East Tennessee Is Looking Like a Christmas Card in Mid

I have friends who positively hate summer weather. And listen, I get it. I'm not sure I hate the summer, but I do know that there are times when it's fine to sweat like a horse and there are times when it's not.

And when you're wearing street clothes or work clothes, that's a "not" time for me. Also, summer is more expensive. I can do without running the heat a lot in the winter; I can't do the same in the summertime with regard to the air conditioner.

Now, here's where I jump off when it comes to winter. And yes, you guessed it; it's SNOW. I don't mind the white stuff. In fact, it's really the only time when winter gives us something attractive to look at. If it could just stay off the roadways, winter would get much higher marks from me.

That said, I found THIS awfully attractive. It looks like winter got an early start in the Great Smoky Mountains; folks living or staying in the highest elevations in Gatlinburg awoke to a healthy dose of this:

Now THAT is what I call the perfect Christmas card. I love the mountains, and when you give me a snow-covered cabin, I get a little verklempt. It's the PERFECT setting for a snowfall. But it's not exactly a surprise for east Tennesseans; Mt. LeConte rises 6,593 feet above sea level--just 50 feet shy of Clingman's Dome, the highest point in Tennesee. That would explain why LeConte Lodge gets October snow and why it could KEEP that October snow for a bit. Check out this local forecast and note the east Tennessee temperatures at the 1:30 mark:

Not surprisingly, the foothills can get on with the business of fall. In the meantime, guests at the lodge can enjoy a beautiful day by the fire with an amazing view.

Again, anyone who's a regular at LeConte Lodge knows the score and shouldn't be surprised. Early snow might even be the reason some visitors make it part of their fall vacation plans. But Mt. LeConte isn't just all about EARLY snow, as you can see:

It's funny, there is SO much to do in and around the Gatlinburg area. It's one of the busiest tourist hotspots in the country. Leave it to the Smokies to give guests the best of BOTH worlds--winter and fall--at the same time.

[SOURCE: WATE-Knoxville]

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

Gallery Credit: Laura Ratliff