Snow Falls on Mt. LeConte: A First for the Season
You don’t normally think of snow in October in Tennessee, but in the Smoky Mountains, it happened last night at Mt. LeConte—the third highest peak in the mountain range, at 6,593 feet. It’s not totally uncommon, as temperatures are routinely 15-20 lower than the Tennessee Valley, but their recorded snowfall of approximately an inch this morning, is receiving quite the attention in the month of October.
It wasn’t totally unpredictable, though. Local forecasts were calling for the chance of rain changing over to snow on the mountain peak, and that is exactly what occurred last night. The low reached a frigid 29 degrees with the highs making it only into the 30s.
This burst of snow has really been highly anticipated by those who have been sick of all the heat and humidity that lingered well into the fall season here in East Tennessee. It was a rainy, chilly existence yesterday and today in Gatlinburg, but I don’t think most of us in the valley are ready for a white coating before we see the marvelous colors of fall blanketing the mountain sides.
Currently, Mt. LeConte is experiencing light flurries with a calm breeze, and temperatures in the 20s. While it may be a bit too soon to get comfortable with warm clothing in Gatlinburg, it won’t be long before Tennessee weather makes your head spin with a mix of cold, light snow, rain, and…yes, warmth. A reminder for that is back in 2019, when we arrived thinking we were going to be dazzled with snow-capped mountain; instead, we were met with shorts weather temperatures in the upper 70’s a few days AFTER Christmas!
As an extra precautionary note, if you are thinking of trekking Mt. LeConte, local representatives are urging hikers to wear traction gear due to the conditions of the trails.
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