Subfreezing chill, fierce winds greet fall leaf lovers in the NC mountains. Bundle up!
Fall leaf lovers headed to the North Carolina mountains should dress for extreme winter conditions, the National Weather Service advised Saturday.
Despite the sunny skies, visitors should brace for subfreezing chill and fierce winds across the mountains, meteorologists in the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, the NWS reported 40-mph gusts at Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 feet. The mountain is in Yancey County near Burnsville, about 128 northwest of Charlotte.
The temperature at Mt. Mitchell was 28 degrees, with a wind chill of 12 degrees, NWS meteorologists said.
“Weather conditions will feel like winter for those going to see the Fall Colors today along the Blue Ridge mountain,” the NWS said on Twitter.
Gusts of 40 mph to 50 mph are possible throughout the mountains into Sunday, powerful enough to snap tree limbs and knock out power, according to NWS hazardous weather alerts Saturday.
And drivers should watch for patchy frost that could freeze on roads late Sunday and early Monday, NWS meteorologists said in one alert.
This story was originally published October 21, 2023 at 2:07 PM.