Gatlinburg in February

[Jim McLaren Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jim McLaren]

I'm thinking of taking two units in late February. What's the weather like? Or should I wait? We can't all make it any sooner, unfortunately.

[swilshire Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swilshire]

It could be almost anything in Feb. Typically, January is the only really yucky month. In Feb, you might have some very pleasant days or it could just as easily be cold and rainy.

Try to find a unit with a fireplace and plan some indoor activities. A lot of the seasonal stuff won't be open and even the outlet malls will have shorter hours then.

If you're driving in, you should also be prepared for the fact that nobody here knows how to drive in snowy weather, should there be any at that time.

Since you say late February, I guess you'd miss Valentines Day. That's a good thing, since town is booked solid with weddings that weekend.

If I had a choice, I'd probably hold out to late March or April, since things will be blooming then, Dollywood will be open (earlier than ever next year) and the town will generally be gearing up to welcome you.

Sheila

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

The Mountain Loft unit we stayed in had gas fireplaces and a great view of the mountains. It's slightly off the beaten path but worth a look with the cozy fps.

[RedMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RedMan]

If you're driving in, you should also be prepared for the fact that nobody here knows how to drive in snowy weather, should there be any at that time.

Thanks for the stereotype.

I have seen a lot of local and out of state drivers that that don't do so well in this area whether there is snow or not. It's a little different driving in the mountains with snow than it is on flat land.

No hard feelings .

I have seen my share of visitors to our state stuck in a snowy ditch. I have probably even helped a few out while driving my old four-wheel drive pick-up truck barefooted.

[swilshire Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swilshire]

Thanks for the stereotype.

I don't make the statement lightly. Just turn on the news after the slightest of snow falls and it's pretty obvious. I've lived here half a century, so I speak from a bit of experience.

Whenever possible, I stay home if it snows. I get teased at work, particularly since I work mostly with men who'll drive in anything. I also live north of work and we tend to get more ice and snow than in town. It's just not worth it to me, since most accidents are considered "no fault" by the insurance companies in snowy weather. A days work isn't worth an insurance deductible if I wind up in a ditch, whether it's my fault or not.

Last year, the only real snow was on a weekend. That's my kind of winter.

Sheila

[Jim McLaren Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jim McLaren]

Thank you all for your replies. It looks like we will be going in February to Gatlinburg.

I can't speak to drivers in Gatlinburg but I can tell you about them here in Columbia, SC. They are worse than Sheila says. They are terrible in snow but since we get snow about once every 5 years or so, that's generally not a problem. It's the rain here. Our accident rate skyrockets when it's raining. Some folks here won't drive in the rain if they don't need to.

I grew up in the North and driving in snow is no big deal. But if I get stuck when we're visiting I hope Redman's there to help me out. But he ought to think about wearing shoes in the snow

Jim

[RedMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RedMan]

I grew up in the North and driving in snow is no big deal. But if I get stuck when we're visiting I hope Redman's there to help me out. But he ought to think about wearing shoes in the snow

Jim

I keep a pair around for special occasions .

Jim...I hope you don't get stuck but if you do I would be glad to help you out (call BR-549).

[fwd1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close fwd1]

Feburary visit

We were there for Presidental week and was shocked that when we turned
off the interstate we met the lines of cars going into Pidgon Forge.
The Ornamental Pear trees were in full bloom and beautiful.
Got great bargains at the outlet mall. So good we had to have stuff shipped back. Remember the outlet stores only charge a % of the total for shipping.
Hope you enjoy.

[swilshire Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swilshire]

It's the rain here. Our accident rate skyrockets when it's raining. Some folks here won't drive in the rain if they don't need to.

Rain can be a problem here too. I must say though, that the driving on rainy days here pales in comparison to the wet weather driving we saw in the UK this June. Since it rained every day for 24 days, there was a lot of it to see. I was already nervous about the narrow roads and it seemed that NOBODY slowed down one iota, regardless of how hard it was raining. Yet we never saw a weather related accident. Quite surprising, particularly when so many of the cars are lighter weight that the typical vehicle on our highways here.

I must also add that for the past two or three years, the highway folks here in Tennessee have done a remarkable job of keeping the major highways clear in snowy, icy weather. They apply brine to the roads ahead of time whenever nasty weather is predicted. If I can get four miles on my little country roads to a state highway, even I can usually drive in it now.

Sheila

[swilshire Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swilshire]

We were there for Presidental week and was shocked that when we turned off the interstate we met the lines of cars going into Pidgon Forge. The Ornamental Pear trees were in full bloom and beautiful.

That's not too unusual. We tend to get a nice warm spell that tricks the trees into thinking it's Spring. Then the cold comes back and nips everything. This past Spring was worse than usual because we had late cold weather that lasted for several days. No apples or pears on our trees this year because of it.

Sheila