Blue Ridge Parkway Issues Travel Advisory

Blue Ridge Parkway Issues Travel Advisory

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

No comments

Blue Ridge Parkway officials are asking motorist to avoid traveling the Parkway over the next several days, especially those sections in Virginia. As Hurricane Sandy passes through the area, Parkway officials are concerned that a large numbers of trees may come down as well as significant amounts of snowfall at the higher elevations. With 20-30 MPH sustained winds and gust upwards of 60 MPH forecasted, driving on the Parkway will be hazardous and Parkway officials fear those who may choose to do so risk becoming stranded on the Parkway or injured. All gated sections along the Parkway in Virginia have now been closed and officials expect the gated sections to remain closed at least through Wednesday. Motorist, again, are asked to not travel on un-gated sections of the Parkway.

Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis stated, "The safety of Park visitors and our employees is first and foremost when it comes to this severe storm." Francis went on to say that as soon as the storm passes Parkway staff will assess any damage which may have occurred and we will reopen the motor road as soon as safely possible.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

Read More

34 Inches of Snow Atop Mt. LeConte!

34 Inches of Snow Atop Mt. LeConte!

No comments

Allyson Virden, caretaker for the Mt. LeConte Lodge, is reporting on her blog (with some great photos) this morning that the mountain has received a total of 34 inches of snow - with 3 more expected today. She also reports that there are drifts up to the roof on the dining hall! At Newfound Gap, the National Weather Service is reporting a total of 36 inches of snow as of this morning.

In her post Allyson states that ten more guests showed up after dark yesterday evening. The hikers reported extremely difficult conditions, including a lot of downed trees on the trail which they had to crawl under. It took some of them 10 hours to hike up the Rainbow Falls Trail.

Allyson also warns:

If you have a reservation for this evening, we are asking you to please not hike up. Please call our reservations office and they will take care of you. (865) 429-5704

Currently there are many closings throughout the national park system as a result of Hurricane Sandy. NPS Digest is reporting that as of Tuesday night, "69 parks are closed or partially closed and are working to account for all employees. There are no reports of significant injuries or fatalities."

Here are a few closings for parks in the Smokies region:

• Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Cataloochee Entrance Road, Foothill Parkway East, Twin Creeks Road above the science center, and Old NC-284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains are closed due to snow and ice.

• Snow, rain, and extreme wind have forced the closure of most sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Until the weather improves and cleanup is completed, travel on the Parkway is not advised.

• Shenandoah National Park remains closed. Yesterday afternoon, rangers reported approximately 12 inches of snow at milepost 35 on Skyline Drive.

• In North Carolina, Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain and Mount Jefferson are closed due to snow; hazardous road conditions exist near most mountain parks.

As the day progresses I will try to update this post with other closings and alerts for parks and national forests in the Smokies region.

For the latest updates on closings in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here.

For updates on current weather and forecasts for the region, please visit the weather page on HikingintheSmokys.com.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

Read More

Impacts of Hurricane Sandy Already Being Felt in Smokies Region

Impacts of Hurricane Sandy Already Being Felt in Smokies Region

Monday, October 29, 2012

No comments

Hurricane Sandy is already having a significant impact on eastern national parks. Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virginia, from 1 to 2 feet in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and 12 to 18 inches in the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western Maryland.

Shenandoah National Park is scheduled to completely shut down at noon today.

As of 7:00 am this morning, the Mt. LeConte Lodge has already recorded 6.5 inches of snow on the ground. On their blog, the lodge is reporting that snow was still coming down pretty hard at the time of their last posting.

Here are a few closings as of this morning:

• Newfound Gap Road (US-441) and Cataloochee Entrance Road in the Great Smoky Mountains are closed due to snow and ice.

• Blue Ridge Parkway from US-441 near Cherokee, NC to US-276 is closed due to snow and ice

• In preparation for Hurricane Sandy, Shenandoah National Park's north (mile 0-31.5) and south (mile 65-105) districts, including concessions facilities, campgrounds, picnic areas, and visitor center, were closed at dusk on Sunday. Skyline Drive gates into both districts have also been closed. The Central District (mile 31.5-65), including all concessions facilities (Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge and Wayside, and Lewis Mountain Cabins), park facilities, and the Skyline Drive, will close today at noon. All visitors and park and concessions employees will be required to leave the mountain by noon. On Sunday, park staff swept trailhead parking lots and the backcountry to warn hikers and backpackers about the approaching storm and park closures. The entire park will remain closed until Hurricane Sandy has moved away from the northern Virginia area.

• A High Wind Warning is in effect today through 8:00 am EDT Tuesday, for the Northeast Georgia Mountains. Areas in this advisory include all recreation areas within the counties of Union, Towns, Lumpkin, and White, especially for elevations above 1500 feet. Expect winds of 15-25 MPH with gusts up to 50 MPH. Exercise caution as winds could down trees and power lines and make driving difficult.

For the latest updates on closings in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here.

For updates on current weather and forecasts for the region, please visit the weather page on HikingintheSmokys.com.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

Read More