A chilly stretch of early spring weather has settled into East Tennessee, bringing cooler temperatures, clouds, and a touch of rain to start the week. From Knoxville to Chattanooga, and up into Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, residents will feel the shift today as a cool, dreary pattern gives way to clearing skies, widespread frost, and even a hard freeze before the week’s end.
Let’s take a deep dive into the forecast and what you can expect in Knoxville weather, Pigeon Forge weather, Gatlinburg weather, and Chattanooga weather over the next several days.
MONDAY: OVERCAST SKIES, LIGHT RAIN & STEADY TO STEADILY FALLING TEMPS.
Temperatures are stuck in the 50s today across much of East Tennessee, with a steady or slowly falling trend throughout the day. The combination of cooler air, cloud cover, and lingering moisture makes for a gray and dreary start to the week.
Expect occasional light rain or drizzle, especially in the mountain counties and along the foothills near Sevier and Blount Counties. Places like Gatlinburg, Townsend, and Pigeon Forge will see the best chance of light, misty rain as moisture lingers around the Smokies.
In Chattanooga, skies remain overcast, and the same cooling trend will keep temperatures in the 50s. Knoxville and surrounding communities can also expect a similar setup, with gray skies dominating through the afternoon and early evening.
MONDAY: OVERCAST SKIES, LIGHT RAIN & STEADY TO STEADILY FALLING TEMPS.
By tonight, skies begin to clear across the region. With light winds and cooler air in place, that sets the stage for widespread frost by Tuesday morning. Morning lows will dip into the low to mid-30s across the valley, with some colder pockets—especially in rural areas—falling below freezing.
Frost advisories are likely, and anyone with early spring plants or sensitive vegetation should take steps to protect them overnight.
TUESDAY: SUNNY AND CHILLY, HARD FREEZE WEDNESDAY MORNING
After a frosty start, Tuesday brings much brighter weather to East Tennessee. Expect sunny skies, calmer winds, and highs climbing back into the mid and upper 50s across Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, and the Chattanooga area.
However, skies stay clear into Tuesday night—and that means even colder air will settle in. By Wednesday morning, many areas will wake up to a hard freeze, with temperatures dropping into the upper 20s to low 30s.
This hard freeze could be damaging to early crops, flowers, and trees that have already bloomed. Make sure to cover or bring in anything sensitive to freezing conditions.
MIDWEEK WARM-UP THEN MORE RAIN
The midweek period brings a bit of relief from the cold. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday will be warmer, with highs back into the 60s and a mix of sun and clouds.
However, another cold front and weak upper-level wave will slide through late Thursday, bringing scattered light rain to much of East Tennessee. This won’t be a washout, but showers could briefly dampen roads in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and the foothills before cooler air filters back in.
WEEKEND FORECAST: BACK TO THE 50S
As we head into the weekend, temperatures will once again drop back into the 50s, with overnight lows in the upper 30s to low 40s. While the weekend looks mainly dry at this point, it will feel more like late February or early March than mid-spring.
The midweek period brings a bit of relief from the cold. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday will be warmer, with highs back into the 60s and a mix of sun and clouds.
However, another cold front and weak upper-level wave will slide through late Thursday, bringing scattered light rain to much of East Tennessee. This won’t be a washout, but showers could briefly dampen roads in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and the foothills before cooler air filters back in.
The cold won’t stick around for long. Knoxville weather will rebound to near-seasonal averages by Wednesday afternoon, with highs climbing back into the mid-60s and lows back in the 40s. But just as we warm up, another system moves in Thursday into Friday, bringing more rain to the area.
The timing and intensity of this next round of wet weather is still being refined, but the setup looks likely to bring additional rainfall—possibly another 1 to 2 inches in some areas. This could prolong the soggy conditions and keep soils saturated, further elevating the risk for flooding with any heavier downpours.
NEXT WEEKEND TURNS COOLER AGAIN
Looking ahead to next weekend, cooler air is expected to return behind that late-week rainmaker. While it doesn’t look as cold as early next week, temperatures will likely fall back below average with highs in the 50s and lows dipping into the upper 30s and 40s.
Spring in East Tennessee is famous for its ups and downs, and this coming week will be a classic example of that weather rollercoaster.
SUMMARY OF WHAT TO EXPECT
Today–Sunday: 1-2″ of rain (locally 3″), with elevated flood and flash flood risk
Monday–Tuesday: Much colder, highs in the 50s, frost Tuesday, hard freeze likely Wednesday morning
Midweek: Warmer temperatures return by Wednesday
Thursday–Friday: Another system brings more rain to East Tennessee
Next Weekend: Cooler temperatures return with drier air
ABOVE AND BEYOND THE 7 DAY FORECAST
Looking past the 7 Day Forecast, the Climate Prediction Center has issues a forecast based on probabilities.
These maps don’t show you how far above or below, but rather an idea of how strong the signal is.
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