What is the hottest month at Great Smoky Mountains?

July, with an average high of 83°F and an average low of 63°F at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 11 days a year at or above 90°F.

How cold does Great Smoky Mountains get in winter?

January is the coldest month, averaging a low of 27°F and a high of 47°F at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands). About 104 nights a year drop to freezing or below.

Does it snow at Great Smoky Mountains?

Yes. Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) averages 7.7 inches of snow a year, mostly in January, February, March and December. Higher ground in the park gets more.

When is the rainy season at Great Smoky Mountains?

July is the wettest month on average (6.3 inches of precipitation at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands)); the station's annual total is 58.2 inches.

How many hours of daylight does Great Smoky Mountains get?

About 14h 33m on June 15 and 9h 46m on December 15 (sunrise 6:18 AM, sunset 8:51 PM in June; 7:36 AM to 5:22 PM in December, America/New York time).

What is the best month to visit Great Smoky Mountains for weather?

By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. Of those, March is also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) station.

Weather by month

Great Smoky Mountains weather, month by month

Last verified October 6, 2026NOAA 1991–2020 normalsAmerica/New York time

Average highs, lows, rain, snow and daylight for every month. Measured at the Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) (1,454 ft, 0.2 mi from Sugarlands Visitor Center) — with Newfound Gap (5,046 ft) and Cherokee, NC (Oconaluftee) below, because the park's weather changes with elevation.

A clear sky with a vast snowy mountain scene. — Photo: NPS / Bob Carr

Jul high: 83°F; hottest month
Jan low: 27°F; coldest month
Rain + snowmelt: 58.2in / yr; wettest: Jul
Snowfall: 7.7in / yr; Dec–Mar
Days ≥ 90°F: 11/ yr
Nights ≤ 32°F: 104/ yr

Gatlinburg (Sugarlands)

Month by month

Normals are 30-year averages (1991–2020). Crowds = each month’s share of the park’s busiest month, from NPS visitor counts. Sunrise and sunset are for the 15th of each month in 2027.

Average high and low, every monthbars run from the low to the high · tan strip = precipitation

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow	Wet days	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight	Crowds
Jan	47°	27°	4.8″	2.4″	15	7:43 AM	5:44 PM	10h 01m	26
Feb	51°	29°	4.3″	2.4″	15	7:21 AM	6:15 PM	10h 54m	30
Mar	59°	35°	5.6″	1.3″	15	7:45 AM	7:41 PM	11h 56m	55
Apr	69°	42°	4.9″	—	13	7:02 AM	8:07 PM	13h 05m	64
May	75°	51°	5.5″	—	15	6:29 AM	8:32 PM	14h 02m	77
Jun	80°	59°	6.0″	—	15	6:18 AM	8:51 PM	14h 33m	91
Jul	83°	63°	6.3″	—	15	6:30 AM	8:50 PM	14h 20m	96
Aug	82°	62°	4.4″	—	14	6:53 AM	8:24 PM	13h 31m	76
Sep	78°	56°	4.3″	—	11	7:17 AM	7:42 PM	12h 25m	74
Oct	69°	44°	3.2″	—	10	7:40 AM	6:59 PM	11h 19m	100
Nov	58°	34°	4.0″	0.2″	12	7:10 AM	5:28 PM	10h 18m	62
Dec	50°	29°	4.9″	1.4″	15	7:36 AM	5:22 PM	9h 46m	47

Sweet spot: March combines average highs between 55°F and 85°F with crowds under 60% of the peak month. Check what is open in those months — quiet can also mean closed roads.

Also measured at

Newfound Gap (5,046 ft)

The crest of the park road. 5,040 ft, 4.5 mi from Great Smoky Mountains (NPS reference point).

Month	High	Low	Rain	Wet days
Jan	39°	22°	6.8″	14
Feb	42°	25°	6.0″	13
Mar	49°	30°	6.6″	13
Apr	58°	38°	6.0″	12
May	66°	47°	6.2″	15
Jun	71°	54°	6.1″	16
Jul	74°	57°	7.3″	17
Aug	72°	57°	5.1″	14
Sep	68°	51°	5.4″	11
Oct	59°	41°	5.4″	10
Nov	50°	32°	5.9″	10
Dec	43°	27°	7.0″	12

Also measured at

Cherokee, NC (Oconaluftee)

The North Carolina entrance. 1,965 ft, 1.6 mi from Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow	Wet days
Jan	46°	26°	4.7″	2.6″	11
Feb	51°	29°	5.0″	0.9″	11
Mar	59°	34°	5.8″	0.9″	12
Apr	68°	42°	4.9″	—	10
May	75°	51°	4.7″	—	12
Jun	80°	59°	5.1″	—	12
Jul	83°	63°	5.2″	—	14
Aug	82°	61°	4.2″	—	12
Sep	78°	55°	4.0″	—	9
Oct	69°	43°	3.1″	—	8
Nov	58°	33°	4.2″	0.1″	9
Dec	49°	29°	5.7″	2.0″	11

How to read this

These are NOAA’s official 1991–2020 climate normals for one weather station, not a model of the whole park. The station is the one with complete temperature and precipitation normals nearest to a visitor center (we chose Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) because it is Sugarlands visitor center). Highs and lows are daily averages for the month; “wet days” are days with at least 0.01 inch of precipitation. Mountain parks can be 10–20 °F cooler at their high points than at the station, and the NPS weather page for Great Smoky Mountains is the place for current conditions and seasonal closures.

Sunrise and sunset are computed with the NOAA solar equations for the park’s coordinates and shown in America/New York time for the 15th of each month of 2027; they are accurate to about a minute.

Sources · 3

1.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — monthly normals station inventory · National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA)
2.Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Weather (nps.gov) · National Park Service
3.Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

FAQ

Great Smoky Mountains weather questions

What is the hottest month at Great Smoky Mountains?: July, with an average high of 83°F and an average low of 63°F at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 11 days a year at or above 90°F.
How cold does Great Smoky Mountains get in winter?: January is the coldest month, averaging a low of 27°F and a high of 47°F at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands). About 104 nights a year drop to freezing or below.
Does it snow at Great Smoky Mountains?: Yes. Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) averages 7.7 inches of snow a year, mostly in January, February, March and December. Higher ground in the park gets more.
When is the rainy season at Great Smoky Mountains?: July is the wettest month on average (6.3 inches of precipitation at Gatlinburg (Sugarlands)); the station's annual total is 58.2 inches.
How many hours of daylight does Great Smoky Mountains get?: About 14h 33m on June 15 and 9h 46m on December 15 (sunrise 6:18 AM, sunset 8:51 PM in June; 7:36 AM to 5:22 PM in December, America/New York time).
What is the best month to visit Great Smoky Mountains for weather?: By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. Of those, March is also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) station.

Park'd · free on iPhone & Android

Plan Great Smoky Mountains for the right month.

Park'd keeps your parks, trips and photos in one place — and tells you what to do once you're there.