🚧 Sunday Turns Into a Soaker, Wet Leaves Get Slick and Chattanooga Closes a Few Streets for Halloween Saturday: Your Roads & Commute Report

Or: Two Pretty Days to Run Your Errands, a Little Fog Before Dawn Friday, a Riverfront Detour Coming Next Week and the Night the I-24 Loop Near Manchester Switches Sides

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Wednesday is the porch swing in the middle of the week: you’ve got a little momentum, and you can see the weekend from here. It’s a sunny, calm one in the Valley today, with a high near 74. Here’s what changed since yesterday’s report, and what to stick on the fridge for the days ahead.

Here’s what’s in this report: the weather service now calls Sunday a soaker, with an 80% chance of rain and a cooler high near 65, and showers stay possible into Tuesday. With leaves coming down, we look at why wet leaves can be as slippery as ice and how to handle them. If you’re going to Chattanooga on Saturday, a UTC football game and several Halloween block parties close some streets. Looking ahead, Riverfront Parkway downtown closes Nov. 4–8 for the Head of the Hooch rowing race. And we round up the small stuff: patchy fog early Friday, a new all-way stop in Chattanooga, the Exit 117 loop switching to westbound Thursday night, and when TDOT’s next weekly list should arrive.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Today through Friday: dry and pleasant, highs in the mid- to upper 70s. A good time for errands and longer drives.
• Early Friday, about 1–3 a.m.: patchy fog possible. Early risers, use low beams.
• Saturday (Halloween): only a 20% shower chance after 1 p.m. Saturday night: 60%, mostly after 1 a.m. Sunday: 80%, high near 65.
• Wipers on? Headlights on. In Tennessee, that’s the law.
• Chattanooga Saturday: streets near Finley Stadium close 6 a.m.–9 p.m. (Chattanooga time) for UTC vs. VMI, plus a few Halloween block parties.
• Next week, Wed. Nov. 4 – Sun. Nov. 8: Riverfront Parkway near the Aquarium closes to through traffic for the Head of the Hooch.

A quick note on clocks: Chattanooga runs on Eastern time, one hour ahead of us. We give city times the way Chattanooga posts them.

🌧️ Weather Update: Sunday Turns Into a Real Soaker, and the Rain Hangs Around

Yesterday, the forecast gave Sunday a 60% chance of showers. In the National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap, updated just before noon today, Sunday is now an 80% chance, and it looks cooler, too:

• Thursday: sunny, high near 76. Friday: mostly sunny, high near 79.
• Saturday, Halloween: mostly cloudy, high near 73, with just a 20% chance of showers after 1 p.m.
• Saturday night: a chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m., 60% chance, low around 54.
• Sunday, Nov. 1: showers, 80% chance, high near 65. That’s also the morning the clocks fall back an hour.
• Monday and Tuesday: 30% to 40% chances of showers, highs near 70 to 73.

Something to remember: Tennessee law says that when rain or mist means your wipers have to run steadily, your headlights must be on. We mentioned it earlier this month, and it’s worth a second sticky note now.

What it means for you: This rain is like a houseguest who has stopped saying “just for supper” and has started unpacking a suitcase. Trick-or-treat hours still look mostly dry. Sunday, plan on a wet drive to church and the store: slow down, skip the cruise control, leave extra room and turn those headlights on. If you have a Monday or Tuesday trip, keep the umbrella in the car.

👉 Read more (National Weather Service, Dunlap forecast) · Tennessee headlight law (T.C.A. § 55-9-406)

🍂 Leaves Plus Rain: Why the Road Can Feel Like a Freshly Waxed Kitchen Floor

The trees are letting go, and Sunday’s rain will be the first real wetting in a while. Transportation safety folks have a simple warning for fall: wet leaves on the road can be as slippery as ice. They can also cover the painted lane lines, which makes curvy back roads harder to read. That advice comes from Pennsylvania’s transportation department, but leaves are leaves, and it fits our hollows and ridge roads just as well.

• Slow down on leaf-covered stretches, especially in curves and shady spots.
• Leave more room behind the car ahead, so you can brake gently instead of hard.
• Check your lights (headlights, taillights, turn signals) before the darker evenings that start Sunday.

Got a Chattanooga address? The city starts its loose-leaf pickup Monday, Nov. 2. For the first phase, pickup is by request only (call 311 or use the CHA311 app). The city asks folks to pile leaves on the curb, never in the street, and not over storm drains, because clogged drains can flood streets in heavy rain. That’s a handy rule out here in the Valley, too: keep leaves out of the road and the ditch.

What it means for you: Driving on wet leaves is like walking across the kitchen right after it’s been mopped: you can do it fine, you just don’t run. Ease off the gas, brake early and gently, and you’ll be home dry and steady.

👉 Read more (PennDOT, fall driving hazards) · Chattanoogan.com, leaf collection starts Nov. 2 · Local 3 News

🏈 Headed to Chattanooga Saturday? A Football Game and Block Parties Close a Few Streets

The City of Chattanooga posted its list of special-event closures for this week. If you’ll be in town Saturday, Oct. 31, for a game, a festival or a visit, here’s the short version. All times are Chattanooga (Eastern) time.

• UTC Mocs vs. VMI at Finley Stadium, 6 a.m.–9 p.m.: full closures on Chestnut Street (W. 19th to W. 17th), W. 19th Street (Reggie White Blvd. to Chestnut) and Reggie White Boulevard (W. 19th/skate park south entrance to W. Main). No street parking inside the closure, and the westbound right lane of W. 20th Street is restricted.
• Boo on the Block, 6 a.m.–5 p.m.: W. 14th Street between Market and Cowart streets.
• Midtown Connect Fall Festival, 3–10 p.m.: Marlin Road (Greenway View Drive to Eastgate Loop) and Debra Road (Skurlock Road to Uptain Road).
• Bitter Alibi Halloween Block Party: Houston Street between E. MLK and E. 8th, from noon Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday.
• Neighborhood block parties (for residents only): the 500 block of Graham Street, noon–11 p.m.; S. Crest Road from Sheridan Road to Rose Terrace, 6–9 p.m.; and The Enclave at Riverview, residents and guests only, 5–9 p.m.
• Today only (Wednesday): Oak Street between Lindsay and Houston streets is closed noon–8:30 p.m. for the First Centenary Fall Festival.

What it means for you: It’s like a church potluck where they’ve roped off part of the parking lot for the kids’ games: you can still get in, just park a little farther and walk. Going to the game? Pick your parking spot before you leave home, and give yourself a few extra minutes.

👉 Read more (Chattanoogan.com, special-event closures) · Local 3 News, Halloween closures

🚣 Mark Your Calendar: Riverfront Parkway Closes Next Week for the Head of the Hooch

The Head of the Hooch is a big rowing race on the Tennessee River downtown. It brings in boats, trailers and lots of visitors. The city says these closures run from Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 8, at 10 p.m. (Chattanooga time):

• Riverfront Parkway between Aquarium Way and Molly Lane: closed to all through traffic.
• Chestnut Street between Aquarium Way and Riverfront Parkway, and Power Alley between the parking lot access and Riverfront Parkway: closed to all traffic.
• No street parking inside the closure area.
• Tractor-trailers and vehicles with more than two axles can’t use the stretch between W. Martin Luther King Blvd. and E. Aquarium Way. Detours will be posted.

What it means for you: If you have an appointment, a delivery or an Aquarium trip downtown that week, think of Riverfront Parkway as the front door that’s being painted: use the side door. Plan a route on the city streets a block or two inland, and if you drive a truck for work, plan for the posted detour.

👉 Read more (Local 3 News, Head of the Hooch closures) · Head of the Hooch, parking and access

📌 Still Going On: A Quick List

• Today’s I-24 bridge check near Haletown (mile marker 160.5): the last lane closure on TDOT’s schedule is westbound at about 1 p.m., about an hour at a time. TDOT said times may vary.
• Exit 117 near Manchester (Nashville trips): tonight is the last night on TDOT’s schedule for the eastbound loop. Thursday and Friday nights, 7 p.m.–6 a.m., it switches to westbound (the way to Nashville). TDOT says it will share later nights as the contractor provides them.
• Close to home: TDOT’s current list (Oct. 22–28) shows flagger work for resurfacing on SR-111, U.S. 127/SR-28, SR-8 and SR-399 in Sequatchie County, striping at SR-30 and U.S. 127 in Pikeville, night paving on I-24 in Marion County, and SR-108 near Whitwell down to one lane with a temporary signal.
• Chattanooga: TDOT’s Bonny Oaks Drive bridge inspection with flaggers runs through Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The 600 block of Hamilton Avenue closes Friday for a crane lift. And Grand Avenue at West 42nd Street is now an all-way stop, with a new stop sign for southbound Grand Avenue.
• Mountain routes: daytime flaggers on Signal Mountain Road and Suck Creek Road, generally 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Coming up: TDOT hadn’t posted its next weekly report for our region (Oct. 29–Nov. 4) as of this morning. It usually comes out late in the week, and we’ll share what’s new.

👉 Read more (TDOT weekly report) · TDOT, Exit 117 schedule · Chattanooga Journal · Chattanoogan.com, new all-way stop

✅ Your Valley Driving Checklist

• ✅ Thursday and Friday: dry and pleasant. Good days for errands and longer trips.
• ✅ Up before dawn Friday? Patchy fog is possible about 1–3 a.m. Low beams, slow speed.
• ✅ Driving to Nashville Thursday or Friday night? The Exit 117 loop is westbound, 7 p.m.–6 a.m.
• ✅ Chattanooga on Saturday? Streets near Finley Stadium close 6 a.m.–9 p.m. (Eastern). Pick your parking before you go.
• ✅ Halloween evening: headlights on early, slow down in neighborhoods, phone down. Going to a party? Plan your sober ride home before you leave.
• ✅ Saturday bedtime: set the clocks back one hour.
• ✅ Sunday: 80% chance of rain. Wipers on, headlights on. No cruise control.
• ✅ Leaves on the road? Treat them like ice: slow down and brake gently.
• ✅ Downtown Chattanooga Nov. 4–8? Riverfront Parkway is closed to through traffic. Use a street inland.
• ✅ Check TDOT SmartWay or call 511 before longer trips.

Practical rule: When the wipers go on, the headlights go on and the speed comes down.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Roads Glossary

• Chance of rain (percent): The weather service’s odds that at least a tiny bit of rain (one-hundredth of an inch) falls at your spot during that time. 80% means rain is very likely.
• Through traffic: Drivers just passing through a street, not stopping there. “Closed to through traffic” means you can’t use it as a shortcut.
• All-way stop: An intersection where every direction has a stop sign. The first car to stop goes first. If two arrive together, the car on the right goes first.
• Special-event closure: A short, planned street closure for a game, festival or party, set by the city with set start and end times.
• Head race: A rowing race where boats start one at a time and race the clock over a long course. The “Head of the Hooch” is one of these.
• Ramp loop (diversion): Interstate traffic goes up the off-ramp, across the road at the top and right back down the on-ramp.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Will it rain on trick-or-treaters?

As of late Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service gives Saturday only a 20% chance of showers after 1 p.m. The better chances come Saturday night, mainly after 1 a.m., and Sunday, at 80%. Check again Friday, since forecasts can shift.

Do I really have to turn my headlights on in the rain?

Yes. Tennessee law says that when rain, mist or other weather means you have to run your windshield wipers steadily, your headlights must be on. It also helps other drivers see you.

Why are wet leaves a problem on the road?

Wet leaves can be as slippery as ice, and they can hide painted lane lines. Slow down, leave more room and brake gently on leaf-covered roads.

Which Chattanooga streets close for the UTC game?

From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday (Eastern time): Chestnut Street between W. 19th and W. 17th, W. 19th Street between Reggie White Blvd. and Chestnut, and Reggie White Blvd. between W. 19th and W. Main. Street parking is restricted inside the closure.

When is Riverfront Parkway closed for the Head of the Hooch?

From 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, through 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 (Chattanooga time). It’s closed to through traffic between Aquarium Way and Molly Lane. Big trucks with more than two axles are detoured.

Which way is the Exit 117 loop on I-24 this week?

Eastbound through tonight (Wednesday). Westbound Thursday and Friday nights. It runs 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. TDOT hasn’t posted the schedule after Friday yet.

When does Chattanooga’s leaf pickup start?

Monday, Nov. 2. Through early December, it’s by request: call 311 or use the CHA311 app. Pile loose leaves on the curb, apart from brush and bags, and keep them out of the street and storm drains.

🔗 Other Resources

• TDOT SmartWay: Live traffic map and cameras
• TDOT Newsroom: Weekly roadway reports
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast
• City of Chattanooga: Road closures map
• City of Chattanooga: Loose-leaf collection
• Head of the Hooch: Parking and access
• TN Highway Safety Office: Halloween 2026, party with a plan
• SValleyNow: Sequatchie Valley local news
• Dunlap.Directory: Local businesses and services

🚗 Two Pretty Days, One Wet Sunday: You’ve Got This

Here’s all you need to remember: enjoy dry roads through Friday, then plan on a wet, cooler Sunday. Wipers on, headlights on, speed down. Treat wet leaves like ice. If you’re in Chattanooga Saturday, a few streets close for the game and the parties, and next week Riverfront Parkway takes a break for the rowers. Weather like this is like a long Sunday dinner: it takes its time, but nothing about it needs to rush you.

Drive easy and keep a wide eye out. Read Dunlap.Today for road and weather updates as they come in.