Winter Storm Leon gone but not forgotten!

Enjoying a Snow Day at The Dike in Dandridge, TN. January 29, 2014
-Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

For much of the region, it was slow moving on Wednesday morning, as road crews worked to remove additional snow that covered the area during the late Tuesday evening and overnight hours. Frigid temperatures from Winter Storm Leon struggled to make it out of the single digits Tuesday night and only reached the low to mid twenties during the day on Wednesday, contributing to the limited melting seen locally. Weather sources are counting snowfall total at 4.9 inches, with some areas seeing slightly more or less, however the impact of Winter Storm Leon was far reaching. From interstate gridlock to stranded school children, East Tennessee felt the blow of a storm that seemed to come with little warning. Schools across the region, as well as many businesses and local governments, were closed on Wednesday and several will remain closed on Thursday, when temperatures are expected to rebound to above freezing and, hopefully, aid in the melting process. For some, the fallout of the storm was costly, impacting their bottom line, as people largely took to their homes rather than conducting business as usual. However, more than one family found a way to take advantage of the unexpected break from the norm and get in a little exercise in the process. Sledding was the order of the day on Wednesday, as locals got their first real taste of playable snow this year. No matter the manner that was spend passing snow day, the undeniable beauty of a white winter day in East Tennessee was the pay off for the day that Winter Storm Leon came to town!

Wrecks on Interstate I-40, Exit 417, January 28, 2014
-Staff Photo by Robin McMahon