Best time to visit Gatlinburg
The best time to visit Gatlinburg is October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.8 °C / 46 °F | -1.7 °C / 29 °F | 115 mm / 4.5 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 10.7 °C / 51 °F | 0.4 °C / 33 °F | 111 mm / 4.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 15.4 °C / 60 °F | 4.2 °C / 40 °F | 115 mm / 4.5 in | good month |
| April | 19.9 °C / 68 °F | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | 113 mm / 4.5 in | good month |
| May | 23.2 °C / 74 °F | 12.9 °C / 55 °F | 117 mm / 4.6 in | good month |
| June | 27.1 °C / 81 °F | 17.1 °C / 63 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | good month |
| July | 28.4 °C / 83 °F | 19 °C / 66 °F | 114 mm / 4.5 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 27.9 °C / 82 °F | 18.4 °C / 65 °F | 103 mm / 4 in | good month |
| September | 25.2 °C / 77 °F | 15.1 °C / 59 °F | 99 mm / 3.9 in | good month |
| October | 20.1 °C / 68 °F | 8.5 °C / 47 °F | 85 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| November | 14.3 °C / 58 °F | 2.8 °C / 37 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | good month |
| December | 10.4 °C / 51 °F | 0.9 °C / 34 °F | 113 mm / 4.4 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: good
- MMay: good
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: good
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- October
- Good
- March–June, August–September, November
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 71%, feels like (high) 12.9 °C / 55 °F, average daily high 15.4 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 115 mm / 4.5 in, relative humidity 63%, days with heavy rain 4 days, average daily low 4.2 °C / 40 °F.
Against: wet days 12.8 days.
April · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.7 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 19.9 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, precipitation 113 mm / 4.5 in, relative humidity 65%, average daily low 8.2 °C / 47 °F, days with heavy rain 4.1 days, wet days 11.8 days.
May · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.9 °C / 75 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 77%, precipitation 117 mm / 4.6 in, average daily low 12.9 °C / 55 °F, days with heavy rain 3.6 days, relative humidity 73%.
Against: wet days 14.7 days.
June · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 83%, feels like (high) 29.4 °C / 85 °F, average daily high 27.1 °C / 81 °F, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 17.1 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 73%.
Against: wet days 14 days.
August · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily high 27.9 °C / 82 °F, precipitation 103 mm / 4 in, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, average daily low 18.4 °C / 65 °F, relative humidity 76%.
Against: feels like (high) 30.8 °C / 87 °F, wet days 13.9 days.
September · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.7 °C / 80 °F, average daily high 25.2 °C / 77 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, precipitation 99 mm / 3.9 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 15.1 °C / 59 °F, wet days 11.1 days, relative humidity 76%.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.2 °C / 67 °F, average daily high 20.1 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 85 mm / 3.4 in, wet days 9.1 days, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 8.5 °C / 47 °F, relative humidity 73%.
November · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 74%, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, average daily high 14.3 °C / 58 °F, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, wet days 9.2 days, relative humidity 70%.
Against: feels like (high) 12 °C / 54 °F, average daily low 2.8 °C / 37 °F.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: good
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April, October–November
- Good
- March, May, September
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: average daily high 15.4 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 115 mm / 4.5 in, feels like (high) 12.9 °C / 55 °F, average daily low 4.2 °C / 40 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, daylight per day 12 h, days with heavy rain 4 days, wind (daily max) 13 km/h / 8 mph.
Against: wet days 12.8 days.
April · best
In its favour: average daily high 19.9 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 113 mm / 4.5 in, feels like (high) 18.7 °C / 66 °F, average daily low 8.2 °C / 47 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, daylight per day 13.1 h, wet days 11.8 days, wind (daily max) 13 km/h / 8 mph.
Against: days with heavy rain 4.1 days.
May · good
In its favour: average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, precipitation 117 mm / 4.6 in, average daily low 12.9 °C / 55 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 77%, daylight per day 14.1 h, feels like (high) 23.9 °C / 75 °F, days with heavy rain 3.6 days, wind (daily max) 11 km/h / 7 mph.
Against: wet days 14.7 days.
September · good
In its favour: precipitation 99 mm / 3.9 in, average daily high 25.2 °C / 77 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, daylight per day 12.4 h, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, wet days 11.1 days, average daily low 15.1 °C / 59 °F, wind (daily max) 9 km/h / 5 mph.
Against: feels like (high) 26.7 °C / 80 °F.
October · best
In its favour: average daily high 20.1 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 85 mm / 3.4 in, wet days 9.1 days, feels like (high) 19.2 °C / 67 °F, average daily low 8.5 °C / 47 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, daylight per day 11.3 h, wind (daily max) 10 km/h / 6 mph.
November · best
In its favour: average daily high 14.3 °C / 58 °F, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, wet days 9.2 days, feels like (high) 12 °C / 54 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 74%, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, average daily low 2.8 °C / 37 °F, wind (daily max) 11 km/h / 7 mph, daylight per day 10.3 h.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Sugar Mountain Resort, 154 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 4.5 °C | 7.5 °C | 12.9 °C | 18.7 °C | 23.9 °C | 29.4 °C | 31.4 °C | 30.8 °C | 26.7 °C | 19.2 °C | 12 °C | 7.8 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 3.7 days | 3.8 days | 4 days | 4.1 days | 3.6 days | 2.5 days | 3.3 days | 2.8 days | 2.6 days | 2.9 days | 2.7 days | 3.7 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 9 pm | 7 am | 6 am | 4 am | 3 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 4 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 9 am | 9 am |
| Sunshine per day | 6.6 h | 7.1 h | 8.5 h | 10.3 h | 10.9 h | 12 h | 11.7 h | 11.4 h | 9.9 h | 8.8 h | 7.6 h | 6 h |
| Relative humidity | 68% | 66% | 63% | 65% | 73% | 73% | 75% | 76% | 76% | 73% | 70% | 73% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 4.6 µg/m³ | 6.3 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ | 4.4 µg/m³ | 4.4 µg/m³ | 4.3 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 8.9 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 12.2 µg/m³ | 10.5 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ | 16.6 µg/m³ | 15.1 µg/m³ | 12.6 µg/m³ | 10.5 µg/m³ | 7.2 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
14 km away