Smoky Mountain Forecast - Nov 19, 2006

[MOWGLI]

Looks like the Smokies could get some significant snow;

.WINTRY WEATHER POSSIBLE TODAY INTO MONDAY WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DIG SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL DRAMATICALLY LOWER TEMPERATURES ALOFT. NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL PULL MOISTURE FROM THE GREAT LAKES INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.

LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE TODAY. SOME SNOW SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. COLDER AIR WILL PUSH IN TONIGHT...THE RAIN SHOWERS MAY BECOME MIXED WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW SHOWERS EVEN IN VALLEY LOCATIONS...WITH ALL SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF ON MONDAY...BEFORE ENDING MONDAY EVENING.

GROUND TEMPERATURES AND NEAR SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURES WILL INITIALLY BE TOO WARM FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. HOWEVER...A FEW VALLEY LOCATIONS COULD SEE SOME MINOR ACCUMULATION...MAINLY ON GRASSY AREAS AND ELEVATED SURFACES...LATE TONIGHT. THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU MAY SEE AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WHILE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE...AGAIN WITH MINOR OR NO ACCUMULATIONS IN LOWER ELEVATIONS. IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND ESPECIALLY THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS... TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2500 FEET...WITH 6 INCHES OR MORE POSSIBLE AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET. THE LOWEST ELEVATIONS IN THESE MOUNTAIN AREAS WILL AGAIN LIKELY SEE NO OR ONLY MINOR ACCUMULATIONS.

[generoll]

heres a url that you might find of interest. obstructed by rain and fog right now, but i alaways like to take a peek when i can anyway.
http://www.highcountrywebcams.com/webcameras_LookRock.htm

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

From my front porch, it appears to be extremely foggy or snowing in the Smokies over near Le Conte.

[MOWGLI]

Just received this email from the Chattanooga Hiking Club;

Dear Members,
The National Park Service reports that the Appalachian Trail is iced up with 1/4 inch of ice from Newfound Gap to Icewater Springs. They do not expect it to be melted before the end of the Thanksgiving weekend. If you had plans to hike there this weekend, you need to keep that in mind.
Doug Cooper

[DavidNH]

It seems like the smokies would be a wonderful place to winter backpack..and not as cold as my New England mountains!!

Do they require you to stay in shelters like in somer or can one camp at any good place? Do you still need permits and reservations in winter?

David

[MOWGLI]

It seems like the smokies would be a wonderful place to winter backpack..and not as cold as my New England mountains!!

Do they require you to stay in shelters like in somer or can one camp at any good place? Do you still need permits and reservations in winter?

David

Permits are required year round. You must stay in shelters when walking the AT. If you want to camp, there are plenty of campgrounds where you can tent off of the AT. You need a free backcountry permit however.

[generoll]

David:

Just a suggestion. Don't be too dismissive of the temps in the Smokies. You can see single digits at night anytime from here now until Spring. You may already know this but there have been cases of northern tourists assuming that it never gets cold in the south. Sometimes they get a suprise.

[DavidNH]

I realize it gets wintery in the smokies.. afterall they do get up to over 6000 feet! However..temps in single digits sure beats zero degrees and windy AT THE TRAIL HEAD and sub zero with gale force + winds up high as can often happen in the whites. Frankly...temps in teens are ideal as long as the winds are calm. I have the sneaking suspicion that the smokies could be a windy area in winter.

Someday I hope to get down there to hike again. Aside from the excessive crowds I think the smokies were among the most beautiful stretches of the AT.

David

[MOWGLI]

I realize it gets wintery in the smokies.. afterall they do get up to over 6000 feet! However..temps in single digits sure beats zero degrees and windy AT THE TRAIL HEAD and sub zero with gale force + winds up high as can often happen in the whites. Frankly...temps in teens are ideal as long as the winds are calm. I have the sneaking suspicion that the smokies could be a windy area in winter.

Someday I hope to get down there to hike again. Aside from the excessive crowds I think the smokies were among the most beautiful stretches of the AT.

David

Try hiking down lower in the cove forests when you revisit the Smokies. That's where the real beauty is - to my eyes. There are 900 miles of trails in the Smokies. That means 75 on the AT and 825 elsewhere.

[generoll]

Yeah, what Jeff said.

[shades of blue]

I'm thinking of doing a day hike tomorrow from Davenport Gap to Mt. Cammerer. Has anyone heard of the current trail condition?

[MOWGLI]

.......................

[shades of blue]

Didn't quite understand your post Mowgli...but the hike went great. There was some snow on the side of the mountain which was in more shade. It was very little at any rate. The temps were perfect and the weather crystal clear. A wonderful hike.

[smokymtnsteve]

David:

Just a suggestion. Don't be too dismissive of the temps in the Smokies. You can see single digits at night anytime from here now until Spring. You may already know this but there have been cases of northern tourists assuming that it never gets cold in the south. Sometimes they get a suprise.

actually the top of ole smoky is considered in the canadian zone.

[MOWGLI]

Didn't quite understand your post Mowgli...but the hike went great.

Glad to hear! I misread your post and replied, then edited my post to remove what was inaccurate info.