12/11/08 Snow Event

[Alex]

The only places that seemed to get any snow in east tn were only the highest elevations of the smokies.  I checked Mt. Leconte's report this morning and they had 4 inches of snow.  Whereas at just a 1000 feet lower at Newfound Gap they had only an inch, and that's at 5 thousand feet.  I've always kept up with their reports.  Leconte seems to have its own climate up there.  I think they have had about 30 inches of snow already this season.

[Clay]

Take a look a the snow cover in Southern Mississippi..

[JayCee]

The only places that seemed to get any snow in east tn were only the highest elevations of the smokies.  I checked Mt. Leconte's report this morning and they had 4 inches of snow.  Whereas at just a 1000 feet lower at Newfound Gap they had only an inch, and that's at 5 thousand feet.  I've always kept up with their reports.  Leconte seems to have its own climate up there.  I think they have had about 30 inches of snow already this season.

It would be cool (literally) to live at that elevation.  I drove up to Newfound Gap Tuesday and they still had snow on the ground and the sides of the road from the previous snow they had.  It's a different world up there....   

[Alex]

Yep, they actually develop a snowpack up there during the winter.  When I hiked Leconte a couple of summers ago I looked at their weather records and saw over the past decade or so they have a several 100+ inch seasons, and in 03 they had over 150 inches.  It varies alot though.  At the time I hiked it in July it was 58 there, while it was 90 in Gatlinburg.  In their history of keeping records it has never hit 80 degrees.

[Clay]

Yep, they actually develop a snowpack up there during the winter.  When I hiked Leconte a couple of summers ago I looked at their weather records and saw over the past decade or so they have a several 100+ inch seasons, and in 03 they had over 150 inches.  It varies alot though.  At the time I hiked it in July it was 58 there, while it was 90 in Gatlinburg.  In their history of keeping records it has never hit 80 degrees.

Wow, that is interesting.

[Thundersnow]

That would be a nice escape during summer heat waves.

It's hard to believe we have a microclimate like that in Tennessee.

[Curt]

Try going to Clingmans Dome before the road is closed for the winter. In November one year it look like a canyon of snow on both sides of the road that would resemble something in Alaksa. Of course G'burg had nothing.

Anyways, from a snowless Memphis, TGIF everyone.

[Curt]

BTW nice satellite pic of the snow just north of NOLA to South MS(better look now, it wont be there in 3 more hrs!):

http://adds.aviationweather.gov/satellite/displaySat.php?region=LIT&isingle=single&itype=vis

[Alex]

Yea it is, I saw that it hit 78-79 a couple of times, but that is it.  When it hits 70 there its considered a heat wave lol.  The climate and vegatation is that of canada.  Unfortuantely though most of the spruce fir forest has been destroyed due to the woolly adelgid bug and acid rain.  It's beautiful up there though.  If you have not gone past the **** hole that is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and actually gone into the mountains, do so.  Leconte also has the only lodge in the park.  I'm not sure how much it is but it would be neat to take the family there for a night.  That is if you can't do the hike.  http://www.lecontelodge.com

[JayCee]

Yea it is, I saw that it hit 78-79 a couple of times, but that is it.  When it hits 70 there its considered a heat wave lol.  The climate and vegatation is that of canada.  Unfortuantely though most of the spruce fir forest has been destroyed due to the woolly adelgid bug and acid rain.  It's beautiful up there though.  If you have not gone past the **** hole that is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and actually gone into the mountains, do so.  Leconte also has the only lodge in the park.  I'm not sure how much it is but it would be neat to take the family there for a night.  That is if you can't do the hike.  http://www.lecontelodge.com

I myself like the Cosby Campground area.  Very few tourists, little traffic, and plenty of hiking trails. 
I noticed that English Mountain is completely white this morning.  They had a good snow up there as well.   

[JayCee]

That would be a nice escape during summer heat waves.

It's hard to believe we have a microclimate like that in Tennessee.

Elevation means everything.  Clingman's Dome is over 6,500ft.  The climate up there is more like Southern Canada.  Oh..if we could only live up there!!!   

[Coach B]

Note how narrow the strip of snow is from NW Alabama across mid TN on the sat pic.  My buddy on the other side of Marshall county didn't believe me when I told him we measured 3" here.     Lucked out on this one for sure.

[ST1]

Yea, East TN really got the short end of the deal on this system. But, heck, its still early in the season. 

[dwagner88]

Try going to Clingmans Dome before the road is closed for the winter. In November one year it look like a canyon of snow on both sides of the road that would resemble something in Alaksa. Of course G'burg had nothing.

Anyways, from a snowless Memphis, TGIF everyone.

I almost got stuck up there in early november two years ago. It was snowing, but not sticking at Newfound Gap so I drove on up to Clingman's Dome and in a matter of a mile or so the road went from wet to covered with 2+ inches of snow. At the top the road was frozen but the wind was blowing all of the snow off of it. I've got pictures from that trip. I followed a 4x4 f-350 back down. If his tracks weren't there, I probably wouldn't have made it in my little honda. the road was closed when we got back down to the main highway.