Snow and Wind Surprise the Smokies

East Tennessee woke up to a sunny March day, but now a sharp cold front is set to arrive. A big winter storm could bring up to five inches of snow on the highest peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory that lasts from 1 p. m. today until 2 a. m. on March 17, warning drivers to stay away from Newfound Gap Road and U. S. 441 inside the park. The storm will start as rain in Knoxville around 2 p. m. but quickly shift to snow, especially at higher elevations. Lower areas might see a half‑inch of snow on grass. Wind gusts could reach 40 mph, adding danger to the slick roads.

Temperatures will fall sharply; overnight lows in Knoxville are expected to hit 21 °F. The cold snap is part of a larger system that has already put millions of people across the country under severe weather alerts. The Great Lakes area faces heavy snowfall, while the Mid‑Atlantic states prepare for thunderstorms that could spawn damaging winds and tornadoes. Last night’s thunderstorm knocked power to 2, 800 Knoxville residents. The utility board blamed the strong winds for the outages, reminding people to secure loose items and stay indoors if possible.

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