If you don’t mind the colder temperatures for a winter hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ll find that your efforts are well rewarded! The winter months offer some of the most dramatic scenery along the park’s trails, including the majestic sight of frozen waterfalls! When water falls so fast, you may have wondered how it finds the time to turn to ice! Here are 3 Interesting things to know about how Smoky Mountain waterfalls freeze:
1. Extended Time of Cold Temperatures Are Necessary
While waterfalls will obviously freeze with cold temperatures, it takes a significant amount of time since this is water that is constantly moving. One single night of temperatures 32 degrees or lower can make ice form on a lake, but that's not enough time for a waterfall. When the temperature stays below freezing for an extended period of time, the water will “supercool” (this means that it is below 32 degrees but still liquid). Frazil ice forms during that time, which is basically just a disorganized collection of tiny ice particles, and it gradually builds up to a frozen waterfall.
2. River Flow Rate Plays a Role
Another one of the interesting factors that cause the Smoky Mountain waterfalls to freeze is the rate of flow from the river that's feeding into the waterfall. The waterfall will only freeze over after the water source feeding it freezes first, and the size of that water source plays a significant role. For example, Niagara Falls will never freeze because 22.4 million gallons of water tumble over the falls per minute during the winter. When you’re exploring the Smokies, you’ll notice that some of the smallest falls might be frozen over while the larger falls are still flowing.
3. Waterfalls Freeze at Both Ends
You might be curious to know if the Smoky Mountain waterfalls freeze at the top or the bottom, but the answer is that they freeze at both ends and even in between! Most waterfalls generally freeze most noticeably from the top since the mist created by the falling water can freeze onto surrounding rocks and surfaces, giving it an appearance of forming ice from the top down. However, ice can also build up at the bottom or in the middle of the falls depending upon the surrounding terrain.
Waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
There are more than 100 waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park of all sizes, ranging from small cascades to the 100-foot-tall Ramsey Cascades! If you want to see some of the best waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains, you’ll find several options within reasonable hiking distance. Since trail conditions can change frequently throughout the winter months, consider starting your visit at one of the National Park Visitor Centers to get all of the latest updates!
Now that you know some of the interesting things about how Smoky Mountain waterfalls freeze, it’s time to go look for some frozen waterfalls!! Before heading out on your journey, you’ll want to be adequately prepared for the seasonal conditions in the Smokies! Therefore, check out this handy guide to visiting the Smoky Mountains National Park in the winter!
