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Tennessee Thanksgiving: 'Micro Blizzards' Could Hit Knoxville, TN
Knoxville, TN – Imagine heading east on Interstate 40 for Thanksgiving, approaching the Great Smoky Mountains when the highway ahead suddenly disappears behind a wall of blowing snow. Within moments,
By Sophie Caldwell · 2026-11-14T11:07:23.235Z
Knoxville, TN – Imagine heading east on Interstate 40 for Thanksgiving, approaching the Great Smoky Mountains when the highway ahead suddenly disappears behind a wall of blowing snow. Within moments, semitrailers become difficult to see, brake lights fade into the whiteout and a routine holiday drive turns dangerous. It's the kind of sudden winter weather Tennessee motorists should recognize as Thanksgiving approaches Thursday, Nov. 26.
According to the National Weather Service NWS , these intense bursts of snowfall, officially called snow squalls and sometimes described as "micro blizzards," can produce gusty winds, near zero visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions.
Unlike prolonged winter storms, snow squalls can develop quickly, leaving motorists little time to react.
Tennessee Highways Where Sudden Whiteouts Are a Concern Interstate 40, connecting Nashville, Knoxville and the North Carolina border, is a major Thanksgiving travel corridor where sudden winter weather can create hazardous driving conditions.
Interstate 75 through Chattanooga and Knoxville, Interstate 81 near Morristown and Bristol, and Interstate 26 through Johnson City also face winter driving risks.
U.S. Highway 441 near Gatlinburg and Newfound Gap, along with mountain routes through the Great Smoky Mountains, can experience hazardous conditions when snow and freezing temperatures develop.
Motorists traveling through Knox, Sevier, Cocke, Greene, Washington and Sullivan counties should monitor changing forecasts, particularly when snow showers and gusty winds are possible.
Higher elevations in the Smokies and Appalachian Mountains are especially vulnerable to rapidly changing visibility, snow accumulation and icy pavement.
What Happens When a Snow Squall Warning Is Issued? The NWS issues Snow Squall Warnings when dangerous snow squalls are occurring or imminent.
Warnings generally last 30 to 60 minutes and may activate Wireless Emergency Alerts on compatible mobile phones.
Sudden whiteouts at interstate speeds can increase the risk of multivehicle crashes, particularly when motorists brake abruptly or follow too closely.
What Thanksgiving Travelers Should Do If a Snow Squall Warning is issued, the safest option is to delay travel until conditions improve .
Drivers already traveling should gradually reduce speed, increase following distance, activate low beam headlights and avoid sudden braking.
If visibility deteriorates, safely exit the highway when possible rather than stopping in an active travel lane.
Before departing, motorists should check Tennessee 511 for highway conditions and NWS Morristown or NWS Nashville for official forecasts and warnings covering different portions of Tennessee.
Travelers heading into Great Smoky Mountains National Park should also check for seasonal road closures, particularly along Newfound Gap Road and higher elevation routes.
This is a Thanksgiving travel preparedness reminder, not a prediction that snow squalls will strike Tennessee during the holiday. Recognizing how quickly dangerous winter conditions can develop could help motorists make safer travel decisions as Thanksgiving approaches.