Entire Blue Ridge Parkway in WNC, major roads in Smokies closed due to severe weather

ASHEVILLE — The entire Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina is closed Jan. 9 — including the portions in Asheville — for snow, ice and incoming weather, according to the park's website.

At this time of year, the parkway is subject to sudden weather-related closures since the 469-mile scenic roadway rises to elevations above 6,000 feet and snow and ice can form more quickly than at lower elevations (Asheville sits at about 2,200 feet for comparison), leading to dangerous road conditions.

Heavy rain, very windy conditions and the threat of flooding will impact Western North Carolina through this evening, causing road closures and a flash flood warning for Buncombe County through 5 p.m. on Jan. 9.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Jan. 8 declaring a state of emergency ahead of the severe weather, waiving truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions so that vehicles carrying essential supplies can get their jobs done quickly, his office announced.

Buncombe County flash floods Jan. 9: NC Gov. Cooper declares state of emergency; high rain, winds, flooding. What to know

The parkway has a road status update page at nps.gov/blri that provides the latest road closures for visitors to plan their route ahead, especially in winter months when statuses can change due to ice and snow.

The scenic roadway is a total of 469 miles, spanning the backbone of the Blue Ridge Mountains starting in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and ending at Cherokee. It is the most-visited site in the National Park Service, with some 15.7 million visitors in 2022.

While weather related closures are expected since the parkway ranges to elevations over 6,000 feet — sharing a climate more like Canada than Asheville — many visitors were dismayed when parkway officials closed down an 8-mile section Oct. 30 after reports of visitors approaching and attempting to feed and hold a black bear at the Lane Pinnacle Overlook.

The parkway was closed from Milepost 367.6 near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to Milepost 375.6 at Ox Creek Road, a popular section just north of Asheville, at the height of leaf peeping season. The section reopened Nov. 6.

Parkway officials ask visitors to plan ahead, know what the alternate routes are and prepare for changing temperatures at different elevations. If a visitor encounters a bear on the parkway, call 828-298-2491 or stop at the nearest visitor center to report it.

Closures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park also has a few temporary closures due to downed trees from the large weather system rolling through WNC Jan. 9.

The Smokies shares 500,000 acres across the border of Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. For more on the Smokies closures, call the park at 865-436-1200 or visit nps.gov/grsm.

More: Death of child in Great Smoky Mountains campground was 11th tree fall fatality in park

The following roads are closed due to fallen trees:

• Newfound Gap Road/U.S. 441 - the highway connecting Cherokee to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is closed to all traffic due to downed trees and flooding.

• Laurel Creek Road

• Cades Cove Loop Road

• Foothills Parkway West (the new section)

• Cherokee Orchard Road

• Greenbrier Road

• Tremont Road

• Lakeview Drive

• Little River Road from Sugar Lands Visitor Center to Metcalf Bottoms.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway closed in Asheville due to weather conditions