Weather Forecast and Radar for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Routes Running Nearby to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• The I-40 runs east-west about 20 miles north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• The I-75 runs north from Knoxville, TN, about 40 miles northwest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• The I-81 runs northeast from Knoxville, TN, about 20 miles north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Weather in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the summers are long, warm, and humid; the winters are short, very cold, and wet; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 29°F to 84°F and is rarely below 14°F or above 90°F.

The warm season lasts for 4 months, from May to September, with an average daily high temperature above 77°F. The hottest month of the year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is July, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F.

The cold season lasts for 3 months, from December to February, with an average daily high temperature below 54°F. The coldest month of the year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is January, with an average low of 29°F and high of 47°F.

Strong damaging winds of 80–100 mph (130–160 km/h) or higher occur a few times each year around the Smoky Mountains, mainly during the cool season from October to April, as a result of a phenomenon known as mountain waves. Mountain waves are strongest in a narrow area along the foothills, and can create extensive areas of fallen trees and roof damage, especially around Cades Cove and Cove Mountain. Strong winds created by mountain waves were a contributing factor in the devastating Gatlinburg fire on November 28, 2016 during the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires. Damaging winds can also be generated by strong thunderstorms, with tornadoes and strong thunderstorm complexes (also known as mesoscale convective systems) occasionally affecting the Smoky Mountains.

Fast Facts About Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The park was established in 1934.

Major Cities Nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Knoxville, Tennessee (roughly 40 miles to the northwest)
• Nashville, Tennessee (roughly 186 miles to the northwest)

This map shows the current & 7-day weather forecast, weather alerts, and weather radar for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.