Strong winds and dry conditions prompted the National Park Service on Saturday to ban campfires and charcoal use until further notice in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Both the North Carolina and Tennessee sides of the park fall under the ban, rangers said in a “high fire danger” alert at 3:19 p.m.

Continued dry conditions, winds, and high fire danger in the park prompting a ban on all campfires and charcoal use, effective immediately at Great Smoky Mountains National park. The fire ban will be in effect until further notice on both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park.

Layoffs across the federal government are impacting North Carolina's national parks and other protected federal land in big and small ways. Why it matters: Everything from state revenue, to user experience (how clean those public bathrooms are) could be affected.

A winter storm could drop 1-3 inches of snow in East Tennessee, but meteorologists are uncertain about exact totals.

If you're on your way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, make sure you make a pitstop in this small Tennessee town with opportunities for lake adventures.