October 13, 2023

Good Morning,

A magical night beneath the Milky Way is giving way to a clear and colorful sunrise here above East Tennessee. This Friday the 13th is going to be a tad warm, in which the summit could slip into the 60s this afternoon. Perhaps our last taste of warmth til next spring! Skies will be mostly sunny throughout the daylight hours, but breezy conditions will persist gusting as much as 25mph today. By tonight, count on the weather patterns for this region becoming quite turbulent and sloppy.

All visitors to Mt. LeConte beginning this weekend need to get serious about how adequately they are planning for a trip to and from the mountain. That’s both overnight guests and day hikers. Saturday will see mild temps with intermittent rain showers throughout. Come Sunday morning, the thermometer plummets ferociously in which precip could transition from rain to snow showers. How much of the flaky fluffy stuff we will witness and how much will stick remains uncertain, but air temps are fully expected to dip below freezing until late Tuesday. As the winds will be a constant presence these next several days, wind chills could have it feeling close to single digits at the lodge. It may be too warm still for any snow to accumulate on the ground, but if rain turns to ice that then sticks to clinging leaves, that added weight to tree limbs can cause them to sag or even snap, creating new hazards on trail or obstructing roadways. Everyone needs to have alternate routes in mind should the wintry mix cause temporary road closures.

If you are a day hiker adamant about visiting the mountain during such weather, you are fully responsible for coming properly dressed and provisioned for the entirety of your time in the wilderness. Only paying guests with reservations have access to cozy cabins and hot beverages at this time. Staying warm, dry, hydrated, well nourished, and able to safely navigate the trails is 100% the responsibility of the day hiker. If you choose to make the climb lacking in either of those departments, then you have no one to blame but yourself for an unsatisfactory experience. Again, these conditions should be taken seriously. Do that, then your odds of having a safe and enjoyable time in the woods increase greatly.

Have a great day.