Warm weather in East Tennessee is something many people might pine for. One of the top destinations in the United States, Eastern Tennessee (and specifically the Smoky Mountains) is a location many tourists think of when planning ahead for Christmas vacations. So it would only make sense for many people to be excited that heavy coats may be less needed for viewing Dollywood’s spectacular lights or perusing the shops in Gatlinburg. But a very warm December is sure to dampen one aspect of the holiday season: skiing.
You might not have known that Tennessee has ski slopes, but sure enough it does. Called Ober Gatlinburg, the area is home to a mountain coaster, snow tubing, ski slopes, and ice skating. But this December, temperatures are not expected to drop low enough for the location to keep snow on the ground for the majority of the ski slopes. For families that plant to attend Dollywood and then head up the nearby mountains for winter sports, this is quite the disappointment. Typically, the ski season for Ober Gatlinburg is from December to the end of March. Last year was a huge success for the destination… but this year looks to be a miss brought on solely by Mother Nature.
https://obergatlinburg.com/slope-report/
The unique nature of Ober Gatlinburg’s proximity with a theme park makes Gatlinburg a great winter locale. Of course, much of the snow is man-made, so keep that in mind if you’re accustomed to treks through the Rockies. Hopefully the weather reports this year will be just ever so slightly wrong and tourists will be hitting the ski slopes on their skis and snowboards very soon!
Somewhere, an older person who hates cold weather is cursing this article lol! But hey, it’s Christmastime, so perhaps we can all just let the kiddos have fun with a little bit of snow?
