A small but intense area of low pressure moved northeastward across the Cumberland Plateau during the early morning hours of February 26. Strong southeast winds measured at 40 to 60 mph caused considerable wind damage across the region.
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.
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.
A small but intense area of low pressure moved northeastward across the Cumberland Plateau during the early morning hours of February 26. Strong southeast winds measured at 40 to 60 mph caused considerable wind damage across the region.
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 Feb 25, 11:11 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1111 PM CST MON FEB 25 2013 .UPDATE...FOR 06Z AVIATION FORECAST && .AVIATION... SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR MEMPHIS AT 05Z UNDERGOING CYCLOGENSIS WITH A VERY TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. INITIAL SOUTHERLY BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 55 KNOTS AT 1 KM AGL GO TO 70 KNOTS BY 09Z AND REMAIN THROUGH 12Z. POTENTIAL TEMPERATURE SURFACES IN THE LOWER LEVELS WOULD NOT ALLOW THESE WINDS TO GET TRANSPORTED DOWNWARD SO NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING OVER 25 TO 30 KNOTS AT THE SURFACE OVERNIGHT IN THE MID STATE. LOOK FOR CEILINGS TO LOWER QUICKLY NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS WITH VSBYS LOWERING ALSO. SHOWERS HAVE FORMED IN A SKINNY LINE NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BACK INTO SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE THAT WILL MOVE THIS WAY NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. I DONT SEE MID STATE GETTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF THUNDER OVERNIGHT AS THERMODYNAMICS REMAIN WEAK. CANT RULE OUT COMPLETELY ISOLATED ELEVATED CONVECTION. BOYD && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 905 PM CST MON FEB 25 2013/ UPDATE...LATEST SURFACE MAP SHOWS 995 MB LOW SITUATED OVER NW MISSISSIPPI WITH A WARM FRONT NOW ALMOST ENTIRELY NORTH OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE, PLACING US IN THE MARITIME TROPICAL PORTION OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM. BOUNDARY LAYER AIR REMAINS RELATIVELY DRY, AS RADAR ECHOES ARE JUST NOW SHOWING UP IN THE SW CORNER OF THE CWA. PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY WORK ITS WAY NEWD AS THE SURFACE LAYER BECOMES MORE SATURATED. EVENING SOUNDING FROM OHX SHOWS PRECIPITABLE WATER OF 0.76 INCHES, NEARLY TRIPLE THAT FROM JUST 12 HOURS PRIOR. SOUNDING SHOWS VIRTUALLY NO INSTABILITY, EVEN OF THE ELEVATED VARIETY, AND SO STORM ACTIVITY WILL BE MINIMAL. SURFACE WINDS HAVE NOT YET REACHED ADVISORY CRITERIA, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THEY WON'T EXCEPT IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS, BUT WILL WATCH OBSERVED WINDS CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO LET THE ADVISORY CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. AT THIS TIME, THE ONLY FORTHCOMING FORECAST UPDATE WILL BE TO DROP THE EVENING WORDING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 547 PM CST MON FEB 25 2013/ UPDATE...FOR 00Z AVIATION FORECAST AVIATION... SURFACE LOW CENTERED OVER EL DORADO ARKANAS AT 23Z. UPPER LOW BACK OVER WICHITA FALLS TEXAS. WIDESPREAD RAIN HAD SPREAD DOWN THROUGH ARKANSAS INTO MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND WAS APPROACHING THE MEMPHIS AREA AT 00Z. THIS RAIN AREA WILL CONTIUE TO SPREAD NORTHEAST THIS EVENING REACHING THE TENNESSEE RIVER BY 03Z AND OVERSPREADING MIDDLE TENNESSEE DURING THE NIGHTTIME. LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS ARE STRONG WITH SPEEDS ON THE ORDER OF 50 TO 60 KNOTS AROUND 1 KM AGL AT 06Z TONIGHT. BOYD PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM CST MON FEB 25 2013/ DISCUSSION... FIRST OFF...PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BEGIN TO TIGHTEN UP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STILL LOOKING AT SOME DOWNWARD TRANSPORT OF THE ELEVATED WINDS OFF THE SFC FOR LATER TONIGHT. THUS...WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT....6P-6A. BREEZY AGAIN ON TUESDAY BUT THE WINDS ALOFT WILL BACK OFF. THUS...LOOKING AT 15-25 BUT NOT AS GUSTY. SO...NO EXT OF THE WIND ADVISORY FOR NOW. ELSEWHERE...TEMPERATURES ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MID 40S ACROSS NC TX AT THIS TIME. MEANWHILE...A POTENT 535 500 MB UPPER LOW IS LOCATED IN THAT SAME AREA. SNOWFALL IS OCCURRING ABOUT 50 TO 100 MILES NW OF THAT UPPER LOW. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN AND WILL MOVE ACROSS NW TN TUESDAY MORNING. SFC LOW WILL STACK WITH TIME WITH THE UPPER LOW AS IT APPROACHES...THEREBY INCREASING THE LOWER LEVEL WAA FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE UPPER LOW TRACK. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALTHOUGH DEEP MOISTURE IS IN COMBINATION WITH THE UPPER LOW AND FREEZING LEVELS WILL LIKELY BE LOWER THAN WHAT THE MODEL ANTICIPATES...THE WAA IN THE LOWEST LEVELS WILL KEEP THE MOISTURE AS ALL RAIN ALONG AND TO THE SE OF THE TRACK AS IT PASSES VERY CLOSE TO OUR NW CORNER OF THE MID STATE ON TUES MORNING. OTHERWISE...MOISTURE TO SURGE NORTHWARD ACROSS MIDDLE TN OVERNIGHT. THE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL WILL IMPACT THE AREA WITH...ON AVERAGE... OVERNIGHT QPF TOTALS OF AROUND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH TO ONE INCH. LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS TO PERSIST THROUGH TUESDAY WITH LIKELY POPS. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WED NT...TEMPS WILL TURN COLDER AS THE SFC LOW MOVES NORTHEAST. PREVIOUS UPPER LOW THAT MOVED THROUGH WILL CONTAIN AN AXIS EXTENDING WESTWARD. THIS FEATURE WILL SWING ACROSS THE AREA ON WED AND WED NT. SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT FREEZING LEVELS WILL SUPPORT A RAIN AND SNOW MIX FOR WED/WED NT. PLATEAU AREAS WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE FOR ALL SNOW HOWEVER. AMOUNTS LOOKS LIGHT AND SFC TEMPS WILL BE ABOVE FREEZING SO NO BIG HEADACHES ANTICIPATED. LATE WED NT HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL WILL DIP TO NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING SO THE PLATEAU IN PARTICULAR COULD DEVELOP A FEW PROBLEMS WITH ANY SNOW THAT OCCURS. AT ANY RATE...SYSTEM LOOKS WEAK WITH NOT A LOT OF MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. FOR THE TUES NT THROUGH WED NT PERIOD...WILL INCLUDE POPS OF 30-40 PERCENT NORTH...GENERALLY 20 PERCENT SOUTH. IN THE EXT FCST...PROGRESSIVELY COLDER AIR TO WORK IN BEHIND THE WED NT UPPER SHORTWAVE PASSAGE. THE NEXT UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL SWING SLOWLY SE TOWARD OUR AREA THU NT THROUGH FRIDAY NT. BY THEN...TEMPS WILL BE COLDER AND THE BULK OF ANY PRECIP THAT FALLS WILL BE ALL SNOW. INTERESTINGLY...MODELS ALL CONVERGE TO A DESCENT AMOUNT OF DEEP MOISTURE ENHANCEMENT WITH THIS SYSTEM. HOWEVER...MODELS ARE QUITE WEAK WITH THE DEGREE OF UPPER LEVEL CURVATURE AND SHEAR AND THUS...DYNAMICS AND QPF AMTS ARE LOW. NEVERTHELESS...THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOWFALL LOOKS GOOD...BUT SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS STILL DO NOT LOOK LIKELY AT THIS TIME. WILL CARRY POPS OF 30-40 PERCENT...PERHAPS EVEN SOME 50 POPS FOR THE PLATEAU FOR THE FRI NT AND SAT PERIOD. SYSTEM WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED AS THE LONGER PERIOD OF DEEPER MOISTURE IS A CONCERN. THINGS WILL FINALLY QUIET DOWN BY MONDAY. EURO MODEL IS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN THE GFS SO I WILL INCLUDE A CHANCE OF FLURRIES INTO SUNDAY. FOR THE EXT TEMPS...WILL CONTINUE WITH A 5-7 DEGREE MAX TEMP UNDERCUT. FOR THE LAST PORTIONS OF THE EXT...WILL UNDERCUT MINS A DEGREE OR TWO. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1242 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-261030- 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- 1242 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MID STATE TONIGHT AND PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 15 TO 25 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD DRAG EVEN STRONGER WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES CAN EXPECT BUFFETING WINDS FROM THE SOUTH THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... PERIODS OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS A WINTER WEATHER PATTERN DEVELOPS ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. SOME ACCUMULATIONS MAY OCCUR...AND PRODUCE SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS... ALTHOUGH IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO KNOW THE SPECIFIC TIMES...DURING THAT THREE DAY PERIOD...WHEN ACCUMULATIONS MIGHT OCCUR. BOYD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1259 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013
TNZ060-061-075-095-260730-
BEDFORD-GILES-MARSHALL-MAURY-
1259 AM CST TUE FEB 26 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BEDFORD...GILES...MARSHALL AND
MAURY COUNTIES...
AT 1255 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF PULASKI...MOVING NORTH AT 55
MPH.
WINDS GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3500 8723 3513 8720 3584 8721 3570 8678
3569 8656 3562 8641 3563 8625 3542 8625
3536 8633 3532 8644 3536 8649 3537 8659
3532 8660 3531 8667 3525 8675 3526 8682
3500 8684
TB12The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Estimated winds of 40 to 60 mph blew down several power lines across the county.
Estimated winds of 40 to 60 mph partially blew the roof off a hotel at Interstate 24 and Main Street in Monteagle.
Estimated winds of 40 to 60 mph blew down several power lines around Manchester.
Crossville ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 59 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, February 2013
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: 428191, 428192, 428193, 428190.