What a difference a year (or two) makes

I just checked the weather forecast for the next 15 days in Gatlinburg. High temperatures are supposed to be somewhere between 46 and 64 degrees. Lows could get below freezing right around Christmas and New Year's. Tomorrow's low is in the high 40s! Yes, there is some rain forecast, but there is not a single snowflake showing up in the forecast. In fact, it looks like Ober Gatlinburg has not even started making snow yet. They're showing no trails open.

Two years ago, we were posting notices on our blog and our Web site about the bad roads and difficult travel conditions. You may remember that I-40 was closed through the Smokies because of a rock slide. So the only 'short' way to get to Gatlinburg was through the National Park. It looked like this:


Last year, we were actually in Gatlinburg for Christmas. On Christmas Day, the view from the main deck at All Decked Out looked like this.


And the next morning, this was the front of All Decked Out. Yeah, those big white spots are snowflakes. It snowed for 2 straight days and we got about 15 inches.


In fact, it was so bad that our cleaners couldn't get up the mountain. We had guests coming in to Smoky Mountain Tower. So we drove up to the road behind the cabin and walked through the woods so we could clean the place. Our daughter and grandchildren from Chicago were with us, and they're used to this type of weather. But it was a struggle for us! The guests had to stay down in town for a day, but Smoky Mountain Tower was ready for them.


We're very thankful that the weather seems to be cooperating a little better this year. After the last two years, we are ready for a little relief. So, unless the temperatures really drop and the rain turns to ice, the guests arriving at Smoky Mountain Tower and All Decked Out for Christmas and New Year's should be able to get up the mountain! As always, we urge our guests to be careful and to check weather and road conditions often.