The Groundhog Was Right – Winter Still Rules

This just in from Bob Miller at Great Smoky Mountains...


Yesterday, the winter caretaker at the park's 6,593-foot high Mount LeConte Lodge reported a low for the previous night of -22 degrees. Besides being 22 below zero, the park's closest weather station with wind measuring equipment – Cove Mountain in Sevier County in Tennessee – reported gusts up to 45 mph for Tuesday night. That works out to a wind chill of -60 degrees. At 60 below zero, exposed flesh will be frostbitten in four minutes.

The coldest reading on record was -32 degrees on January 21, 1985, but no wind speeds were recorded…