Snow Buntings are a species of open country in the far north but they occasionally appear this far south at high elevations on certain winters. This species may be a little more common than these few records indicate in that they are most likely to be at high elevation balds and fields at times when few birders would visit them.

Park records are from 1525m elevation or above in November (2001; single female at Clingman's Dome Parkinglot) and December (1957; eight birds near Spence Field).

References:

Gough, G. A., Sauer, J. R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.