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sweetpeastu
01-04-2008, 15:09
Does anyone know what the weather is like right now at Roan? It it difficult getting up to Carvers Gap because of weather? I'd really like to do a weekend winter trip to Roan sometime..I just don't know anything about what to expect in terms of weather around there.

Lone Wolf
01-04-2008, 15:14
right now it's sunny and about 40 deg. up there. only difficult to get there right after a snow storm. it's a state road. they plow it

envirodiver
01-04-2008, 15:16
Don't know about current, but the last time I was there in winter (Jan) a few years back the weather was a challenge for sure. Ice on the road to Carvers Gap (but open), wind howling and sleet at the Gap. 8-10" snow on the trails.

Wind almost blew us off of Little Hump, but especially strong on Big Hump. Very cold at the Overmountain Shelter.

Nice place in winter

Great Trip:banana

Jay B.
01-04-2008, 15:26
I would contact the folks at Roan Mountain State Park at the foot of Roan Mountain. They have always been helpful to me as to the weather conditions at the top. Call423-772-0190. Jay B.

Pedaling Fool
01-04-2008, 16:03
Every time I've been up there it was colder than a witch's t., but I've only been there twice (Late April time frame).

karo
01-04-2008, 18:53
Does anyone know what the weather is like right now at Roan? It it difficult getting up to Carvers Gap because of weather? I'd really like to do a weekend winter trip to Roan sometime..I just don't know anything about what to expect in terms of weather around there.
Sweet Pea Stu,
You cna check rd conditions on TN side here:
http://ww2.tdot.state.tn.us/tsw/asp/smartmap.asp
Just go to Carter Co. and hwy 143 is at the bottom south end of the Co.
The closest weather that I have found is Beech Mt Ski resort. It usually has weather close to what you would get at Roan.

karo
01-04-2008, 19:47
Just remember the snow on the slopes at Beech is probably man-made. I also found a link to Grandfather Mtn. weather station but it didn't work.

corialice81
01-05-2008, 17:45
sweetpeastu,

going to hit roan again?

Trail_hound
01-05-2008, 19:12
Yeah anytime in Winter I would check with the people at the park. It gets real dicey up there in winter. Probably nice up there today but its always a crapshoot.:)

Tennessee Viking
01-05-2008, 20:49
The Roan is just coming off the season's first and biggest chill. From the feed I get off of Holston, temps got down to below 0. I could only imagine Roan being a bit colder being at 6000.

Temps at current are around the 30s-40s for the lows and possible highs in the 60s. But snow is always a possibility, and can show up all of a sudden and throw the forecast out the window. During the 2007 Nobo thru, a number of hikers got caught by surprise by a sudden spring snow.

sweetpeastu
01-07-2008, 11:19
Hey Cori you intrested in revisiting the area? Maybe you could suggest some new route or something. I saw all sorts of trails intersecting with the AT and I have NO idea what they were or where they take you. Any thoughts?

Did you move or something? I thought you were in Boone?

Cabin Fever
01-07-2008, 11:54
I did the Carvers Gap to Elk Park section the weekend before Christmas. The road to Carvers Gap was fine until the last 2 miles where it got slushy. The loft at Overmountain Shelter was perfect to fend off the wind as long as you put the tarp up over the opening. To say the wind was blowing on the Humps is an understatement. We found icecicles on the branches of leading edge trees that were at least a foot long...sideways. Good or bad weather, it is an awesome experience to do that section.

Nearly Normal
01-07-2008, 21:23
I got as far as Caver's Gap one December and the road was closed/gated up to Roan. The weather wasn't bad and the roads were clear.
I just thought they closed it for the season.

Tennessee Viking
01-07-2008, 23:55
Since the road up to Carvers Gap is a state highway on both sides, it will stay open unless it is completely iced over, then they will close it down further below. I heard it closed more often on the NC side due to its grade.

But the forest road from Carvers Gap up to the Gardens is usually closed during winter or when snow/ice is predicted. Since the road is operated by Pisgah, they close most of their roads down from Jan 1 to Apr 1.

karo
01-09-2008, 00:04
Since the road up to Carvers Gap is a state highway on both sides, it will stay open unless it is completely iced over, then they will close it down further below. I heard it closed more often on the NC side due to its grade.

But the forest road from Carvers Gap up to the Gardens is usually closed during winter or when snow/ice is predicted. Since the road is operated by Pisgah, they close most of their roads down from Jan 1 to Apr 1.
Yeah, they close the road up from Carver's Gap to the Gardens every winter. One year we were up there after Christmas and they were grading that road. I didn't think about it till the next day, but I wondered why grade a closed road??? We talked to the grader operator the next day and they grade it for the Xcountry skiers, who use it every winter. Last year we saw their ski tracks at Cloudlands parking lot.