When you hear about snow fall records being broken on places like Mount LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, most people are going to do a double take, followed by question like: “How much snow was it?”
In all, park officials and the National Weather Service reported that Mount LeConte saw 32 inches of snow as a result of Superstorm Sandy that hit the east coast extremely hard that week. Now, 32 inches marks a new October record for Mount LeConte, and it’s quite a jump from the previous one which was a mere 6, set in 2010.
It was also reported that Mount LeConte saw drifts as deep as 7 feet.
Now, snow this time of year, and especially in the Great Smoky Mountains, is not uncommon. Many of the area’s highest elevations see snow as early as September. It’s the sheer amount that makes this such a month to remember.
It was also said that LeConte Lodge steered clear of any problems due to the snowfall. LeConte Lodge is the highest guest lodge in the eastern U.S. and there were at least 15 hikers who spent that Monday night at the lodge. Each person was given an extra night stay for free to encourage them not to brave the snow in order to reach their cars.