Strong southerly gradient winds developed during the afternoon and evening hours on May 3 across Middle Tennessee. Two reports of wind damage were received.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Strong southerly gradient winds developed during the afternoon and evening hours on May 3 across Middle Tennessee. Two reports of wind damage were received.
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 May 3, 5:30 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 630 PM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013 .UPDATE...FOR 00Z AVIATION FORECAST && .AVIATION... SURFACE LOW CENTERED FAR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT 23Z WITH COLD FRONT DOWN THROUGH FAR WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE INTO WESTERN ALABAMA. COLD FRONT ALONG WITH BROAD RAIN SHIELD ACROSS WESTERN TENNESSEE WILL CRAWL EASTWARD THIS EVENING WITH DETERIORATING FLIGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MID STATE AS WE GO THROUGH THE EVENING. FLIGHTS IN AND OUT OF AIRPORTS CAN EXPECT GUSTY WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 35 KNOTS THROUGH 03Z. ONCE RAIN BEGINS IN EARNEST WE SHOULD SEE WINDS BACK OFF. SATURDAY LOOKS TO BE A WET DAY FOR AVIATION INTERESTS. BOYD && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 318 PM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013/ DISCUSSION... VIRTUALLY DRY ACROSS THE MID STATE AT THIS TIME...BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR WEST FOR THAT TO CHANGE. LEADING EDGE OF THE WIDESPREAD RAINSHOWER ACTIVITY IS ABOUT 20-30 MILES WEST OF OUR WESTERNMOST BORDER AS OF 2 PM. NO THUNDER INDICATED AND THIS MAKES SENSE AS CAPES ARE MINIMAL AND SHOWALTERS ARE GENERALLY +5 OR GREATER. DEVELOPING CUTOFF LOW IS LOCATED OVER EASTERN OK AND IS SHOWING SIGNS OF NEGATIVE TILT ORIENTATION. THUS...THE MODEL AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LOW CUTTING OFF IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKELY. THUS...THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE SLOWLY AND ADDITION TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT...THE TRACK WILL CONTAIN CURVATURE. WHAT THIS MEANS IS ADDED LENGTH AS TO THE TIMEFRAME WHEREBY THE DEFORMATIONAL ZONE REMAINS IN PLACE. CURRENTLY...THE UPPER LOW LOOKS AS THOUGH IT WILL TRACK SE ACROSS THE MEMPHIS AREA SAT NT WITH PRONOUNCED CURVATURE ACROSS AL AND GA. THE SLOW TRACK SPEED AND CURVATURE OF THE TRACK WILL PLACE ADDED DEFORMATIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE MID STATE. THEREFORE...HAVE OPTED TO POPULATE WITH THE HPC THINKING. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE LATEST MODEL ESTIMATES...WILL ADD 10% ACROSS THE BOARD TO THE PRECIP AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. BY SUNDAY NIGHT...THE LOW WILL BE FAR ENOUGH TO OUR E/SE SO AS TO PRESUME MUCH LIGHTER QPF RETURNS. ALL THAT SAID...THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WE ARE LOOKING AT 2-3 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS WEST OF I-65 AND 3-4 INCH AMOUNTS EAST OF I-65. FOR THE FORECAST...WILL OF COURSE KEEP THE FLOOD WATCH GOING. IT STILL LOOKS AS THOUGH FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL BE KEPT AT BAY UNTIL SAT NT OR SUNDAY. THE BIGGEST THREAT HOWEVER WILL BE WITH THE RIVER LEVELS ACROSS THE AREA AS THE PROLONGED MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ACTIVITY WILL POSE PROBLEMS TO ALREADY SOMEWHAT ELEVATED GAUGE LEVELS. LATEST FFG GUIDANCE DOES SUGGEST THAT FLASH FLOODING COULD BECOME AN ISSUE BY SUNDAY IF THE 3-4 INCH AMOUNTS MATERIALIZE. THE RIVER FLOOD POTENTIAL COULD OCCUR A LITTLE EARLIER THAN THAT. POPS OF COURSE WILL BE CATEGORICAL AND HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE ZONE TEXT. BY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...POPS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ZONES WILL DRIFT MORE TOWARD LIKELY VS CATEGORICAL. AS FOR THE WIND ADVISORY...WILL CONTINUE WITH IT AS IT WONT EXPIRE UNTIL 7 PM CDT. FOR THE NEAR TERM TEMPS...WILL UNDERCUT GFS SLIGHTLY AS THE NAM MIGHT BE DOING A BETTER JOB OF DEALING WITH THE EXPECTED DYNAMICAL COOLING FROM THE UPPER SYSTEM. IN THE EXT FCST...UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO PULL AWAY FROM THE AREA ON MONDAY. POPS WILL BE MUCH LOWER FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS TEMPS WARM BY MID WEEK. WILL INCLUDE A LOW CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS FOR THU AND THU NT AS WELL...AN INCREASING CHANCE IS EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY. EXT TEMPS LOOKING WARMER WITH TIME. VALUES SHOULD SURPASS NORMAL BY WEDNESDAY WITH LOWER 80S BY THU AND FRI. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR TNZ008>011-028>034-062>066-075-077>080. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR TNZ005>011-022>034- 056>066-075-077>080-093>095. FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR TNZ005>007-022>027- 056>061-093>095. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1005 AM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013 TNZ005>007-022>027-056>061-093>095-041015- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-BENTON-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON- CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL- WAYNE-LAWRENCE-GILES- 1005 AM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING... ...WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... A BAND OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL SET UP ALONG AND BEHIND AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...BRINGING PERSISTENT HEAVY RAIN TO WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE BEGINNING LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAIN WILL SLOWLY SPREAD EASTWARD TONIGHT WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN FALLING NEAR DAWN SATURDAY. LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND LAST THROUGH EARLY EVENING. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH IS EXPECTED .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY...WHERE RAINFALL TOTALS ALONG AND WEST OF I-65 WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES. LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY ALONG AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL LIKELY RESULT BY SUNDAY. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV OR BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE. TNZ008>011-028>034-062>066-075-077>080-041015- SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-WILSON-TROUSDALE-SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM- OVERTON-FENTRESS-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DE KALB-WHITE-CUMBERLAND- BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN- 1005 AM CDT FRI MAY 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND LAST THROUGH EARLY EVENING. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... A BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS EASTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE BEGINNING SATURDAY MORNING AND LASTING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS EAST OF I-65 WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. LOCALIZED FLOODING PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY ALONG AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL LIKELY RESULT BY SUNDAY NIGHT. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV OR BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE. 21
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 90-foot oak tree was blown down on a car in Hendersonville. Occupant was not injured.
A tree was reported down on HWY 41A (Clarksville Highway) at Rawlings Rd. in Joelton, TN. The tree was blocking north and southbound traffic on the highway.
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, May 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: 443075, 447090.