Additional Road Closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Due to Snow and Ice.

Old 284 which connect Big Creek with Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains national park has just been added to the growing list of road closures from today's storm which is expect to dump snow until around 1 pm today.

The following GSMNP roads are now closed:

• Cataloochee Entrance Road by Maggie Valley NC


• Cherokee Orchard Road in the Roaring Fork Gatlinburg TN area


• Foothills Parkway East Cosby TN to I-40


• Little River Road from Gatlinburg TN to Townsend TN


• Old 284 Between Big Creek NC and Cataloochee NC


• Newfound Gap Road Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC (US 441)


• Wears Gap Road between Wears Valley TN and Metcalf Bottoms

Temperatures expected to remain at or below freezing for the remainder of the day and into the teens tonight so the snow and ice will stick around until at least tomorrow.

Newfound Gap Road US 441 in the Great Smoky Mtns National Park

To relief of many drivers Newfound Gap Road which runs through the GSMNP connecting Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN has reopened but drivers will find some ice and snow areas of the road.

Drivers must be cautious tonight as melting ice and snow will refreeze.

The following roads are still closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park: Old route 284 from Deep Creek to Cataloochee NC and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Cherokee NC to host the 6th Annual fall Qualla Open Air Indian Art Market

Looking to find a one of a kind Native American treasure? Then you need you need to come to Cherokee North Carolina on October 18 between 9 am to 5 pm for the 6th Annual fall Qualla Open Air Indian Art Market.

Besides being a way to find a great deal on contemporary and traditional works of Native American art by Cherokee artisans, you can watch these master craftsmen make traditional items right before your eyes with skills such as bead making, basket weaving, woodworking, and pottery.

Qualla Mutual artists have participated in the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival and have also won competitions at the Santa Fe Indian Market with handiwork that has purity and simplicity that attracts many serous and mature collectors alike.

This free event takes place on the grounds of the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual at 645 Tsali Boulevard in Cherokee, NC where there will be artist demonstrations ongoing throughout the day.

Along with crafts visitors can indulge in traditional Cherokee along with other foods will be provided by the Native American Indian Women's Association (NAIWA).

Roads open in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The park service opened some major roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park now that the ice and snow are at manageable conditions.

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) connecting Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN has just opened but there is fog and ice still on the road so drivers should be cautious.

Also just opened is Little River Road which also is socked in with fog.

Winter storm road closures in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Smoky Mountains had its share of cold weather; snow and freezing rain the past few days prompting road closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National park. Driving the steep winding roads in the GSM national park is enough of a challenge without snow and ice on the road.

Fortunately the main thoroughfare Newfound Gap Road (US 441) is now safe for travel and has now been opened again so drivers can drive through the national park from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC.

The Cataloochee section of the park near Maggie Valley North Carolina is completely shut off however as both the main entrance road to Cataloochee and Old 284 connection Big Creek to Cataloochee are both closed due to snow and ice.

Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove Tennessee remains closed due to hazardous conditions.

Road Closures in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Currently Newfound Gap Road (441) which runs through the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park connecting Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN remains closed due to snow and ice and is may not reopen today due to exceptionally cold weather that is expected all day.

There are some additional roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that just closed which are:

• The Foothills Parkway East connecting 321 to I40 in Cosby TN
• Cherokee Orchard Road in the Roaring Fork area adjacent to the city of Gatlinburg TN
• The Cataloochee Entrance Road - Maggie Valley North Carolina
• Old Route 284 connecting Big Creek and Cataloochee

Some roads that are still open in the Great Smoky mountains National Park and the surrounding areas have light snow and ice and we urge all drivers to be extremely careful.

441 Newfound Gap road between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg remains open.

Newfound Gap Road (441) which runs through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee remains open despite the light dusting of snow and ice in upper elevations of the national park.

The national park service is keeping a close eye on road conditions and is warning drivers of potential ice on Newfound Gap road.

Though most of the park will warm to the lower and mid 40s today, upper elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains will remain at or below freezing and plummeting temperatures tonight will freeze any melting snow and ice and drives should use extreme caution in the late afternoon and evening hours.

Although The weather in the Smoky Mountains National Park will remains seasonably cold and areas of the park such as Cades Cove, Elkmont and what is open in Roaring Fork near Gatlinburg should be safe to drive in and traffic in these areas is expected to be light so enjoy the beauty of winter in the Smokies!

Newfound Gap Road (441) connecting Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC reopened

Newfound gap road (441) reopened later this afternoon as repeated sanding efforts by the Great Smoky Mountains national park and warmer temperatures reduced the ice and snow by enough to make it safe again to drive.

From what I saw as the sun was setting in Newfound Gap, the puddles of water and wet roads were starting to freeze again, but since there was plenty of sandy grit on the ice due to the park services effort to keep the road open, drivers who are cautious should be OK. The picture below is one of the sheets of ice forming on the North Carolina side on Newfound Gap Road.

Even though Newfound Gap Road was reopened, the road up to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Clingmans Dome still remains closed due to snow and ice.

It looks as though the warming trend expected for this weekend will be able to melt the snow and ice on Clingmans Dome Road so it to may reopen before Monday.

Dangerous Fog on Newfound Gap Road (441) and Blue Ridge Highway

Newfound Gap Road (441) from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN is experiencing heavy fog especially in higher elevations on the North Carolina side south of Newfound gap parking area and Clingmans Dome road.

Driving is also extremely dangerous on the Blue Ridge Parkways with some areas having visibility of less than 30 feet.

Leaves on the roads and slick roads from this morning's rain and fog made for some very slow traffic and the high potential for accidents.

While colder temperatures are expected again tonight with a potential for ice, drivers should be extremely cautious when driving.

Newfound Gap road is reopened in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The Smoky Mountains National Park road Newfound Gap Road (US 441) running from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN through has just reopened after being closed due to downed trees and ice.

Clingmans Dome road still remains closed due to dangerous icy road conditions snow and downed trees.

All of North Carolina 284 still remains closed.