Afternoon heat index readings ranged from 110 to 115 degrees over much of Middle Tennessee on August 4th. Around the Nashville Metropolitan area, a couple dozen people were hospitalized suffering from heat exhaustion along with several others being hospitalized suffering from burnt feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS OHX wrote it up.
Afternoon heat index readings ranged from 110 to 115 degrees over much of Middle Tennessee on August 4th. Around the Nashville Metropolitan area, a couple dozen people were hospitalized suffering from heat exhaustion along with several others being hospitalized suffering from burnt feet. There were no known fatalities. There were also numerous reports of damage from the heat, including exploding tires on automobiles.
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 Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 4, 10:35 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1135 AM CDT WED AUG 4 2010 .UPDATE...FOR 18Z AVIATION FORECASTS && .AVIATION...EXPECT SCATTERED DAYTIME CU (4-6K FT) THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD, ALONG WITH SCATTERED CI (NR 25K FT). ISOLATED AFTERNOON TSTMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR MOST OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER, MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR IN AND CLOSE TO THUNDERSTORMS, DUE TO LOWERED CIGS AND RESTRICTED VSBY IN HEAVY RAIN. ALSO, EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS AT CSV DUE TO FOG AND HAZE DURING THE LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING WINDOW, 06Z- 12Z. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR TNZ009>011-029>033- 063>065-077-078. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR TNZ005>008- 022>028-056>062-075-093>095. && 19
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 515 AM CDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-051015- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-BENTON- HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON-TROUSDALE- SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS- WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DE KALB-WHITE- CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE- GILES- 515 AM CDT WED AUG 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE DANGEROUS HEAT WAVE WILL WORSEN ACROSS THE MID STATE WITH HIGHER TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITY. MOST AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 WILL BE UNDER A HEAT ADVISORY...WITH AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF I 65 UNDER AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL TOP 105 FOR MANY LOCATIONS...AND COLD EXCEED 110 OVER THE WEST HALF. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A HEAT ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY FOR MOST AREAS EAST OF I 65...WITH AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING ALONG AND WEST OF I 65. THE HEAT WILL EASE UP A BIT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB AGAIN NEXT WEEK...AND MORE ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1007 AM CDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-050300- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-BENTON- HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON-TROUSDALE- SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS- WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DE KALB-WHITE- CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE- GILES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOVER...CLARKSVILLE...SPRINGFIELD... GALLATIN...LAFAYETTE...CELINA...BYRDSTOWN...CAMDEN...ERIN... WAVERLY...DICKSON...ASHLAND CITY...NASHVILLE...LEBANON... MOUNT JULIET...HARTSVILLE...CARTHAGE...GAINESBORO...COOKEVILLE... LIVINGSTON...JAMESTOWN...LOBELVILLE...CENTERVILLE...HOHENWALD... FRANKLIN...BRENTWOOD...COLUMBIA...LEWISBURG...MURFREESBORO... WOODBURY...SMITHVILLE...SPARTA...CROSSVILLE...SHELBYVILLE... TULLAHOMA...MANCHESTER...MCMINNVILLE...ALTAMONT...SPENCER... WAYNESBORO...LAWRENCEBURG...PULASKI 1007 AM CDT WED AUG 4 2010 .....EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY... ...HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNTIL 7 PM CDT THURSDAY... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL KEEP HOT TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH VERY HUMID CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE THROUGH THURSDAY. HEAT INDICIES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 107 TO 115 DEGREE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WEST HALF OF THE MID STATE...WITH THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TRIPLE DIGITS. EASTERN AREAS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE HOT WEATHER WITH HEAT INDICIES IN THE 105 TO 109 DEGREE RANGE...WITH ACTUAL TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S. THIS IS THE MOST INTENSE HEAT WAVE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE SINCE AUGUST OF 2007 AND SOME OF THE HIGHEST HEAT INDICIES THAT WE'VE EVER EXPERIENCED. THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE IN NASHVILLE FOR BOTH AUGUST 4TH AND 5TH IS 102 DEGREES SET BACK IN 1947. TEMPERATURES TODAY IN NASHVILLE WILL BE NEAR THE RECORD. THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN HOT IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. JUNE WAS THE 6TH HOTTEST ON RECORD IN NASHVILLE WHILE JULY ENDED AS THE 10TH HOTTEST ON RECORD. THE HOTTEST AUGUST ON RECORD WAS BACK IN 2007. THE LAST TIME NASHVILLE REACHED 100 DEGREES WAS ON AUGUST 24TH 2007 WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 102 DEGREES. ...HEAT WAVE SAFETY TIPS... IF YOU HAVE TO BE OUTDOORS... * SLOW DOWN. * REDUCE OR ELIMINATE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES. * IF POSSIBLE...CONFINE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TO THE COOLEST PART OF THE DAY. * DRESS FOR SUMMER. * DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. * DO NOT GET TOO MUCH SUN. * IF POSSIBLE STAY INDOORS IN AN AIR CONDITIONED PLACE...ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY. * NEVER...EVER LEAVE A CHILD IN A CAR...NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE. TEMPERATURES CAN SOAR TO DEADLY LEVELS QUICKLY. * MAKE SURE PETS HAVE PLENTY OF FRESH WATER AND ARE IN A COOL PLACE. BOYD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
22 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th. Around Metro Nashville, a couple dozen people were hospitalized suffering from heat exhaustion. Several others were hospitalized suffering from burnt feet. There were no known fatalities. There were numerous reports of damage from the heat including exploding tires on automobiles.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
Afternoon temperatures around 100 degrees and unusually high humidity led to heat index values between 110 and 115 degrees on August 4th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2010
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 257477, 257478, 257480, 257481, 257482, 257483, 257484, 257485, 257486, 257487, 257488, 257489, 257490, 257491, 257492, 257493, 257494, 257495, 257496, 257497, 257498, 257499.