Another storm system in a very active week of winter weather brought a wintry mix of light snow, light sleet, and light freezing rain to northern Middle Tennessee, generally along and north of the I-40 corridor. Less than 1 inch of combined sleet, ice, and snow fell from Montgomery County eastward to Smith County, while areas east of there in the Upper Cumberland and northern Cumberland Plateau…
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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.
Another storm system in a very active week of winter weather brought a wintry mix of light snow, light sleet, and light freezing rain to northern Middle Tennessee, generally along and north of the I-40 corridor. Less than 1 inch of combined sleet, ice, and snow fell from Montgomery County eastward to Smith County, while areas east of there in the Upper Cumberland and northern Cumberland Plateau received 2 to 4 inches of snow. The wintry mix caused numerous road accidents and resulted in the closures of I-24 near Clarksville and I-65 north of White House.
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 14, 5:29 AM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 529 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 .SHORT TERM... TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. OUR MAIN CONCERN IS WINTER WX POTENTIAL TODAY AND TONIGHT...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. THE ONLY CHANGES TO THE WINTER WX ADVISORIES INCLUDED THE ADDITION OF VAN BUREN COUNTY...AND SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TIMING AND GROUPING OF COUNTIES. REGIONAL RADAR SHOWS BANDS OF LIGHT SNOW ALREADY GETTING STARTED TO OUR NORTHWEST. WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE...THE PRECIP DEVELOPMENT THIS MORNING OVER OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES...AND MIDDAY TO AFTERNOON FARTHER EASTWARD...WILL BE MAINLY LIGHT SNOW. WE HAVE A START TIME OF 9 AM FOR OUR FIRST ADVISORY SEGMENT. THIS LOOKS GOOD FOR STEWART COUNTY...AND A FEW HOURS ON THE EARLY SIDE FOR NASHVILLE METRO...BUT DID NOT WANT TOO MANY COUNTY GROUPS. THE AIR MASS IS QUITE DRY...SO IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR ANY MEASURABLE SNOW TO BEGIN AFTER IT DEVELOPS ON RADAR. THE LIGHT SNOW SHOULD GRADUALLY EXPAND TO THE PLATEAU BY MID AFTERNOON...WHILE OUR FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES HAVING JUST A CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN. LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...STRONG WARM ADVECTION WILL TRANSITION THE SNOW OVER TO A WINTRY MIX...AND THEN ALL RAIN. THIS PROCESS WILL GO GENERALLY FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. NASHVILLE METRO SHOULD BE PRETTY MUCH LIQUID AND ABOVE FREEZING FROM 6PM ONWARD. AREAS FROM DOVER TO SPRINGFIELD MAY KEEP SOME SURFACE COLD AIR...MEANING A LITTLE LONGER PERIOD OF SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN INTO THE EVENING THERE. THE FULL TRANSITION TO RAIN WILL REACH THE UPPER CUMBERLAND TOWARD DAYBREAK MONDAY...SO THE UPPER CUMBERLAND REGION SHOWS THE GREATEST SNOW POTENTIAL...AND THE GREATEST ICE POTENTIAL LATE TONIGHT. A FEW SPOTS NEAR THE KY BORDER AND ACROSS THE UPPER CUMBERLAND COULD BE OVER ACHIEVERS IN TERMS OF SNOW AND ICE...BUT GIVEN THE EXPECTED STRONG ATMOSPHERIC WARMING...AND RELATIVELY SHORT DURATION OF SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS...WE BELIEVE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL SUFFICE AT THIS TIME RATHER THAN UPGRADING TO A WARNING. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? WELL...ANY WINTER WX FORECAST IN MID TN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAIL. THIS EVENT IS CLASSIC FOR MID TN...WITH OUR AREA IN THE TRANSITION ZONE BETWEEN SNOW TO THE NORTH AND RAIN TO THE SOUTH. THE MOST LIKELY WAY THE FORECAST COULD GO WRONG WILL BE THE STRONG WARM ADVECTION ALOFT BRINGING A CHANGE TO RAIN MORE QUICKLY...THUS CUTTING DOWN SNOW AMOUNTS. AS MENTIONED EARLIER...THE FORECAST COULD BE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE FOR SOME SPOTS ALONG THE KY BORDER AND UPPER CUMBERLAND...WHERE THERE COULD STILL BE ENOUGH COLD AIR LATE TODAY...WHEN PRECIP RATES ARE INCREASING...TO GIVE A BURST OF MODERATE SNOW OR FREEZING RAIN. OVERALL...WE HOPE OUR FORECAST REPRESENTS THE MOST REASONABLE APPROACH...BUT UPDATES AND ADJUSTMENTS SHOULD BE EXPECTED. THE MAIN IMPACTS FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ON TRAVEL FOR AREAS NORTH OF I 40...AND THOSE IMPACTS WILL DISAPPEAR QUICKLY WITH THE WARMING AND PRECIP TRANSITION. ON MONDAY...THE MAIN FEATURE WILL BE A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT WILL LIFT FROM THE LOWER MS VALLEY ACROSS TN. THIS TRACK WILL FOCUS RAINFALL OVER THE MID STATE...WITH SOME MODERATE RAIN AT TIMES. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE COMMON ON MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT MONDAY NIGHT...PERHAPS A FEW SNOWFLAKES ALONG THE BACK EDGE...BUT NO ISSUES. ANOTHER WAVE WILL COME THROUGH ON TUESDAY WITH SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS. .LONG TERM... WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE'S A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A LINGERING LIGHT RAIN/SNOW MIX ALONG THE UPPER CUMBERLAND EARLY WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER, AFTER THAT,WE CAN KISS THE POSSIBILITY FOR WINTRY PRECIP GOODBYE FOR A WHILE. MEAN UPPER TROUGH PUSHES OFF THE EAST COAST DURING LATE WEEK, AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE TN VALLEY. THE RESULT WILL BE WARMER TEMPERATURES, AND BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON WE'LL BE LOOKING AT HIGHS IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 60S! A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN INTO OUR NECK OF THE WOODS BY LATE FRIDAY, BUT HAS LITTLE UMPF WITH IT AND BECOMES QUASI-STATIONARY NEAR THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY BY SATURDAY. AS A RESULT, WE STAY IN A MILD AND MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW OF AIR, WITH AT LEAST A SMALL CHANCE FOR SHOWERS CONTINUING ALL THE WAY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT, AS MOISTURE FUNNELS UP FROM THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO UP ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS. A POTENT SHORTWAVE DROPS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND MIDDLE MS VALLEY LATE IN THE EXTENDED, INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS BY NEXT SUNDAY. && .AVIATION... 12Z TAF DISCUSSION. FLYING CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TODAY AS A WINTER STORM MOVES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. ALTHOUGH AREA TERMINALS WILL START OFF WITH VFR CONDITIONS EARLY TODAY, EXPECT CONDITIONS AT CKV AND BNA TO DETERIORATE TO MVFR BY LATE MORNING, IN SNOW, ALONG WITH OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON. IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT BNA AND CKV THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, WITH SNOW CHANGING TO RAIN DURING THE EVENING. AT CSV...EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP BY MID-AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD, ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY FOR PERIODS OF IFR. SNOW THIS AFTERNOON WILL THEN MIX WITH ZR AND IP DURING THE EVENING AND CONTINUE UNTIL ABOUT 10Z, WHEN PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO RAIN. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM CST MONDAY FOR CLAY-CUMBERLAND-DE KALB-FENTRESS-JACKSON-MACON-OVERTON-PICKETT- PUTNAM-SMITH-TROUSDALE-VAN BUREN-WHITE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-DICKSON-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS- MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-STEWART-SUMNER-WILSON. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION........19 LONG TERM..................13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 402 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 TNZ005>008-023>028-151015- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON- CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON- 402 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TODAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO START DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS MORNING AND BECOME WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON. HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AS MANY ROADS BECOME SNOW COVERED. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. ROAD CONDITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE OVERNIGHT...AS THE AIR TEMPERATURE WARMS SLOWLY FROM THE LOWER 30S INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 30S BY SUNRISE MONDAY. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL RAIN BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PASS ALONG REPORTS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW...FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TNZ009>011-029>034-064>066-080-151015- MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-TROUSDALE-SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON- FENTRESS-DE KALB-WHITE-CUMBERLAND-VAN BUREN- 402 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO START DEVELOPING OVER NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE BY LATE MORNING AND BECOME WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON. HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AS MANY ROADS BECOME SNOW COVERED. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES...WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. ROAD CONDITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE LATE TONIGHT...AS THE AIR TEMPERATURE WARMS SLOWLY FROM THE LOWER 30S INTO THE MIDDLE 30S BY SUNRISE MONDAY. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL RAIN BY SUNRISE MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PASS ALONG REPORTS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW...FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TNZ056>063-075-077>079-093>095-151015- PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON- BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-WAYNE-LAWRENCE-GILES- 402 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE TODAY...BEFORE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO ALL RAIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP WHERE SNOW AND ICE OCCUR...ESPECIALLY ALONG BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PASS ALONG REPORTS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW...FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 19
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 405 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 TNZ056>063-075-077>079-093>095-141800- PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON- BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-WAYNE-LAWRENCE-GILES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LOBELVILLE...CENTERVILLE...HOHENWALD... FRANKLIN...BRENTWOOD...COLUMBIA...LEWISBURG...MURFREESBORO... WOODBURY...SHELBYVILLE...TULLAHOMA...MANCHESTER...MCMINNVILLE... ALTAMONT...WAYNESBORO...LAWRENCEBURG...PULASKI 405 AM CST SUN FEB 14 2016 LIGHT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE TODAY...BEFORE PRECIPITATION CHANGES TO ALL RAIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP WHERE SNOW AND ICE OCCUR...ESPECIALLY ALONG BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. 19
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter weather, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell across Montgomery County. CoCoRaHS station Clarksville 3.4 NNW measured 0.5 inches of snow. The mix of ice, sleet, and snow caused numerous multi-vehicle wrecks along I-24 in Clarksville, resulting in closure of the interstate.
A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell across Robertson County. The Springfield Fire Department reported 1/4 inch of sleet and ice accumulated in Springfield, with cars encased in ice. The mix of ice, sleet, and snow caused numerous multi-vehicle wrecks along I-65 from White House north to the Kentucky border, resulting in closure of the interstate.
A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell across Sumner County. A trained spotter measured 0.8 inches of combined sleet, snow, and freezing rain in Union Hill. The mix of ice, sleet, and snow caused numerous multi-vehicle wrecks along I-65 from White House north to the Kentucky border, resulting in closure of the interstate.
Snow amounts of 1 to around 2 inches fell across Clay County. The Clay County emergency manager reported 1.5 inches of snow in Celina. CoCoRaHS station Red Boiling Springs 6.7 NNE measured 2.1 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Celina 0.3 NNE measured 1.2 inches of snow.
Sleet amounts of up to 1/4 inch fell across northern and eastern Davidson County. TV media and social media reports indicated numerous wrecks on I-24, I-65, I-40, and Briley Parkway in the northern and eastern parts of Davidson County.
Sleet amounts of up to 1/4 inch fell across northern Wilson County. The NWS Nashville office in Old Hickory measured 0.3 inches of sleet. TV media and social media reports indicated numerous wrecks on I-40 as well as secondary roads in the northern part of the county.
Sleet amounts of up to 0.3 inches fell across Trousdale County. Facebook reports indicated 0.3 inches of sleet fell in Hartsville.
A mix of snow and sleet up to 1/2 inch fell across northern Smith County. CoCoRaHS station Carthage 8.7 NNE measured 0.5 inches of combined sleet and snow. Twitter reports indicated 1/4 inch of sleet fell around 7 miles northwest of Carthage.
A mix of snow and sleet up to 1 inch with some freezing rain fell across Overton County. A trained spotter reported 1 inch of snow 10 miles NNE of Livingston. Overton County emergency management also reported considerable ice and sleet accumulations across northern parts of the county resulted in all secondary roads being very hazardous.
A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain fell across Cumberland County. Around 1/4 inch of freezing rain accumulated in far eastern Cumberland County along the east side of the Cumberland Plateau, where cold air was trapped up against the higher terrain. Emergency management and social media reported indicated the ice accumulation in the Ozone, Pineview, and Westel areas knocked down several trees and power lines, with a few road closures and 321 reported power outages. Cumberland County Schools were closed the following day due to the resulting ice damage and power outages.
Total snow amounts of 2 to 4 inches were measured across Pickett County. CoCoRaHS station Byrdstown 2.8 SSW measured 3.9 inches of snow.
Total snow amounts of 2 to 4 inches were measured across Fentress County. The Fentress County emergency manager measured 2.8 inches of snow 3.1 miles southeast of Jamestown from February 14 into early February 15, then another 1 inch of snow early on February 16, for a total of 3.8 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, February 2016
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: 620925, 620926, 620928, 620929, 620931, 620932, 620933, 620934, 620935, 620937, 620911, 620914.