Tennessee, 2011

Heavy Snow in Tennessee, January 7 to 8, 2011

January 7 to 8, 2011 · NWS MRX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong upper level disturbance moved southeast across the Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians generating light to moderate snowfall over the region. The event transitioned into a northwest flow snowfall across the higher terrain areas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 MRX wrote it up.

A strong upper level disturbance moved southeast across the Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians generating light to moderate snowfall over the region. The event transitioned into a northwest flow snowfall across the higher terrain areas.

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 7, 2:52 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 7, 2:52 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 7, 5:00 AM EST, 0 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Johnson

When
January 7, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.455, -81.852 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 4 inches was estimated at Mountain City.

Heavy Snow, Claiborne

When
January 7, 6:00 AM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Claiborne forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
36.486, -83.660 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 6 inches was measured 17 miles west of Tazewell.

Heavy Snow, Grainger

When
January 8, 3:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Grainger forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
36.276, -83.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 5.6 inches was measured three miles west of Rutledge.

Heavy Snow, Sullivan

When
January 8, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where
Sullivan forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
36.513, -82.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 4 inches was measured on mile west northwest of Bristol.

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

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 2011

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 268940, 268964, 268956, 268958.