning summer warmth did well to prevent the formation of any ice on trail, but some noticeable frost formed on trees along the crest before the rising sun could melt it away. While these next few days we can hope for midday highs in the 40s, everyone should count on chilly evenings getting down around or below freezing. Having those warm layers and accessories handy, along with traction devices, would be smart thinking for every traveler this week.   Fall has many faces. While we’ve gotten to enjoy a glorious streak of warm and sunny days the first half of October, the pendulum has now abruptly swung the other way. Cold, cloudy, wet, windy, and dreary is the standard this Sunday. Everyone who took note of today’s gloomy forecast by getting outside and basking in yesterday’s possible last summer-like hurrah was wise to do so. After this cold front pushes through, the Smokies are going to look and feel quite a bit different going forward. There’s no denying we needing the rain. Between it and the gusty winds - upwards of 55mph in the mountains - whatever withering leaves were clinging to their trees across the upper elevations will likely get plucked and swept away. That means the middle elevations will be responsible for carrying the leaf change torch this coming week, with the higher peaks of the park left mostly bare until next spring. Another wrinkle gets added to the mix, with overnight temps diving deep into the 30s beginning tonight. It’ll take some repetition before we start witnessing frost forming on surfaces with regularity, but this is everyone’s warning to start prepping for colder temps and slippery trail hazards these final few weeks of the season.   It’s just one gorgeous day after another. Sensory overload is unavoidable with the entire color spectrum being represented between earth and sky. We truly live in a magical place. Now and leading into the weekend, this remarkable trend of warm sunny days is set to continue. Afternoon highs in the 50s will sway back and forth with overnight lows in the 40s. It’s looking Sunday will see the return cloudy skies, rain, and noticeably cooler temps. So keep an eye on that if the timing of your trip to the Smokies coincides. By then whatever leaves were putting on a show in the upper elevations will likely have concluded. As we transition into the latter half of October, the mid elevations will take their turn with the baton and dazzle visitors with vividness. Reminder to future guests who secured reservations for the 2026 season. Although payment is due by Monday, November 3rd, please do not wait until the last minute to call if paying via credit card. The more people who drag their feet, the likelier it is that phone lines get tied up and you’re left waiting to connect. If opting to pay by mailed check, best not to delay in getting those postmarked and sent out either.  |
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
February 2026
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