Average temps south of Damascus to Springer from Nov--Feb?

[Different Socks]

So what would they be? Are we talking I just gotta worry about the Smokies for snow and temps below freezing?

[JJJ]

Most every night you'd hit temps below freezing except maybe south of the GSMNP, but if the temp misses freezing the wind will make up for it.
Snow is a lot more hit or miss.

[kayak karl]

jan-feb 09 i saw single digits. snow was on ground 75% of the time. foot of snow brown fork and spring mt shelters. drifts of 2'. ice was the worst in the north part of the smokies. i listed most of the temps http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=261523

[kayak karl]

the hardest thing wasn't staying warm, it was staying DRY.

[Cookerhiker]

No, it's not just the Smokies. Roan Mountain is over 6,000' and much of NC both south and north of the Smokies lies above 5,000'. Snow and temps down to single digits or even below zero are quite common. I can't tell you what the "average" temperature for such a long stretch but unless the winter is particularly mild, plan on temps well below freezing. As one example, a few years ago I planned to hike into the Southern Ruck from Winding Stair Gap but cancelled when the temps even down in the towns (Bryson City, Franklin) were forecast for overnight lows of 10 degrees, meaning I could have expected below zero on the 5,000' ridges.

Snow can be deep enough to necessitate postholing; with lower levels of snow, the trail often become icy.

It may not be Montana-type winter but it's cold enough,

[Different Socks]

jan-feb 09 i saw single digits. snow was on ground 75% of the time. foot of snow brown fork and spring mt shelters. drifts of 2'. ice was the worst in the north part of the smokies. i listed most of the temps http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=261523

KK, did you have crampons for the ice?

[kayak karl]

KK, did you have crampons for the ice?

i used these http://www.basegear.com/cmiinstep.html workrd great, but you need to hit flat foot. if heel first your down.

now i use these http://icespike.net/ work great and do not damage boots. i put 3 in heel and 4 in toe. i even put them in my trail runners to walk the dog in the winter.

[Gray Blazer]

Nantahalas Mar 26-Temp about 15 degrees for 4 days in a row.

[RED-DOG]

Bro espect some cold weather and probably snow.