High shear along with limited instability resulted in isolated severe thunderstorm development across Southeast Tennessee. An area of low pressure moving northeast along the Ohio Valley pulled a cold front into the Southern Appalachians.
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.
High shear along with limited instability resulted in isolated severe thunderstorm development across Southeast Tennessee. An area of low pressure moving northeast along the Ohio Valley pulled a cold front into the Southern Appalachians. A strong low level jet the was in place ahead of the front helped to strengthen convective gusts in the storms producing wind damage in a few spots.
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 Mar 18, 2:12 PM EST, 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 312 PM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT AND TUESDAY/... THIS AFTERNOON...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT IS SLOWLY MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.T HE REMNANTS OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS CONTINUING TO HOLD TOGETHER ACROSS EASTERN MIDDLE TN AND NORTHERN AL...AND WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU BY THE LATE AFTERNOON. GIVEN SOME MODEST ELEVATED INSTABILITY ACROSS SOUTHERN PLATEAU/SOUTHEAST TN AND SOUTHWEST NC...A COUPLE OF STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. A WEAK WARM FRONT IS DRAPED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN VALLEY WHICH COMBINED WITH SOME DECENT LOW-LEVEL HELICITY VALUES AND LOW- LEVEL WIND SHEAR COULD HELP PRODUCE A BRIEF TORNADO AS WELL...THOUGH DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY...THE ATMOSPHERE IS MORE STABLE...AND THOUGH ELEVATED STORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON...THE OVERALL SEVERE THREAT IS CERTAINLY DIMINISHED FURTHER NORTH. WITH INSTABILITY DECREASING AFTER SUNSET...THE SEVERE THREAT WILL DIMINISH AREAWIDE...BUT SHOWERS AND SOME ISOLATED STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS AS STRONG LIFT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE THIS ACTIVITY. THUS HAVE GONE CATEGORICAL POPS AREAWIDE THROUGH 06Z...BEFORE DIMINISHING THEM FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 06Z TO 12Z AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SOME GUSTY WINDS /MAINLY GRADIENT IN NATURE/ WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG/AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVERNIGHT GIVEN THE STRONG JET DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM. BY TUESDAY MORNING... CLEARING WILL OCCUR AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE LOWER AS COLDER AND DRIER AIR FILTERS INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST. .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... A SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROTATES AROUND THE CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES...WITH THE CHANNELED VORT MAX SKIRTING OUR NORTHERN SECTIONS WEDNESDAY. THOUGH MOISTURE IS LIMITED...COOL MIDLEVEL TEMPS SHOULD PRODUCE SOME INSTABILITY FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A DEEP NW FLOW BEHIND THE TROUGH BRINGS COLDER AIR IN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL. POSITIVE THETA-E ADVECTION WILL RETURN TO THE AREA ON FRIDAY AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER TX/OK. THE ECMWF AND GFS HAVE SOME TIMING AND POSITION DIFFERENCES WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH THE ECMWF BEING THE FASTER OF THE TWO AND FARTHER SOUTH WITH THE 850 MB LOW PLACEMENT. NEITHER MODEL HAS STRONG SYNOPTIC FORCING AS THE MID/UPPER FLOW IS SOMEWHAT ZONAL UNTIL SUNDAY...SO CONFIDENCE IS LOW. BOTH MODELS HAVE SOME TIMING OVERLAP WITH THEIR PRECIP DEPICTIONS FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY...AND THIS IS THE TIME PERIOD OF GREATEST GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN PRECIP AS WELL...SO WILL RAISE POPS A BIT IN THESE PERIODS TO A HIGH CHANCE. MODEL DISPARITIES PREVENT LIKELY POPS AT THIS TIME. LOW TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS CONTINUE IN NORTHERN AREAS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. WILL START MONDAY DRY AS SHOWN BY THE GFS...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 42 59 36 59 29 / 90 10 0 10 10 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 40 56 33 56 27 / 90 10 0 20 10 OAK RIDGE, TN 40 55 32 57 27 / 90 10 0 20 10 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 38 51 27 49 24 / 90 10 10 30 20 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && AMP/DGS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 918 AM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-191330- 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- 918 AM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 /818 AM CDT MON MAR 18 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIKELY...WITH SOME OF THEM POTENTIALLY BECOMING STRONG TO SEVERE. THE AREAS MOST AT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LOCATIONS ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AS WELL AS CENTRAL EAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE...AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WINDS...BUT A BRIEF LOCALIZED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU UNTIL 4 PM EDT OR 3 PM CDT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 253 PM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 TNZ098-181945- MARION TN- 153 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 245 PM CDT... AT 148 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SEWANEE TO 30 MILES WEST OF BRIDGEPORT...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...JASPER...SOUTH PITTSBURG...ORME...MARTIN SPRINGS...POWELLS CROSSROADS AND HALETOWN (GUILD). THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DGS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 322 PM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 TNZ081>083-098-099-182000- BLEDSOE TN-HAMILTON TN-MARION TN-RHEA TN-SEQUATCHIE TN- 222 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION...HAMILTON...BLEDSOE... SEQUATCHIE AND RHEA COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT/400 PM EDT/... AT 217 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WHITWELL...OR 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DUNLAP...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...DUNLAP... SODDY-DAISY...CARTWRIGHT...BRAYTON...SALE CREEK AND GRAYSVILLE. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DGS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 337 PM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 TNZ098-099-182015- HAMILTON TN-MARION TN- 337 PM EDT MON MAR 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION AND HAMILTON COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM EDT/315 PM CDT/... AT 231 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF JASPER...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...CHATTANOOGA...LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN...SIGNAL MOUNTAIN...HARRISON...RED BANK...MIDDLE VALLEY... EAST BRAINERD...OOLTEWAH AND COLLEGEDALE. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DGS
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were reported down around the Chattanooga area.
One tree was reported down on Bates Pike Road.
A tree was reported down near the intersection of county roads 796 and 813.
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, March 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: 440081, 440082, 440083.