June weather in the Smokies?

[Corvis]

My brother and I usually hike a portion of the trail every July or August. This year, we're going in June. We'll be in the Fontana Dam area and then heading into the southern part of the Smokies. How cold does it get at night? Just wondering if we have to bring warmer clothes than we usually do.

[TwoForty]

www.nps.gov/grsm (http://www.nps.gov/grsm) has a little table that can give you decent estimates.
I went in the last week of May last year and I think it hit low 40's or high 30's at night (this is at 6000ft mind you). Hiking over Leconte, the temp reading at 3 pm was 48 on a cloudy day. The day before I got there they had a light amount of frost. It can vary a lot though.

It depends on what you like to wear when you hike, but this is what I had.
I hiked in nylon pants and a short sleeved shirt. On exposed summits where it was windy (ridge walks) I added a windproof rain jacket that was vented. On shady areas, I added liner gloves and a long sleeved Capilene top.

At night and in the morning I had a wool hat, liner gloves, a 200wt fleece, and long underwear. It was a bit cool, but not bad. My 20 degree bag was more than warm enough in the shelter at night.

[Ramble~On]

Elevation and weather.

In June you might luck out and not see higher elevation night time temperatures dip below the low 50's. It could do anything.
I usually carry more layers than I ever need.....no cotton though.
I take along a lightweight fleece jacket every trip during summer.
"Better to have and not need than to need and not have" this is a great saying....but doesn't mean you have to take along the kitchen sink.

[DLFrost]

In June you might luck out and not see higher elevation night time temperatures dip below the low 50's. It could do anything.
Yep, just about. Once you get over 5500 there's a tendency for things to get wet as well as cold. Cloudy mists move in, giving you that raw cold that penetrates everything. (I saw this coming home this evening--anyone camped above 4000 in the Smokies was basicly sitting inside a rain cloud.) The short story: You need to protect against rain/damp as much as the cold.

I'd take my "breathable" rain jacket and pants (outer layer), light thermal bottoms & ultralight microfleece top (inner), a liner to go under my rain hat, and light fleece gloves. But this is with a 20-degree Western Mountaineering down bag backing me up (also my lightest bag) and a camping hammock which will let me easily retreat to less exposed locations.

Doug Frost