Heavy Snow in Tennessee, January 6 to 7, 2017

Name: Heavy Snow in Tennessee, January 6 to 7, 2017
Start: 2017-01-06T20:00
End: 2017-01-07T11:25
Location: Tennessee

January 6 to 7, 2017 · NWS MRX · 36 events in 18 counties and zones

Deep and moist air was lifted over a chilly air mass in place across the Southeastern United States as a low pressure system moved northeast from the Central Gulf of Mexico through the Middle Atlantic Coast. Heavy snowfall occurred across the Southern Appalachian region northwest of the pressure system's path.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 36 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
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 36

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.

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 6, 6:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 6:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 6, 3:13 PM EST, 4 hours 47 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

36 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 6:31 AM EST
Where: Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was measured at a depth of 6.5 inches at Pittman Center.

Heavy Snow, Cocke/Smoky Mountains

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Cocke/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was measured at a depth of 7.5 inches one mile west of Hartford.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:31 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was measured at a depth of 6.5 inches one mile south of Bird Crossing.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:31 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall was measured at a depth of 6.5 inches one mile south of Bird Crossing.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Cocke

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:30 AM EST
Where: Northwest Cocke forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 5 inches was measured four miles east northeast of Newport.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:30 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6 inches was estimated at Seymour.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:30 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 5 inches was measured three miles southeast of Sevierville.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Monroe

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:45 AM EST
Where: Northwest Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.443, -84.253 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 4 inches was measured at Tellico Plains.

Heavy Snow, Southeast Carter

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:45 AM EST
Where: Southeast Carter forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.293, -82.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6.5 inches was measured at Roan Mountain.

Heavy Snow, Washington

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:45 AM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.293, -82.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6.5 inches was measured at Johnson City.

Heavy Snow, Washington

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:45 AM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.293, -82.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6.5 inches was measured at Jonesborough.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Blount

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:50 AM EST
Where: Northwest Blount forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6 inches was measured at Townsend.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:55 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6 inches was measured two miles south of Pigeon Forge.

Heavy Snow, Unicoi

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:55 AM EST
Where: Unicoi forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.111, -82.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 6 inches was measured at Erwin.

Heavy Snow, Sullivan

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Sullivan forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.513, -82.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 4 inches was measured three miles south southeast of Kingsport near Rock Springs.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Cocke

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Northwest Cocke forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall total of 5.5 inches was measured at Newport.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Cocke

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:15 AM EST
Where: Northwest Cocke forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 5.5 inches was measured at Newport.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:15 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 5.5 inches was measured at Wears Valley.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Blount

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:15 AM EST
Where: Northwest Blount forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 5 inches was estimated two miles west of Seymour.

Heavy Snow, Cocke/Smoky Mountains

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:15 AM EST
Where: Cocke/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 7 inches was measured at Cosby.

Heavy Snow, Knox

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:20 AM EST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.993, -83.937 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 4 inches was measured one mile west of Strawberry Plains.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:20 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 5 inches was measured two miles northwest of Sevierville.

Heavy Snow, Hawkins

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:25 AM EST
Where: Hawkins forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.441, -82.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 4 inches was measured at Rogersville.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Blount

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:25 AM EST
Where: Northwest Blount forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 4 inches was measured three miles south southwest of Maryville.

Heavy Snow, Johnson

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:30 AM EST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.455, -81.852 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 7.6 inches was measured Mountain City.

Heavy Snow, North Sevier

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:30 AM EST
Where: North Sevier forecast zone
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 6 inches was measured at Wears Valley.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Carter

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:30 AM EST
Where: Northwest Carter forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.293, -82.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 6 inches was measured at Elizabethton.

Heavy Snow, Unicoi

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:30 AM EST
Where: Unicoi forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.111, -82.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 7 inches was measured at Unicoi.

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:35 AM EST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.051, -83.446 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 6 inches was measured three miles south southeast of Dandridge.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Greene

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:35 AM EST
Where: Northwest Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.175, -82.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 6 inches was measured at Greeneville.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Greene

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 9:35 AM EST
Where: Northwest Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.175, -82.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 7 inches was measured at Del Rio.

Heavy Snow, Hamblen

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 10:30 AM EST
Where: Hamblen forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 36.217, -83.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 4 inches was measured four miles west of Morristown.

Heavy Snow, Hamblen

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 10:30 AM EST
Where: Hamblen forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.217, -83.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 3.5 inches was measured three miles west southwest of Bulls Gap.

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 10:30 AM EST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.051, -83.446 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snowfall depth of 5 inches was measured at White Pine.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Greene

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 11:25 AM EST
Where: Northwest Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.175, -82.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 4.5 inches was measured at Tusculum.

Heavy Snow, Blount/Smoky Mountains

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 11:25 AM EST
Where: Blount/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A snow depth of 6 inches was measured at Cades Cove.

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

Every storm in Tennessee in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, January 2017

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 668993, 668994, 668996, 668997, 668999, 669002, 669003, 669004, 669005, 669006, 669007, 669009, 669012, 669015, 669026, 669030, 669037, 669038, 669039, 669041, 669042, 669043, 669046, 669050, 669056, 669058, 669060, 669062, 669063, 669064, 669066, 669067, 669068, 669070, 669100, 669101.