driving the Smoky mountains in November (Louisville, Cumberland: 2013, live, dangerous)

[eileenwl]

I am going to Panama City Beach from Cincinnati OH in the middle of November. I will be driving a mini van. what are the roads like? Do I have to worry about icy or snowy conditions ?

[kygman]

For one, the Smokies aren't in Kentucky,but in eastern Tennessee. Second, you won't be anywhere near the Smokies even in Tennessee. You'll be driving I-65 from Cincinnatti straight through Nashville, all the way to Mobile, Alabama, then a couple other roads to PCB. Won't have to worry about icy or snowy conditions the entire trip.

Have fun!

[KY_Transplant]

Originally Posted by eileenwl

I am going to Panama City Beach from Cincinnati OH in the middle of November. I will be driving a mini van. what are the roads like? Do I have to worry about icy or snowy conditions ?

Snow and ice is incredibly rare in November, even in Southern Ohio, so you will have no issues coming down to Panama City in November.

Smokies are no where near Kentucky. I assume you will be taking I-71 to Louisville then I-65 all the way down to through Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery, then state routes to The coast? If that is your route, you shouldn’t have any weather issues related to snow or ice.

[marino760]

I'm a little bit confused and maybe someone can set me straight on these mountains. Are they not all the Appalachian Mountains and the Smokies are just a part of the larger mountain range? I love geography and would love to know. I always thought they were one and the same with the Smokies still being part of the same range but in TN rather than KY. There's really no dividing line between the two or is there? It's one continuous mountain range right?

[DeanGuitarist]

The GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS is in east Tennessee, western N. Carolina, in the Appalachians. I love that area, hence the boldness!

I didn't see OP say anything about Kentucky, yet I know you have to pass through. Been through the route a few times, Gatlinburg on up to Cincinnati.

Maybe OP is like my wife and I, take the scenic routes. And I'm very jealous that he's going through in November. I would live to see those fall colors, if still in color in November.

Have fun and drive safe!!


Oops, in the Kentucky forum. That's where the Kentucky came from! Haha...

[Crazee Cat Lady]

The Appalachian Mountains run all the way down through parts of Canada to Georgia.
The Great Smoky Mountains are considered a sub range of the Appalachians.


Just like north of Kentucky in West Virginia/Virginia, they are usually called the Blue Ridge Mountains and part of Shenandoah National Park...at least this is what I have always been told.

Not sure if it is correct or not. In Pennsylvania they are called the Appalachians like in Kentucky and up toward New York they are called the Adirondack Mountains. But I believe they are all part of the Appalachians...at least they look to be, or at the very least a Sub range. (I could be wrong! I will have to do a little research!)

The Appalachians in Kentucky also have the "smokey" look at times, that are common in the Smoky Mountains, and the Bluish Tinge that are common in West Virginia.

Here is a website that lists some pics of Kentucky's Appalachian Mountains. There are more photos if you click on the link.

Our part of the Mountians are not as much as a tourist attraction, but they are gorgeous in many spots...Unfortunately you will find coal mines...well, abandoned coal mines for the most part any more....There is abundant wildlife, even wild horses, and bears that run wild in the Mountains

Mountain Pictures: Appalachian Mountains Kentucky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI1d81vgq-Q

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by marino760

I'm a little bit confused and maybe someone can set me straight on these mountains. Are they not all the Appalachian Mountains and the Smokies are just a part of the larger mountain range? I love geography and would love to know. I always thought they were one and the same with the Smokies still being part of the same range but in TN rather than KY. There's really no dividing line between the two or is there? It's one continuous mountain range right?

Yes, the Smokies are part of the Appalachian Mountain chain, but it's not one continuous mountain range - there are substantial valleys in between. The Appalachians are made up of many smaller mountain ranges. The Smokies rise up from the Tennessee Valley rather abruptly, giving them their dramatic appearance from a fair distance.

All of West Virginia is located in the Alleghany Mountains, for example. Kentucky's mountains are all part of the Cumberlands, though in the past, they were sometimes considered part of the Alleghanies. Virginia includes parts of the Cumberlands, the Alleghanies and the Blue Ridge. Tennessee of course has parts of both the Cumberlands and the Great Smokies, in addition to mountains farther to the northeast which include spectacular Roan Mountain, considered part of the Blue Ridge by some.

North Carolina includes part of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge, and lesser Blue Ridge ranges such as the Nantahalas, the Balsams, and the Black Mountains (lesser only in area, their heights may reach 6,000 feet). Other states which include part of the Southern Appalachians include South Carolina, Georgia, and even Alabama. New England's mountains are also considered Appalachian.

The tallest peak in the eastern United States is North Carolina's Mount Mitchell, located in the Blue Ridge north of Asheville.

As noted, in Kentucky and parts of Tennessee, the Cumberlands are the main range - but the Tennessee (River) Valley separates the Cumberlands and the Smokies (in Tennessee, Kentucky's mountains are not the Smokies). The Tennessee Valley, probably best known for TVA, is a wide rolling valley paralleling the river, with the Smokies rising to the southeast of the valley, and the Cumberlands to the north. Both ranges are part of the Appalachians, and both run primarily southwest to northeast.

A good topographic map of the area would probably be helpful.

If the OP plans to take I-75 from Florida to Ohio, the only substantial mountain driving he will encounter is Clinch Mountain, a long mountain which is located in northeastern Tennessee just south of the Kentucky line near Jellico, TN. The current roads across Clinch Mountain, both at Jellico and near Cumberland Gap, are vastly improved over the old road and are not difficult or dangerous to drive.

(it should also be noted that only eastern and southeastern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee are mountainous. The rest of these two beautiful states vary from rolling to hilly to flat - if you want to visit the mountains, head east!).

[marino760]

Thanks for the great geography lesson for those who responded to my question. It's good to learn.