Next 7 departures
- SatOct 3
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 63–75°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers65°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers63°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers65°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Chance of light rain showers72°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Chance of light rain showers70°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Chance of light rain showers75°F - SunOct 4
CautionRain showers near Gatlinburg around 11:30 AM EDT.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers66°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Chance of light rain showers64°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Rain showers likely66°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Rain showers70°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Rain showers69°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Rain showers69°F - MonOct 5
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 52–67°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Mostly sunny56°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny52°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny58°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Partly sunny66°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Partly sunny65°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Partly sunny67°F - TueOct 6
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 45–64°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Sunny51°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Sunny45°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny51°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Mostly sunny59°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Mostly sunny58°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Mostly sunny64°F - WedOct 7
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 48–65°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Mostly sunny52°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Mostly sunny48°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Mostly sunny55°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Mostly sunny61°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Mostly sunny59°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Mostly sunny65°F - ThuOct 8
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 47–66°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Sunny53°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Sunny47°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Sunny55°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Mostly sunny61°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Mostly sunny60°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Sunny66°F - FriOct 9
ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 47–68°F along the way.
Along the way
Checkpoint · arrival Weather · temperature Nashville7 AM CDT Sunny54°F Gordonsville7:45 AM CDT Sunny47°F I-40 near Monterey8:30 AM CDT Sunny56°F Kingston10:15 AM EDT Mostly sunny62°F Knoxville10:45 AM EDT Mostly sunny60°F Gatlinburg11:30 AM EDT Mostly sunny68°F
The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
The route, stop by stop
Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Nashville (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.
- Nashville, TNStart 419 ftelevation
- Gordonsville, TNMile 50 · 47 min 531 ftelevation
- I-40 near Monterey, TNMile 95 · 1 h 28 min 2,042 ftelevation
- Kingston, TNMile 143 · 2 h 12 min 755 ftelevation
- Knoxville, TNMile 178 · 2 h 45 min 901 ftelevation
- Gatlinburg, TNMile 219 · 3 h 33 min 1,290 ftelevation
Typical weather by month
Average daily highs and lows, and days with an inch or more of snow, at Nashville, I-40 near Monterey and Gatlinburg.
| Month | Nashville 600 ft | I-40 near Monterey Monterey station · 1,860 ft | Gatlinburg 1,454 ft | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High / low °F | Snow days | High / low °F | Snow days | High / low °F | Snow days | |
| Jan | 49° / 30° | 0.5 | 43° / 27° | 1.7 | 47° / 27° | 1.1 |
| Feb | 54° / 33° | 0.5 | 47° / 30° | 1.7 | 51° / 29° | 1.1 |
| Mar | 63° / 40° | 0.3 | 56° / 37° | 1.0 | 59° / 35° | 0.7 |
| Apr | 73° / 49° | 0 | 67° / 46° | 0.1 | 69° / 42° | 0 |
| May | 80° / 58° | 0 | 75° / 56° | 0 | 75° / 51° | 0 |
| Jun | 88° / 66° | 0 | 81° / 63° | 0 | 80° / 59° | 0 |
| Jul | 91° / 71° | 0 | 84° / 67° | 0 | 83° / 63° | 0 |
| Aug | 90° / 69° | 0 | 83° / 66° | 0 | 82° / 62° | 0 |
| Sep | 84° / 62° | 0 | 78° / 59° | 0 | 78° / 56° | 0 |
| Oct | 74° / 50° | 0 | 68° / 48° | 0 | 69° / 44° | 0 |
| Nov | 61° / 39° | 0 | 56° / 38° | 0.1 | 58° / 34° | 0.2 |
| Dec | 52° / 33° | 0.1 | 47° / 31° | 1.2 | 50° / 29° | 0.6 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: NASHVILLE INTL AP (USW00013897, 600 ft); MONTEREY (USC00406170, 1,860 ft); GATLINBURG 2 SW (USC00403420, 1,454 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Road conditions
Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for Tennessee rather than repeat them.
- Tennessee · TDOTSmartWay road conditions
Check the official National Weather Service forecast and each state's road report before you leave.
Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there
Road Travel plans the drive from Nashville to Gatlinburg with the forecast at every stretch for the hour you’ll reach it, then warns you about weather ahead while you drive.
Questions about this drive
How long is the drive from Nashville to Gatlinburg?
219 miles, about 3½ hours of driving without stops, by way of I-40. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.
What is the highest point on the drive?
On I-40 near Monterey, at 2,042 ft. It comes at mile 95, about 1 h 28 min of driving after you leave Nashville.
Does it snow on I-40 near Monterey in November?
The nearest long-term NOAA station, Monterey (1,860 ft), averages 0.2 inches of snow in November (1991–2020 normals).
How cold is Gatlinburg in January?
Gatlinburg averages a high of 47°F and a low of 27°F in January (1991–2020 normals).