Folks are waking up to a vivid sunrise, captivating moonset, and mountain air with a bit of a bite! That’s right, cabin heaters were all turned a touch higher and blankets tucked a tad tighter last night. As predicted, a random thermometer plunge saw the lodge dip to a low of 40°. As the remaining fog burns off, the sun is doing its part to make things feel more mild for the coming afternoon. We are unlikely to exceed readings in the 50s though. The summit can bank one more iteration of this cold spell tomorrow before a renewed warming trend returns. Meanwhile, sunny skies abound this week, which will surely draw in the crowds.
Tomorrow, the closure of the Gatlinburg Bypass goes into effect, so motorists coming from the Spur (via Pigeon Forge) will have to go through downtown in order to enter the park the next several days. This temporary closure will last until Sunday night. There is also a single lane closure of the Spur scheduled in order for NPS crews to do routine roadside maintenance like tree trimming. Throw in the extra Jeep Invasion traffic and the Smokies should be packed to the gills. So come prepared for handling the congestion as you make your way to and from the mountain.
Have a great day.
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