Vertically stacked low pressure system moved across the Tennessee Valley during the early evening hours in a strongly sheared but weakly to moderately buoyant atmosphere across Southeast Tennessee. Wind, hail, and even a weak tornado occurred in this environment.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 MRX wrote it up.
Vertically stacked low pressure system moved across the Tennessee Valley during the early evening hours in a strongly sheared but weakly to moderately buoyant atmosphere across Southeast Tennessee. Wind, hail, and even a weak tornado occurred in this environment.
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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 21, 3:27 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
327 PM EST THU JAN 21 2010
.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)...AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
TRACKING THROUGH THE AREA BRINGING SHOWERS AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA TONIGHT. WITH SOME INSTABILITY EXPECTED
COULD SEE SOME ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EARLY
TONIGHT. BUT THE THREAT SHOULD DECREASE AFTER SUNSET. WILL KEEP
LIKELY POPS FOR TONIGHT. IT SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH FOR ALL LIQUID
PRECIPITATION FOR TONIGHT. THE UPPER LOW LINGERS TO THE NORTH OF
THE CWA ON FRIDAY...SO KEPT LOW POPS IN FOR FRIDAY WITH THE HIGHEST
CHANCES IN THE NORTH. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ON FRIDAY NIGHT
BRINGING DRY WEATHER FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
.LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...BROAD UPPER TROF
BUILDS EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS STATES SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY
DRIVING SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT TOWARD
THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. STAYED WITH CATEGORICAL POPS EVERYWHERE
BUT SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHEAST TENNESSEE WHERE LIKELY POP
SHOULD SUFFICE UNTIL 12Z SUNDAY WHEN IT IS BEST TO HAVE THE
CATEGORICAL LIKELIHOOD IN PLACE AS FRONTAL LIFT PROGRESSES ACROSS
THE FORECAST AREA. GRADUALLY DECREASE POPS WITH SLOW MOVING SYSTEM
SUNDAY NIGHT. SEVERAL SHORTWAVES DROP SOUTHEAST AROUND GREAT LAKES
UPPER LOW FOR MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY PERIOD AS NORTHWEST FLOW LEADS
TO OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF PRECIP WHICH COULD PRODUCE SNOW SHOWERS
ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE
FORECAST AREA. THIS REGIME FINALLY SHUTS DOWN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY AS UPPER FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL. THUS WAS ABLE TO
MAINTAIN A DRY DAY ON WEDNESDAY AWAITING NEXT UPPER TROF AND FRONTAL
SYSTEM. UNCERTAINTY AT THIS TIME RANGE REQUIRES LIMITING POP WITH
THIS SYSTEM ON THURSDAY TO SLIGHT CHANCE. TRENDED TEMPS TOWARD NEW
MEX MOS GUIDANCE.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 42 54 40 57 46 / 60 10 0 10 80
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 42 50 38 54 45 / 60 30 0 10 80
OAK RIDGE, TN 42 50 38 55 44 / 60 20 0 10 80
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 37 48 33 52 39 / 70 50 10 10 60
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CHEROKEE...CLAY.
TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...
EAST POLK...JOHNSON...SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST
CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...UNICOI.
VA...NONE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 210 PM EST THU JAN 21 2010 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-221030- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- 210 PM EST THU JAN 21 2010 /110 PM CST THU JAN 21 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ...A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE PLATEAU AND SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE THROUGH THIS EVENING... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE REGION TODAY. ENOUGH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS HAVE ALLOWED THE AIRMASS TO BECOME UNSTABLE ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTHERN ALABAMA. THE AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE TO DESTABILIZE EASTWARD INTO THE PLATEAU AND SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH SCATTERED STORMS EXPECTED. DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS AND COLD AIR ALOFT...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 75. SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE STRONG IN THE MOUNTAINS AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES INTO WEST TENNESSEE DURING THE DAY...SEE INFORMATION WITH CURRENT NPWMRX... .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. SOME THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT COULD PRODUCE STRONG WINDS. ALSO THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WILL PRODUCE STRONG SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHERLY WINDS WHICH COULD CAUSE WIND DAMAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. DH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 329 PM EST THU JAN 21 2010 TNZ081>083-098-099-212130- BLEDSOE-HAMILTON-MARION-RHEA-SEQUATCHIE- 229 PM CST THU JAN 21 2010 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING BLEDSOE...HAMILTON... MARION...RHEA AND SEQUATCHIE COUNTIES... AT 224 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WHITWELL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DH
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:20 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were reported down across the northern half of the county.
One tree was reported down on Lynn Road near New Salem.
A tree was reported down on Birchwood Pike.
An EF-0 tornado with maximum speeds of 70 mph produced a damage path one half mile long and 50 yards in width in Monteagle just south of interstate 24. A few trees were snapped off and trained spotters reported significant debris flying into the air in the path of the tornado.
Quarter size hail was reported in Victoria.
An EF-0 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 70 mph produced wind damage along a path two tenths of a mile in length and 30 yards in width. A few trees were snapped in the path of the tornado.
A few trees were reported down near Soddy-Daisy.
A few trees were reported down on Ridgecrest Road.
Dime size hail was reported in South Pittsburg.
One tree was reported down on power lines on Big Sandy Gap Road.
One large tree was reported down on Lower East Valley Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2010Warnings in Tennessee, January 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: 205446, 205445, 205492, 205453, 205443, 205491, 205496, 205493, 205444, 205494, 205495.