Chattanooga snow is a rarity to enjoy usually once a winter. From playing in the snow, to hiking, or driving around for the views, there’s always safety to think about.
Snow in Chattanooga is a beautiful sight to behold, especially since it doesn’t happen often. A lot of places close during this winter phenomenon and the world shifts into slow motion. Children and adults alike set out to play in this frozen concoction. And things can go really well or really bad. Keep reading to learn what to expect with Chattanooga snow and what precautions to take so that you can enjoy this fleeting time.
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How Often Does it Snow in Chattanooga?
It doesn’t snow often here in Chattanooga, especially in the valley. The nearby mountains usually get an inch or two at least once a winter, but not always. Ice is actually the most common winter weather in Chattanooga. Freezing rain and snow that melts and rehardens into ice sheets is what you can expect a few times most winters. But when there’s a chance for snow, the entire city essentially shuts down and plans for a spectacular snow day. However, this comes with its own dangers.
Preparing for a Chattanooga Winter Storm
Before a storm is even on the radar, it’s wise to already be prepared with a plan to collect the items you will need when one is forecasted.
Winter Storm Food Prep
Be prepared to stock up on some essential food items a few days before everyone else packs the stores. A lot of people buy bread and milk, and I’m not entirely sure why. Instead, you should plan on the possibility of a power outage and purchase foods like you would for camping.
Plan for Power Outages
Speaking of power outages, plan for this too. Make sure you have flashlights ready to go, battery backups or generators, and alternative ways to cook food. It’s more common in some areas than others, but sometimes the snow fall or freezing rain is heavy enough to knock over trees and power lines creating these power outages.
Prepare your Home for Freezing Temperatures
Don’t forget to make sure you leave your faucet dripping to keep water moving and prevent your pipes from freezing. Also it’s best to keep your house around 60-65°F during the winter when temps outside are below freezing. This also helps keep your water pipes warm and if there’s a power outage you’ll be able to stay warmer for longer. You may also want to get some ice melt handy in case you have a sidewalk or driveway that could freeze over so that you can safely leave and enter your house.
Keep Your Vehicle Safe and Ready
Lastly, prep your vehicle. Make sure to top off your gas before the storm comes through so that you have one less thing to do in the middle of it. Don’t park in a place you won’t be able to get out if you need to (like the bottom of a hill you’ll have to climb). If you park outside, you can also prevent ice and snow build up if you want to take the extra steps. You can purchase snow covers for the entire vehicle to make it easier to remove the snow when you’re ready to leave. Or if you only expect it to get icy, you can get some preventative ice spray to cover the entire car so it doesn’t allow ice to form on the vehicle in the first place.
What to Wear for Chattanooga Snow
Be prepared with these items on hand before the winter weather hits. Find some good snow boots that have great traction on ice. Since ice is the main winter phenomenon we get here, good shoes with ice traction are high on this list. It’s also good to have some water resistant cold-weather gear. In case you decide to get in a snowball fight or make snow angels, it’s good to know that you’ll stay dry instead of getting wet and cold. Some people like to use snow pants and skiing attire, but honestly these items might be overkill around here. Unless you’re susceptible to always being cold or plan to be outside all day, then you might find these articles of clothing worthwhile.
Getting Out to Explore Chattanooga Snow
When it snows around here, it usually sticks to the higher elevations and is less likely to stay in the valleys. So, to plan accordingly, I usually visit nearby mountaintops to really see some snow and appreciate its beauty. The best way to enjoy snow is from a scenic drive or a winter hike.
Chattanooga Winter Hiking
If you want to fully enjoy the snow while bundled up, then a winter hike is perfect for you. But before embarking on this adventure, be sure to read up on my Chattanooga winter hiking tips. Just like driving in the snow and ice, hiking has its own challenges to understand and prepare for beforehand so that you avoid injury, or worse. Below I’ll recount a day I set out to chase some Tennessee snow.
Picking a Location to Explore
This snow storm hit mostly west of Chattanooga. So, I planned to visit some areas of the South Cumberland State Park in hopes of seeing some amazing aftermath. This state park is home to a plethora of hiking trails, overlooks, and waterfalls. Some are spread out while others are more clustered together. To make the most of my day, I planned to visit four nearby stops and enjoy all the winterscapes the park has to offer during this season.
Planning for the Trip
Always check where you’ll be going first. If it’s a state park, make sure they haven’t closed due to hazardous conditions. I spent nearly an hour the night before planning my route and over-packing so that I could stay warm and alive if something bad were to happen. Always plan for the unexpected, especially when venturing out in Tennessee snow. I planned out my drive to only include main interstates and state highways. Never plan to use back roads if you don’t have to. You don’t want to end up in a ditch, so knowing what roads you can take ahead of time is a very crucial part of planning your trip.
Have a Detailed Plan
I planned this trip down to the minute using google maps to estimate how long it would take to drive to and from each destination and how long I’d spend at each. I did not want to be driving in the dark. With darkness comes lessened visibility and colder temps. And since winter days are short, it’s very important to plan your time accordingly. That being said, I left mid-morning after the sun had been up for a while. I wanted to make sure that if there was black ice on the roads it would be starting to melt beneath the sunlight and be very obvious.
Hiking Plans
My trip took me to a few different hiking trails, most of which I’ve hiked before. But I was not planning on hiking much today, because I knew these trails. I knew they were rocky and some were steep. The last thing you want to do is be hiking down a rocky trail covered in ice and slip and fall. Unless you’re prepared with the right equipment, do not attempt any treacherous, icy hikes.
I stopped at Foster Falls, then the Dutch Maid where I was encouraged to change up my plans because there wasn’t much snow on the plateau after all. On my way out, I stopped at “The Cross” in Sewanee, and then went down to Tims Ford State Park for the first time. Then I drove all the way back to the Dutch Maid for lunch. (They have a great Rueben by the way.) By this time it was getting late so I made my last stop at Greeter Falls. Overall it was a long day with lots of driving but such different, beautiful things to see at each spot. Be sure to watch the video from this day to see everything for yourself.
Chattanooga Winter Driving
It’s very tempting to get out on a snow day to drive around and see it all. However, driving in snow in Chattanooga can be extremely dangerous. Before you get behind the wheel to explore the winter wonderland, make sure you’re prepared before-hand with these tips.
Prepare for a Snow Drive
Before you head out on any snow driving adventure, make sure you are prepared. Always prepare for the worst, even if it doesn’t happen.
Start out by packing your car with plenty of food, water, blankets, extra clothes, and anything else you might need if you were to get stuck somewhere for a few days. Driving in snow can be unpredictable so always assume the possibility of being stranded in your car for countless hours. Although uncommon, it can happen. And make sure your car is up to the task at hand. Be sure to have plenty of gas, air in your tires, and all your fluids topped off. Extreme temperatures means your car has to work harder so make sure it’s prepared to do so.
Prepare yourself for the road conditions. Downed trees and power outages are a common side effect of a winter storm. If heavy snowfall has occurred, it will weigh on tree branches and power lines. This often leads to trees breaking and blocking roadways. Power lines may also fail under the added weight.
Chattanooga Roads
It’s important to understand that not all roads are created equal. Given the landscape of Chattanooga, there are many mountains and hills. Most of the roads follow the flow of the land making them full of curves and ups and downs. And although this can make the drive more fun, it can be the opposite in snowy or icy conditions. Some roads are simply not passable under these conditions due to their shape. So before you head out, be sure to plan your drive very carefully. Know the roads before you go. Knowing which roads are safe and which ones might slide you into a ditch can be a matter of life and death, so take this preparation seriously.
Plan to take as many main roads as possible. The main roads are sometimes the only roads salted or cleared by snow plows due to minimal resources. Since Tennessee as a whole doesn’t get much snow, the state does not have enough snow plows to cover every road in every snow event. So they get as many as they can, but their focus is the main roads. State highways and interstates will be some of the first roads to be cleared. However, how the snow and roads react is sometimes wrongly anticipated and even the highways can be slippery and dangerous. Before you hop in the car, check for updates on road conditions where you plan to go just to make sure it’s safe. And plan alternate routes in case things get dicey while you’re out.
Driving in Snow and Ice
Now that we know which roads to take, let’s talk about the basics of driving in snow. Approach driving in a new way. It takes a lot more concentration than when the weather is good. Every little detail matters.
Always Keep Moving
If you completely stop at the bottom of even the smallest hill, you’ll lose your momentum and have to back up and get a running start just to get over it. This is why knowing the roads ahead of time comes in handy. It’s a lot easier to plan ahead what your next move will be when you know where all the hills and curves are. Always think ahead.
Keep it Slow
Drive with the utmost caution. Never slam on the brakes as this will cause you to lose traction and possibly slide uncontrollably. Prepare to stop very slowly. Allow a long distance for braking so you can keep your vehicle under control and prevent sliding.
Expect Ice
Although they try to prepare the roads before a winter event, sometimes preceding rain or other unexpected circumstances will prevent the proper road preparation. So don’t expect there to be no ice on the roads, even if they look clear. Black ice is very common in this area. It’s caused when temperatures drop below freezing right after rainfall, before the rain has time to evaporate back into the air. Black ice will often look like just a puddle of water but in reality it’s frozen. Never assume a puddle is just a puddle. Always assume any water or wet area you see to be ice.
Every Step Forward Requires a Step Back
While you’re out driving, always be thinking about getting back. Before you turn into a snowy parking lot from a cleared road, ask yourself if you will be able to exit when you’re done. Is there a small hill at the exit? Are there piles of snow blocking the exit from what the snow plow has pushed to the side of the road? Depending on your vehicle and the condition of your tires, even the smallest hill could leave you trapped. Don’t enter a situation you don’t think you will be able to get out of. Sometimes you’ll need to back out over the tracks you made on your way in just to leave.
Don’t Push Yourself
After reading all of this and considering these tips, if you still don’t feel confident to hit the road in the snow, don’t. Driving in snow in Chattanooga is not a time to push yourself. If you don’t feel confident in your driving abilities or feel under-prepared with your vehicle, don’t go out in the snow. Don’t be another accident number. Stay home if you’re unsure or unprepared to drive in snowy or icy conditions. It’s much better to be safe and cozy at home than stranded in a winter storm regretting the adventure.
My Snowy Tennessee Drive Experience
Now allow me to give you a quick recap of one of my snow drives from a year ago. I knew it was snowing west of Chattanooga on the mountaintops, and I knew that I should stick to main roads so I chose I24 to Monteagle. I stayed on the main road of the Monteagle, Sewanee exit. First stop was at the Monteagle post office as the snow had piled a few inches high and this looks like the only parking lot I’d be able to leave from. We parked, got out, and walked around enjoying the snow. The snowstorm brought chilling winds so we weren’t outside for long. But even in our short 15 minutes outside the vehicle, snow had accumulated on my car and moreover where I had previously driven. I had to use my previous tracks to back out and was able to get back on the main road just fine.
At this point the snow plows had been able to make a few passes so the main road was clearer. We then headed towards “The Cross” in Sewanee. I proceeded with great caution, knowing that this meant leaving the main road that was cleared, for a side road that would have some build up. We made it in and out just fine, but I was always thinking ahead to make sure I wouldn’t get myself into a situation I couldn’t get out of. To see more of what this day was like and how the road conditions kept changing, watch the video.
We made one more stop in the valley on the way home to see the snow capped mountains beside the river. This portion of the trip is part of my suggested scenic drive, on Cummings Gap.
Go With The Flow
No amount of planning can be 100% foolproof. Always be ready to go with the flow. Circumstances change and unexpected situations arise. Sometimes I plan for snow and ice but hardly see any. Even the roads can be clear the entire way with no ice to be found. And sometimes the snow and ice is worse than expected. At the end of the day though, always travel where you know it will be safe and you’re already very familiar with.
Conclusion
I know this is a lot of information, but I want to make sure you’re safe and prepared to get out and explore the snow when it happens. It doesn’t happen often around here so you have to take advantage of it when it does. I hope these tips will enable you to safely hike and drive to explore in the Chattanooga snow. Have you ventured out during a good snowfall here? Let me know in the comments below where you went. Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
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