Maggie Valley Steve

Very heavy frost to the Valley floor this morning with a low of 30. Strong cold front arrives Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and actually stays chilly into the weekend. My point and click forecast has lows in the upper 20’s Wednesday morning, 22 Thursday morning and 19 Friday morning.

Might need to keep an eye on Thanksgiving. The GFS and Canadian suggest a strong cold front, a deep trough with a trailing wave along the Gulf could bring snow chances to the Mountains.

I'll take a late November/early December-EPO/+PNA regime now showing up on the ensembles any day. I expect some crazy swings in the deterministic guidance the next 7 to 10 days. Patience grasshoppers.

17 and near 3.5 inches measured. The wind howled here during the night, so the driveway is blown almost clean except for a sheet of ice.

Nearing 4 inches at the house and still snowing. Down to 18.

Tomorrow morning pictures should be awesome! Take care Don!

Heavy snow now. We're finally getting the benefit of that potent vort max. Temperature down to 19.

It's pour snow at 21 degrees. I've picked up an inch in the last 20 minutes.

Cataloochee Ski Area will officially open for the season this Wednesday! Tube World has the snow guns blowing and the hill is covered now!

23 with light to moderate snow at times. It's starting to lay on the grass and roads now.

Visible imagery suggests gravity waves are developing just ahead of the potent vort max. I'm starting to see some rising cumulus suggesting the possibility of thundersnow just E of the Knoxville Region.

Snow showers have spilled over mountains into the Valley now.

Looking upstream there a bubbly cumulus building ahead of the potent vort max that is diving SSE. It appears to be digging enough to put the SW Mountains in play this afternoon and evening for moderate to heavy snow. Clouds are beginning to build back in around the Valley and snow flurries have increased a bit. In a couple of hours we should begin to see more widespread reports coming in.

Just rode up to Cataloochee. 18 and light snow currently. The top of Fie Top Rd was icy, but the salt trucks were laying salt down. Looked like a couple of inches above 5K. Back down in the Valley it's 27 with occasional flurries.

Light snow and a dusting with 27 at the house. GSP says the potent vort max will bring heavier snow this afternoon and evening than previously expected.

Flurries are flying at Cataloochee now. 30F currently.

32 at Cataloochee. Good to see reports coming in from our neighbors in Eastern Tennessee! It won't be long now.

Same here as well.

GSP mentioned 25:1 ratios tomorrow afternoon and night along with convective snow dropping an inch an hour rates!

Cataloochee snow makers are busy placing portable snow guns around the base this morning. Looks like a good 36 to 48 hours of snow making on the mountain and also at Tube World in town!

The GFS finally has shifted the secondary cold core upper low south into the Mountains. That secondary feature has the potential for a heavy burst of snow that could break containment and spill into the foothills.

GSP first snowfall map.

Looks like the 12Z Suite of guidance has come in a bit better agreement regarding the NWFS event Sunday night into Tuesday. Temperatures are really going to shock the system with windchill values in the single digits and highs on Monday not getting above freezing.

30 with heavy frost this morning.

Looks like we will have relatively quiet week ahead with daytime highs in the 60's and lows in the upper 30’s to 40’s. A mainly zonal flow should hold until next weekend, then changes are brewing. The various computer schemes suggest a strong Great Lakes gale developing and moderate to heavy snow across portions of the Region. There are hints of snow upslope snow showers along the border Counties late next weekend depending on timing. I continue to see signs that indicate the possibility of below normal temperatures and storm chances into the Thanksgiving Holiday period.