Major winter storm will affect the Appalachian Trail

TO A major late winter weather system is expected to impact a long stretch of the Appalachian Trail in the coming days, with forecasters predicting heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard conditions in multiple regions.

ATC Updates

According to updates shared by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, hikers from the southern Appalachians through the Mid-Atlantic and into New England should prepare for dangerous travel and life-threatening exposures.

Accumulations are projected to range from about 10 inches in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee to 36 inches in parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Blizzard warnings extend further north, with strong wind chills possible at high altitudes. Northern sections, including Maine, may experience additional impacts depending on the track and timing of the storm.

What does this mean for hikers?

Snow depth alone is rarely the main danger on the AT. Instead, the combination of wind, wet snow loading on trees, and temperature changes tends to create the most dangerous conditions.

Early-season hikers in the southern Appalachians often underestimate how quickly conditions can deteriorate above 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Roan Highlands, Smokies, and other exposed sections can feel completely alpine during storms.

What AT Thru-Hikers Should Do

If you are within the projected impact zone, taking a day off in the city is usually the safest decision. A delay of one or two days is minor compared to the consequences the storm could pose.

Storms like this are not unusual in February and March, but they are a constant source of early burnout among hikers. Passing a weather window rarely affects long-term completion odds; pushing into severe conditions sometimes does.

Hikers should continue to check ATC web pages for further updates on trail conditions.

For ongoing updates, hikers should monitor National Weather Service forecasts and official trail communications.

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