Heavy Snow in Tennessee, December 25, 2010

Name: Heavy Snow in Tennessee, December 25, 2010
Start: 2010-12-25T00:00
End: 2010-12-25T12:00
Location: Tennessee

December 25, 2010 · NWS HUN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A low pressure system tracked east across the northern Gulf of Mexico producing a swath of snow across the Tennessee Valley on Christmas Day 2010. A mixture of rain and snow began between 2 and 4 am rapidly changing to all snow that became moderate to heavy at times during the morning hours with visibility of 1/4 to 1/2 mile at times.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: 3

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 low pressure system tracked east across the northern Gulf of Mexico producing a swath of snow across the Tennessee Valley on Christmas Day 2010.

A mixture of rain and snow began between 2 and 4 am rapidly changing to all snow that became moderate to heavy at times during the morning hours with visibility of 1/4 to 1/2 mile at times. All told, snowfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were reported in the valleys, with 5 to 7 inches at the along the Cumberland Plateau in Franklin County.

As colder air filtered into the region during the overnight hours, additional snow showers developed as an upper level low dropped southeast across the region. This system produced an additional dusting to up to one inch of snowfall.

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 24, 11:22 PM CST, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 24, 11:22 PM CST, 38 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 24, 6:00 PM CST, 6 hours before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 24, 6:31 PM CST, 5 hours 29 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 6:45 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 7:00 PM CST, 5 hours 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

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: December 25, 12:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lincoln County received from 1 to over 2 inches inches of snowfall. The heaviest snow occurred in southern and eastern portions of the county where it persisted through the morning hours. The snow ended several hours sooner in northwest portions of the county. 1.5 inches fell in Boonshill, while 2.1 inches fell in Coldwater. Limited information was available from far southeast Lincoln County where heavier amounts were suspected.

Heavy Snow, Moore

When: December 25, 1:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Moore forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.285, -86.359 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moore County received 1 to 3 inches of snowfall. The heaviest snow fell in southern and eastern portions of the county. Over an inch fell in Lynchburg while 3.0 inches fell in Lois.

Heavy Snow, Franklin

When: December 25, 3:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Franklin County received 3 to 7 inches of snowfall. The heaviest snow fell atop and along the western slopes of the Cumberland Plateau. 3.5 inches fell in Huntland, 4.1 inches fell in Winchester, while 6.5 inches was reported in Cowan, and 7.0 inches was reported in Sewanee.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, December 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 273951, 273952, 273953.