Tennessee, 2008

Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 23, 2008

December 23, 2008 · NWS HUN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong surface high over the Appalachian mountains kept temperatures at or just below freezing across much of northern Alabama Tuesday morning. At the same time, a strong southerly low level jet developed and lifted Gulf of Mexico moisture northward over this cold air.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.

A strong surface high over the Appalachian mountains kept temperatures at or just below freezing across much of northern Alabama Tuesday morning. At the same time, a strong southerly low level jet developed and lifted Gulf of Mexico moisture northward over this cold air. This caused widespread light freezing rain and sleet to occur in portions of southern middle Tennessee. Most locations received a glaze to 1/10 of an inch of icing.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 9:12 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 9:12 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 8:35 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 23, 9:05 AM CST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 9:43 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 9:46 AM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 10:21 AM CST, 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 10:22 AM CST, 38 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 23, 10:23 AM CST, 37 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Franklin

When
December 23, 11:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sewanee Police Department reported ice on all roadways in the town. One car slide into a ditch, but no other accidents had been reported. Also icy roads were reported on Keith Springs Mountain in southern Franklin County.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2008

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 142064.