A chilly weekend in East Tennessee brought one of the first markers that winter is on the way: snowfall at LeConte Lodge.
Oct. 17 was a cool day in Knoxville, with a low around 54, but over in the Great Smoky Mountains, the low was around 27. With a temperature five degrees below freezing, it's no surprise LeConte Lodge saw its first snow of the season.
The temperature, including wind chills, was in the teens, and LeConte Lodge warned hikers to come prepared if they planned on tackling the 6,593-foot summit of Mount LeConte that day.
This year's first snowfall occurred a little earlier than last year. In 2025,LeConte Lodge saw the first dusting of snow on Oct. 20. In 2024, snow first fell on Oct. 15 when 4 inches coated the lodge.
When does the first frost and freeze normally happen in Knoxville?
The first frost
in Knoxville usually occurs around Oct. 24, according to the National Weather Service. The first freeze of the season is usually around Nov. 2.
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What will winter 2026-27 be like in East Tennessee?
The Old Farmer's Almanac and the NWS have slightly conflicting predictions on what Tennesseans can expect this winter.
The Almanac predicts below-average precipitation throughout the winter. The coldest periods are expected to be in mid-December and early January and February.
The NWS predicts East Tennessee will have mildly above average temperatures, with a 33%-40% chance of above-normal precipitation.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: LeConte Lodge sees first snow of the season in the Great Smokies
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