Great Smoky Mountains National Park Weather

Current Observations

Tennessee Side

Mostly Cloudy and 74 F at Knoxville, McGhee Tyson Airport, TN

Winds are Southwest at 6.9 MPH (6 KT). The pressure is 1015.0 mb and the humidity is 85%. Last Updated on Aug 21 2018, 10:53 pm EDT.

North Carolina Side

Fair and 71 F at Asheville, Asheville Regional Airport, NC

Winds are North at 8.1 MPH (7 KT). The pressure is 1015.0 mb and the humidity is 84%. Last Updated on Aug 21 2018, 10:54 pm EDT.

Current visible satellite for the Great Smoky Mountains.

Great Smokies Visible Satellite Enlarge | Animate

Current doppler radar for the Great Smoky Mountains.

Doppler Radar Enlarge | Animate
FAQ from NOAA

Images dark? It's night in the mountains.

Webcams

Current webcam for Look Rock Overlook, Tennessee.

Look Rock Enlarge

2,891ft elevation
West park looking east

Current webcam for Purchase Knob, North Carolina.

Purchase Knob Enlarge

4,911ft elevation
East park looking east

Current webcam for Cold Mountain, Tennessee.

Cold Mountain Enlarge

5,001ft elevation
East of park looking west

Current webcam for Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness, North Carolina.

Joyce Kilmer Enlarge

4,700ft elevation
South of park looking west

Last update local time: 1:15am Wed, Aug 22, 2018 - outrageGIS.com

National Maps & A Bird's Eye View

Current Surface Observations: Enlarge

Precipitation forecast maps for next few days.
Alternate page for storm tracking.

Current National Weather Service watches and warnings.

Current Watches & Warnings: Enlarge

Great Smokies Weather on NOAA's website

3D Map Enlarge

A zoomable map. Part of our printed hiking map.

High Country Forecast

for elevations around 5,000ft

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 35.57°N and Longitude 83.51°W (Elev. 5269 ft) (Text-Only)

NWS Forecast for: 5 Miles SW Newfound Gap NC Issued by: National Weather Service Morristown, TN Last Update: 8:09 pm EDT Aug 21, 2018

Overnight

Chance
Showers

Low: 56 °F

Wednesday

Chance
Showers

High: 67 °F

Wednesday
Night

Slight Chance
Showers then
Partly Cloudy

Low: 49 °F

Thursday

Sunny

High: 66 °F

Thursday
Night

Mostly Clear

Low: 49 °F

Friday

Sunny

High: 68 °F

Friday
Night

Mostly Clear

Low: 52 °F

Saturday

Mostly Sunny
then Slight
Chance
Showers

High: 70 °F

Saturday
Night

Slight Chance
Showers then
Partly Cloudy

Low: 56 °F

Hazardous Weather Outlook

Overnight: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. West wind around 10 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 10 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 68.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Saturday Night: A 10 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers between 9am and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.

Monday Night: A chance of thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.

5 Miles SW Newfound Gap NC
35.57°N 83.51°W (Elev. 5269 ft)

Visit your local NWS office at: https://www.weather.gov/mrx

Area Forecasts

Forecasts Parkwide

National Weather Service Forecast Office
Morristown, Tennessee
The office issues watches, warnings, & adversories.Official forecasts. Clickable map to 7-day point forecasts which considers elevation in the prediction.

Forecast Maps

24-hour forecast

48-hour forecast

Climate & Past Observations

Time lapse animations

For our webcams & visible satellite.
Yesterday's animation

Visit archive (updated monthly)

Past Observations: Yesterday's precipitation and temperature

24-hour observations for 5 locations in national park (ending early this morning, approximately 7:30A.M., EST). Gives high & low temperatures, precipitation, and snow depth in INCHES for Sugarland Center, Newfound Gap, Cades Cove, Oconaluftee, & Mt. LeConte.

STATION                      HIGH  LOW    PCPN    SNOW   SNOW DEPTH
GTLT1: Sugarland Center    :  82 /  66 /  0.30 /     M /    M
NFGT1: Newfound Gap, TN    :  72 /  60 /  0.00 /   0.0 /    0
TNST1: Cades Cove          :  80 /  66 /  0.00 /     M /    M
MTLT1: Mount LeConte       :  68 /  54 /  0.20 /     M /    M
CRKN7: Oconaluftee         :   M /   M /     M /     M /    M

Monthly graph of temperature & precipition averages
1971-2001 climate data: Gatlinburg | Cataloochee
Official park weather page for good climate description

National Park News & Friendly Feeds

Official News Releases from the Park

18 Jan 2018 at 6:18am

Park Announces Front Country Camping Fee Increase

Park officials announced a fee increase for frontcounty campgrounds and picnic pavilions effective March 1, 2018. Over the past year, officials reviewed public comments, operating costs, and projected budget levels to determine the rate increases which range from 10% to 25%. The rate increases are necessary to meet the rising costs of operations, reduce a backlog of maintenance requirements on park facilities, and initiate needed improvements. Park officials are also improving the efficiency of campground management by adding three campgrounds to the national reservation system through Recreation.gov. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/park-announces-front-country-camping-fee-increase.htm

31 Aug 2017 at 8:03am

NPS Releases Review of Chimney Tops 2 Fire

Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued an independent review of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire that burned 11,410 acres in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in November 2016 and merged with other area fires, which caused 14 deaths and millions of dollars in damage in the Gatlinburg area. The report outlines the origins and growth of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It identifies a number of factors that contributed to the growth of the fire over the course of six days within the park before the fire moved beyond the park boundaries to merge with other fires and become the Sevier County fires. The report also provides a summary of findings and recommendations regarding the park’s fire management planning and response capabilities. https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/nps-releases-review-of-chimney-tops-2-fire.htm

Road status tweets from the Park

Main road status updates for the Great Smoky Mountains NP. Includes Newfound Gap Road (US 441), Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road, and Cades Cove Loop Road. From the National Park Service.

Tweets from The Great Smoky Mountains

Smoky Mountains National Park Official Nonprofit Partner Of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Since 1953. Cades Cove. Free photos, trip planning.

Tweets from GSMNP

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America’s playground getting more than 9 million visitors a year who hike, bike, fish, camp and go horseback riding.

Tweets from Mt. LeConte

At 6,593 ft. elevation, Mt. LeConte is the 3rd highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park & LeConte Lodge is located near the summit at 6,360 ft.

Our Recent Photographs & Maps

Hemlock

Swift Camp Creek trail, Clifty Wilderness, Red River Gorge, Kent...

View South up Chimney Top C...

Red River Gorge

Fog in Cades Cove

Our Favorite Hikes

Chimney Tops and Road Prong...

Hiker Great Smokies Trail Atlas
Distance: 9 Miles round-trip from trailhead
Difficulty: +++
Scenic Views: +++
Elevation Relief: 1,800ft ^^
Ownership: Great Smoky Mountains, NPS

Great Smokies Trail Atlas: $14

As you drive from the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road, you’ll catch gl...

Weather and Maps

New GOES-16 satellite image...

High-resolution weather imagery from GOES-16

Though GOES-16 is not officially operational, the availability of imagery has steadily increased. We found the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison hosts a set of imagery. The satellite will become ful...

Our Clients' Maps

Johnson Highway Day Map

Click to open map

On September 20, 2014 a downtown Lexington neighborhood hosted a block party and potluck. Raffles were held, which indeed included some outrageGIS mapping hiking maps. This map is entirely custom and shows only sidewalks and the location of the block party. The map layers two di...

Latest update: 1:15am Wed, Aug 22, 2018 - http://www.outrageGIS.com

Weather Station

Great Smoky Mountains NP