On Friday, April 15th, as a strong cold front approached Middle Tennessee, strong southerly low level winds ushered in increasing instability and moisture to the area, and along with unseasonably warm temperatures, a few severe thunderstorms developed across the mid state. These severe thunderstorms produced thunderstorm wind damage or large hail across six counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
On Friday, April 15th, as a strong cold front approached Middle Tennessee, strong southerly low level winds ushered in increasing instability and moisture to the area, and along with unseasonably warm temperatures, a few severe thunderstorms developed across the mid state. These severe thunderstorms produced thunderstorm wind damage or large hail across six counties. Also, as an area of strong surface low pressure from the southern plains moved into Middle Tennesse, resulting in the establishement of a strong surface pressure gradient that produced strong wind damage at selected locations across the mid state.
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 Apr 15, 8:47 AM CST, 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 947 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 .UPDATE... AREA OF RW/TRW MOVG ACR MID TN THIS MORNING W/SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING ALONG A COLD FRONT. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MODELS PUSH WARM FRONT TO NEAR THE KY LINE WITH A LATE DAY SURGE IN DEWPTS. SHOULD BE SUFFICENT TO DRIVE AT LEAST ISO SVR ALONG THE LINE. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (SPS) UPDATED TO SHIFT FOCUS OF POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 701 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011/ UPDATE...FOR 15/12Z AVIATION FORECAST AND MESOSCALE DISCUSSION AVIATION... ELEVATED CONVECTION CURRENTLY LIFTING NORTHWARD THROUGH MIDDLE TENNESSEE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY STRONGER STORMS THAT WILL ENTER WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE NEAR THE TENNESSEE RIVER AROUND 8 AM THIS MORNING AND MOVE EASTWARD DURING THE MORNING HOURS. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE BUT THE GREATER THREAT THIS MORNING WILL BE TO OUR SOUTH ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA. THIS AFTERNOON EXPECT A QUASI LINEAR LINE OF STORMS TO FORM IN WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE JUST WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 AND MOVE EASTWARD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE AS THE LINE MOVES EASTWARD. AGAIN THE GREATER THREAT WILL BE TO OUR SOUTH. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO IS LIKELY. BOYD PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 502 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011/ MESOSCALE UPDATE... ELEVATED CONVECTION LIFTING NORTH INTO SOUTHWEST MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT 15/0945Z WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWARD NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THE CONVECTION WILL BE MOVING THROUGH A RELATIVELY STABLE ENVIRONMENT THIS MORNING SO NOT ANTICIPATING SEVERE WEATHER WITH THIS ACTIVITY. COMPLEX CURRENTLY NEARING MISSISSIPPI RIVER HAS PRODUCED SOME WIND DAMAGE IN EASTERN ARKANSAS. WFO MEMPHIS CURRENTLY HAS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR COUNTIES ADJACENT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AS COMPLEX HAS CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT BOWING FROM TIME TO TIME AND SOME WEAK ROTATION NOTED IN ONE STORM AS IT MOVED THROUGH NORTHWEST SHELBY COUNTY. SATELLITE HAS TRENDED TOWARD A GENERAL WEAKENING IN THIS ACTIVITY AND WARMING OF CLOUD TOPS. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE EASTWARD INTO WEST TENNESSEE THIS MORNING AND AS COMPLEX COLLAPSES LATER THIS MORNING LOOK FOR OUTFLOW BOUNDARY TO SETUP SOMEWHERE WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 POSSIBLY EVEN CLOSER TO TENNESSEE RIVER. AS DESTABILIZATION OCCURS EARLY AFTERNOON EXPECT A QUASI-LINEAR LINE OF CONVECTION TO FIRE ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY AND WORK EASTWARD DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. A FEW STORMS COULD BE SEVERE. LOOKS LIKE THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE TO OUR SOUTH. BOYD PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011/ DISCUSSION... ANALYSIS SHOWING TIGHT SFC LOW ACROSS KS...WITH A STRONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN WESTERN MO/AR. SFC LOW CURRENTLY RIDING JUST AHEAD OF DEEP ML/UL CLOSED LOWS. STRONG STORMS ALREADY ASSOCIATED WITH WW IN PLACE. SFC AND UL LOWS EXPECTED TO WOBBLE INTO MO BY DAYS...WHICH WILL DRIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO NEAR THE MS RIVER. AIRMASS ACROSS THE MID-STATE WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. ACTIVITY OVER IN AR AND DOWN TO THE SOUTHWEST WILL MOVE EAST THIS MORNING AND LOOKS TO WEAKEN AS IT CROSSES INTO THE CWA. THIS MAY LAY DOWN AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WHICH WILL LIKELY BECOME ACTIVE LATER TODAY AS THE FRONT GETS CLOSER AND HEATING DESTABILIZES AIRMASS. DYNAMICS SUCH THAT THE AREA MAY SEE SEVERE STORMS AS WELL...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON. TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT ALSO EXPECTED TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS 35MPH+ SO WILL LET WIND ADVISORY RIDE. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PASS THIS EVENING...KEEPING THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STORMS INTACT...ESPECIALLY WITH GOOD DRY SLOTTING JUST AFTER 00Z. BIGGEST THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS HOWEVER BNA AREA AND TO THE EAST. ISOLATED-SCATTERED SHOWERS EXPECTED TO FOLLOWING BOUNDARY AFTER MIDNIGHT ALL THE WAY THROUGH MOST OF SATURDAY AS ML/UL TROUGHS...AND WEAK SECONDARY SFC BOUNDARY SWING ACROSS. THINGS TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER ON SUNDAY AS ML/UL FLATTENS...BUT FLOW EVENTUALLY TURNS SOUTHWEST MONDAY NIGHT. AT THAT POINT WE ARE IN THE WARM SECTOR AS ANOTHER SFC LOW SETS UP IN THE PLAINS...WITH WARM FRONT ACROSS THE OH VALLEY. THIS WILL BRING ENOUGH MOISTURE/INSTABILITY BACK INTO THE PICTURE FOR ISOLATED STORMS STORMS MONDAY NIGHT/ TUESDAY...BUT THINGS BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED FOR CONVECTION TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY AS SFC LOW MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND DRAGS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO THE MID-SOUTH. THIS BOUNDARY EVENTUALLY STALLS IN THE GENERAL VICINITY AS WEAK WAVES RIDE ALONG IT...WHICH WILL KEEP A SMALL CHANCE FOR STORMS RUNNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT THRU THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR TNZ005>011-022>034- 056>066-075-077>080-093>095. && 04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 958 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-161030- 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- 958 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS WILL PRODUCE RAINFALL UP TO ONE INCH AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THIS EVENING...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA WITH STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV OR BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS FROM TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. SPOTTER THUNDERSTORM REPORTING CRITERIA... TORNADO FUNNEL CLOUD FLOODING HAIL >= 1/2 INCH WINDS > 50 MPH (MEASURED) STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TREES OR POWER LINES DOWN 04
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 642 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 TNZ005-006-022>024-056>058-093-094-151245- BENTON-HICKMAN-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-LAWRENCE-LEWIS-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- STEWART-WAYNE- 642 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BENTON...HICKMAN...HOUSTON... HUMPHREYS...LAWRENCE...LEWIS...MONTGOMERY...PERRY...STEWART AND WAYNE COUNTIES... AT 634 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. BOYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 911 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-152100- 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 911 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS EVENING.. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS MORNING. EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A COLD FRONT IN WEST TENNESSEE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND PUSH INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS EVENING...WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL. A FEW LOCATIONS COULD RECEIVE UP TO FOUR INCHES. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATER UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. 04
The Nashville radar (KOHX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:59 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 6 strong wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were uprooted and patio furniture was blown across a few roads.
A tree was blown down onto a house at Ewing Blvd and a tree was also blown down onto a car along North Walnut Street. Specific details concerning type of damage to the house and car along with any associated damge costs to both were unknown.
Several trees and power lines were downed across the county. A couple of trees were downed on top of houses. Specific details concerning any damage to these houses and associated costs were unknown.
Twenty trees were blown down across the county.
Numerous large tree limbs had been broken off and fell to the ground in the Murfressboro area. Spotter estimated wind gusts of around 50 mph.
Several windows in high rise apartments broken along a two block stretch of downtown Nashville.
A tree was blown down in Lebannon.
A tree was blown down at the corner of South Russel and East Longview Roads.
A railroad signal gate was blown down near the intersection of Stewarts Ferry Pike and McCampbell Road.
A tree was blown down in La Vergne.
Trees, power lines, and telephone poles were downed along the 6300 block of Stewarts Ferry Pike.
Wilson County Emergency Management reported trees and power lines were blown down on Central Pike southwest of the city of Lebanon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2011
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: 300915, 300922, 303291, 303287, 303288, 303289, 303290, 303292, 291418, 300921, 300916, 291416, 300923, 300919.