The rain has been steady Eddy, with the occasional rumble of thunder and whistling wind. Over the last 48 hours, the lodge has tallied 5” of total rainfall. And yet the worst is still to come supposedly. The precip has been consistent, just never torrential, so trails will continue to be soggy and drainages flowing without overtaking their banks. Of course that could change at any moment, especially as the hurricane makes its way inland tonight, but right now the conditions up top aren’t anything out of the ordinary for a rainy stretch of days. Hikers getting started early still have a great chance at navigating the trails safely without much fuss. Since yesterday evening, Hurricane Helene bridged the gap with the conveyor belt of storms pushing up the mountain chain and has since been regularly supplying it with more moisture, contributing to the unending stream of storms and precip. Mt. LeConte appears to be situated right on the western edge of this line, preventing us from enduring the heaviest of downpours so far but still keeping us actively soaked. Winds remain calm for the time being, but that will change beginning tonight once Helene makes its push toward the Smokies.
The current list of warnings include the following:
*A Flood Watch occurring now through 2:00 PM Friday.
*A Flood Warning occurring now through 3:00 PM Thursday.
*A High Wind Warning from 8:00 PM Thursday through 8:00 PM Friday.
We’re still on track for receiving anywhere between 9-14” of rain by the time this entire double whammy of storms is finished. Once winds escalate tonight, it’s possible the peaks of the Smokies record gusts upwards of 80mph until Helene has passed by and diminished. As of now, the NPS have not closed any roads or trails accessing Mt. LeConte or much of the park in general. It’s still entirely possible that could change in the coming hours, especially if conditions visibly worsen.
Guests with reservations for Friday 9/27 should continue to monitor the forecast and road conditions. If any closures occur prohibiting one’s ability to make it to the mountain, we will communicate to those folks affected about what to do next. We will also continue to provide updates as we receive new information.
Have a great day.
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