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Great Smoky Mountains Snow Again for East TN and Western NC

February 25, 2015

Winter Storm Remus Bringing Great Smoky Mountains Snow Again The Great Smoky Mountains snow that won’t end. The National Weather Service has issued  yet another winter weather advisory for the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. More snow is in the forecast from  Winter Storm Remus advancing toward the southeast United States. The groundhog Sir Walter Wally in North Carolina got it right when he predicted 6 more weeks of winter. But the ski resort have had a great year with all the snow and cold temperatures this winter. Here is the latest…
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Clearing Snow and Ice A Challenge for Park Service

February 21, 2015

Environmental Concerns Make Clearing Snow and Ice in GSMNP A Challenge With all the snow, ice and frigid weather that’s occurred at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the last few weeks clearing snow and ice on the roads can be quite a challenge. The National Park Service does not use ice-melting agents or salt on the roads for winter weather precipitation. Salt, brine and other ice-melting agents can have harmful effects on the environment such as killing roadside grass and other vegetation. When the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park need clearing of snow, sleet or ice the park…
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Ice Storm Closes Great Smoky Mountains National Park

February 17, 2015

Ice Storm From Octavia Closes Great Smoky Mountains National Park The National Park Service has closed all  park facilities of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to the ice storm. This means all visitors centers and roads have been closed today. Winter Storm Octavia brought a combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain to the area resulting in a dangerous ice storm. For the next several days frigid temperatures are in the forecast. The arctic cold front that moves over the southeast will bring extremely cold temperatures for about 48 hours. More snow is predicted for Wednesday and temperatures…
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Winter Storm Octavia Headed For Great Smoky Mountains

February 15, 2015

Winter Storm Octavia Heading to the Great Smoky Mountains Winter Storm Octavia is making her way toward East Tennessee and North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains are forecast to get several inches of snow with this latest winter storm. But not only is snow in the forecast but possible sleet and freezing rain with significant accumulation possible. This means broken tree limbs, downed trees, downed power lines and power outages. The storm is expected to reach the Great Smoky Mountains tonight. Below average cold temperatures will remain in effect for the rest of the week. So whatever falls will stay around…
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Great Smoky Mountains Weather Snow and Winter Weather Advisory

January 23, 2015

The Great Smoky Mountains Weather Bring Fun In The Snow The Great Smoky Mountains weather for the next few days will bring snow. A Winter Weather Advisory in now in place for the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Snow is expected Friday night and into Saturday morning and then again on Monday Jan. 26, 2015. An accumulation of 1-3 inches with the higher elevations getting the most. The Winter Storm Iola is responsible for the winter weather as it tracks up the east coast of the United States. Snow lovers and skiers head for the…
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Got Over 1 Million Visitors in 2014

January 12, 2015

2014 A Huge Year For Visitors and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Last year was huge for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the park got over 10 million visitors. The busiest year was in 1999 with 10,284,000 visitors. Last year there were 10,099,000 visitors. There was also a higher number of campers in the campgrounds and backcountry camping sites. This was good news for the park since the government shutdown caused a significant loss of revenue in the 2012 year. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the second most visited National Park in the United States. The park has…
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Cades Cove Loop Road Closure for Tree Removal

December 30, 2014

The National Park Service to Close Cades Cove Loop Road For Work: Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed for three days in the middle of the week for two weeks so some hazardous trees can be removed from the cove. The road will be closed to ALL types of traffic (vehicles, bikes and pedestrian) while the work takes place. The closure will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, January 6-8, 2015 and again the following week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, January13-15, 2015. Remember the road closure is for all traffic, so…
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Chimney Tops Trail Reopens After Restoration Completed

December 14, 2014

Chimney Tops Trails Restoration Completed and Reopened on Friday After three years of hard labor Chimney Tops Trail has been reopened to public access every day of the week. Restoration to the trail has finally been completed to the popular hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains. The trail was in need of many repairs to make the trail safer for hikers. The restoration included placing or replacing rock stairs, building retainer walls, improving drainage ditches, making or replacing log steps, removing old trees and placing crushed rock or gravel along parts of the trail. Those involved in the three-year restoration…
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Alum Cave Trail for Restoration in 2015

December 10, 2014

Popular Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte to Get Restoration and Weekday Closings in 2015 Alum Cave Trail will be closed during the week starting in May of 2015 for restoration. The National park Service is going to begin restoration on the popular 5 mile trail that is on Mount LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park off US 441 between Gatlinburg and Cherokee. The park service will close Alum Cave Trail on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays from 7:00am till 5:30pm starting on May 4, 2015 (until November 19, 2015). The trail will not be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays….
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New Manager For LeConte Lodge in 2015

December 1, 2014

Remote LeConte Lodge on Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Gets New Manager for 2015 When LeConte Lodge opens next year in the spring it will be with new management! Chris and Allyson Virden have managed the lodge for 12 years but  when the lodge closed for the season a few days ago they will move on to a new way of life. The new manager for LeConte Lodge will be a former lodge crew member Ruthie Puckett from Alabama. LeConte Lodge  sits at the top of Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee at an…
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