November 19, 2024

Good Morning,

Monday was everything that was promised. Sunshine, warmth, grand views, just a great package deal for hiking in the Smokies. Hopefully folks were able to take advantage, because the day’s solo performance will be quite different from what is expected the rest of this week. The rain started to move into the region as breakfast platters were rolling out. Wet conditions are going to persist all of today and well into tomorrow. Because all this air is pushing up from the south, temps will remain quite warm until the wind direction swings from the west Wednesday evening. At that point, thermometers are going to drop across all elevations, the chilliness only to be amplified by the increasing wind gusts throughout the week. Whether this steep drop in temps from 50s to 20s occurs while precip is still in the vicinity will determine if we see this rain transition to flurries. Percentages are low at the moment, but some snow showers could make an appearance towards the back end of the week as well. Wind gusts are expected to whip as much as 35mph today, then continually build in strength each day and night until hitting 50mph early Friday. That will have a significant impact on how cold it will truly feel on the mountain, with windchills likely to dip into single digits for visitors at the summit.

There’s no escaping it, but everyone with reservations now and through the weekend needs to load up on appropriate gear for staying dry and warm, and to include those traction devices should trails turn dicey. Alternate plans should also be drawn up if not already done so in case the NPS deem it necessary to temporarily close US 441 (Newfound Gap Rd) at any point should driving conditions turn hazardous. That means researching ways ahead of time to get to Cherokee Orchard Rd and Roaring Fork in case a trail like Alum Cave isn’t an option for accessing the lodge. That also means starting early to account for the added miles and shorter daylight. Waiting around at Sugarlands Visitor Center hounding the people at service counters who have no control over the road conditions does nothing to improve your situation. On the other hand, proper planning does. With only eight days left in the season, let’s all be smart and safe out there now that some turbulent winter-like weather is finally on the way.

Have a great day.