Update: Blue Ridge Parkway reopened north of Asheville after brief snowy, icy conditions
Updated to include parkway was reopened at noon Oct. 17.
ASHEVILLE - Leaf seekers likely weren't expecting mountain views awash in white on the Blue Ridge Parkway this week, but that's what nature offered heading into peak fall foliage season.
Enough October snow blew across the higher elevations of the parkway around Asheville and temperatures dropped low enough to close the scenic roadway starting at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 16, according to National Park Service social media posts.
The parkway was closed from Milepost 344 at N.C. 80, which is about 9 miles north of Mount Mitchell, to Milepost 375 at Ox Creek Road, just north of the Folk Art Center in Asheville. It reopened at around noon on Oct. 17.
The road remained closed "until park staff confirm the road is safe for travel. Road status information will be updated on the park website when available," read the parkway's Facebook post. "Freezing temperatures at high elevations can make travel treacherous, especially in wet, dark park tunnels."
While the parkway is still open to visitors on foot, bike and skis when it is closed to cars for weather-related conditions, a sudden closure like this one can put a damper on plans for leaf-peepers who have traveled long distances. The parkway is the most-visited unit of the National Park Service, drawing 15.7 million visitors in 2022.
Most visit in July and October, when about 2 million people visit each of those months.
Mount Mitchell State Park, home to the highest peak in the Eastern United States at 6,684 feet in elevation, received its first snowfall of the season Oct. 16 and was also closed Oct. 16, according to its website. The temperature at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 15 was 27.9 degrees Fahrenheit, having hit a morning low of 25.3 degrees.
The state park, which lies about 30 miles northeast of Asheville, can only be accessed by vehicle from the parkway, at Milepost 355. Since Mount Mitchell is more than 4,000 feet higher in elevation than Asheville, it is typically between 10-15 degrees colder than the valley.
"This week’s early snow is a good reminder that winter weather is just around the corner, and on the parkway that often means weather-related closures," Leesa Brandon, parkway spokesperson, told the Citizen Times Oct. 17.
"Snow and ice can come quicker at higher elevations, and parkway sections across Western North Carolina are in some of the highest elevation areas in the region. Once snow and ice show up at these elevations, they can hang around for a while - especially if temperatures stay below freezing for multiple days, and especially in parkway tunnels."
How unusual is October snow?
Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, based in Greer, South Carolina, said this was not the earliest October snowfall at Mount Mitchell, but it is still unusual ― it ranks as the second earliest snowfall on the mountain in October since 1980.
"On Oct. 5, 1980 it snowed 4 inches on Mount Mitchell," Taylor said. It is pretty early."
The official observation station on Mount Mitchell sits at 6,200 feet elevation, a few hundred feet below the summit. Taylor said between 8 a.m. Oct. 16 and 8 a.m. Oct. 17, 1.5 inches of snow was recorded here.
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He said no more snow, or any precipitation was forecast for the Mount Mitchell area this week. He said the high on Wednesday, Oct. 18, was expected to be 51 degrees at the summit, with lows dropping into the upper 30s overnight, and a high of about 52 degrees Oct. 19. The weekend temps are expected to be cooler, with highs only in the mid- to upper-40s on Saturday and Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, no snow is forecast for the Asheville area any time soon, though the region is getting some of its chilliest temperatures of the season. The low Oct. 17 is expected to be about 42 degrees, with temperatures rebounding during the day of Oct. 17 to a high near 68.
Taylor said there is a chance of rain in the Asheville area late the night of Oct. 19 into the morning of Oct. 20, with up to a 1/4-inch expected. But the region is still running a precipitation deficit.
The leaf-peeping can begin again on the parkway, though Brandon advises visitors to always drive slowly to avoid not only unforeseen icy patches, but other hazards, and to use pulloffs for stopping and staring at the scenery.
"Coming around a parkway curve with short sight distances or navigating a tunnel, only to encounter an icy patch can be extremely dangerous. Weather-related closures and openings on the parkway are made in the best interest of visitor safety," she said.
"Planning ahead for changing temperatures and checking road status updates on the Parkway’s website are always a good idea."
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Karen Chávez is Executive Editor for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Tips? Call 828-712-6316, email, KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or follow on Twitter @KarenChavezACT.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway reopened, after snow and ice north of Asheville
