Two waves of light snow fell across Middle Tennessee on Thursday, January 5 and again on Friday, January 6. The first wave on January 5 mainly affected areas along and north of I-40, while the second wave was along and south of I-40.
Every event with a place to put it; 27 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.
Two waves of light snow fell across Middle Tennessee on Thursday, January 5 and again on Friday, January 6. The first wave on January 5 mainly affected areas along and north of I-40, while the second wave was along and south of I-40. Snow totals reached up to 3 inches in some areas.
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 Jan 6, 3:35 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 335 AM CST Fri Jan 6 2017 .DISCUSSION... Models have taken the opposite approach compared to yesterday in regards to today's snowfall potential. Models yesterday were shifting snowfall amounts down as drier air began to win over most model solutions. Short term models today, like the HRRR and NAM for example, have increased QPF output this morning for the approaching shortwave and upper vort energy. The NAM is bringing snowfall as far north as the KY border, with amounts around and less than a half inch for most of the area, and some spots seeing around an inch or two south of I-40. The HRRR has also been trending upward with snow amounts between runs, and wants to bring a half inch to an inch of snow to areas around and south of I-40. Other models are mainly focused on southern zones, so went with more of a consensus approach for snowfall today. Looking at a tenth or two north of I-40, and around a half inch to an inch south of I-40 in the advisory area. Locally higher amounts will be possible on the Plateau. As the first shortwave moves through, models want to give a break to the heavier snow potential during the afternoon today. Looks like mainly the far south and Plateau will see chances for snow, and flurries possible elsewhere during the afternoon hours. However, by the evening and early overnight hours, a stronger shortwave trough will move through the area and allow a second round of snow to impact the region. Again the NAM is bullish with this event, and brings an inch or two to the Plateau by 09Z. The GFS is the driest, similar to yesterday, and the ECMWF is right in the middle. Went with a consensus approach similar to the first wave, and added in another two tenths to an inch in areas east of I-65 near the AL border and up to around an inch around I-40 and south on the Plateau. The upper shortwave is quick to move through the region, so by 12Z, the snow chances should be out of the area. All of the shortwave activity will help reinforce the cold air over the region, and skies should clear rapidly early on Saturday with strong NVA behind the trough. This will help temperatures stay cold through the weekend, with the coldest temperatures Sunday morning. Lows in the teens will exist for areas west of the Plateau, and single digits will be possible on the Plateau. A few areas are showing wind chills near zero but will recover quickly Sunday morning. Ridging will start to work its way eastward late on Sunday, so temperatures will begin to rebound on Monday before more rain chances arrive for next week. A Great Plains trough will move eastward Tuesday, and the first chances for precip will arrive overnight Monday into Tuesday morning. GFS and ECMWF are in pretty good agreement still with the timing of this trough, so it still looks like the best chances for rain will be Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as the trough axis slides across the mid state. High temperatures will climb into the mid 50s on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. With another shortwave trough moving in for the last part of next week, warm air will continue to stream into the region and keep temps above normal. Precip timing on the next trough is difficult with low model agreement, so mainly have chance pops in for Thursday and Thursday night. At the very least, it looks like warmer temperatures will stick around and the threat of wintery precip will hold off through next weekend as well. && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. With another round of light snow shwrs expected, but mainly confined to srn portions of mid state s of CKV/BNA terminals, some periods of light snowfall could occur, but just due not have high enough confidence presently to mention in any type of grouping at CKV/BNA terminals. Thus expecting MVFR ceilings CKV and low end VFR ceilings BNA to persist thru at least 06/18Z. After this, ceilings will become OVC AC to bkn CI as main swath of moisture moves SW of these terminals, with a swing back in enough mid level moisture to support bkn AC 07/02Z-07/06Z. CSV is the terminal with the best chance of experiencing light snowfall/associated light icing, thru 07/06Z as models showing best swath of moisture moving to near CSV by 06/13Z with the potential persisting through 07/06Z. A lot of uncertainty here when it comes to ceilings as model solutions differ greatly, but will lean toward the more pessimistic model solutions and keep IFR eventually raising to MVFR ceilings thru 07/06Z. SFC winds will remain nly around 10kts thru 07/06Z also. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 25 14 27 13 32 / 40 10 0 0 0 Clarksville 22 11 25 12 31 / 20 0 0 0 0 Crossville 24 11 23 8 28 / 40 50 10 0 0 Columbia 24 13 27 12 32 / 60 20 0 0 0 Lawrenceburg 25 13 27 11 33 / 60 30 0 0 0 Waverly 23 11 25 12 31 / 40 10 0 0 0 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM this morning to midnight CST tonight FOR Bedford-Cannon-Coffee-Cumberland-De Kalb-Giles- Grundy-Hickman-Lawrence-Lewis-Marshall-Maury-Perry-Rutherford- Van Buren-Warren-Wayne-White-Williamson. && DISCUSSION......Barnwell AVIATION........31
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1003 PM CST THU JAN 5 2017 TNZ005>011-023>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-061100- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-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- 1003 PM CST THU JAN 5 2017 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ALTHOUGH ONLY A LIGHT DUSTING TO A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH OF SNOWFALL FELL THIS EVENING ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE...SOME ROADS...ESPECIALLY NON TREATED AND SECONDARY ONES...ALONG WITH BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES... HAVE BECOME SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING ON AREA ROADWAYS THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR WITH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ALSO...WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW FREEZING...ANY MOISTURE ON AREA ROADWAYS COULD QUICKLY FREEZE AND AT LEAST ON NON TREATED AND SECONDARY ROADWAYS...AS WELL AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES... RESULT IN THESE ROADS BECOMING SLICK AND HAZARDOUS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY GREATER THAN ONE HALF OF AN INCH...ARE APPRECIATED. 31
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Nashville TN 349 AM CST Fri Jan 6 2017 TNZ005>011-023>034-061400- Stewart-Montgomery-Robertson-Sumner-Macon-Clay-Pickett-Houston- Humphreys-Dickson-Cheatham-Davidson-Wilson-Trousdale-Smith- Jackson-Putnam-Overton-Fentress- Including the cities of...DOVER...CLARKSVILLE...SPRINGFIELD... GALLATIN...LAFAYETTE...CELINA...BYRDSTOWN...ERIN...WAVERLY... DICKSON...ASHLAND CITY...NASHVILLE...LEBANON...MOUNT JULIET... HARTSVILLE...CARTHAGE...GAINESBORO...COOKEVILLE...LIVINGSTON... JAMESTOWN 349 AM CST Fri Jan 6 2017 ...Periods of Light Snow Expected Across Northern Portions of Middle Tennessee Today and Tonight... Light snow will move across areas along and north of Interstate 40 this morning and continue through the early afternoon hours. At this time, it appears that snowfall accumulation amounts will range from a dusting to one inch in these areas. Additional light snow will be possible this evening and overnight across the far northeastern counties of Middle Tennessee on the Plateau. Although some light accumulations are possible at this time, a Winter Weather Advisory may be needed for these areas in the event amounts will be greater. Widespread travel problems are not expected, however some roads, especially secondary roads, could become slippery and hazardous. Exercise caution while driving on area roadways through Saturday morning as temperatures will continue to remain below freezing. Stay tuned for further updates and advisories, should they become necessary. Hurley
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
27 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts ranged from 1.2 to 2 inches in Wayne County. The highest amount was measured in Waynesboro.
A Facebook report indicated 2 inches of snow was measured in Gordonsburg.
Approximately 1.5 inches of snow was measured in Centerville, Bon Aqua, and 12 miles south-southeast of Dickson.
Lawrence County emergency manager measured 1.5 inches of snow 2 miles east of Lawrenceburg.
Social media reports indicated 1.75 inches of snow was measured in Rockvale and in northeast Murfreesboro.
A Facebook report showed a measurement of 1.75 inches of snow in Woodbury.
A Facebook report showed one half inch of snow was measured in McEwin.
Reports indicated that 1 to 2 inches of snow was measured across the county with the highest amounts falling in Bell Buckle and Wartrace.
Reports indicated 2 to 2.5 inches of snow fell across Maury County. The highest amount was measured in Culleoka.
A CoCoRaHS report indicated 1.3 inches of snow was measured 8 miles north of Linden.
CoCoRaHS observer measured 1.2 inches of snow in Kingston Springs.
A Facebook report indicated that 0.5 inch of snow was measured in White House.
Several reports of 1.5 inches of snow were received across Cumberland County.
Reports indicated 1.5 to 2.5 inches of snow fell across the county with highest amounts measured in Rock Island.
A Facebook report showed 2 inches of snow measured in Lewisburg.
Several reports across the county indicated that 0.5 to 1.5 inches of snow fell with highest amounts in the southwest part of the county.
Facebook reports indicate that 1 to 1.5 inches of snow fell across the county with the highest amount measured in Montgomery Bell State Park.
Social media reports indicated 1.5 to 1.75 inches of snow fell across Williamson County.
Two Facebook reports indicated 0.5 inch of snow fell in Westmoreland and Gallatin.
Reports indicated 0.75 to 1.1 inch of snow fell in Overton county with highest amount measured 2 miles north-northwest of Livingston.
Reports showed 0.7 to 1.75 inches of snow measured in Cookeville and 6 miles north of Cookeville.
The official measurement at NWS Nashville was 0.5 inches of snow.
CoCoRaHS reports indicated that 0.5 to 1.7 inches of snow fell across Fentress County with the highest amount measured 3 miles southeast of Jamestown near Allardt.
CoCoRaHS and COOP reports showed 0.8 to 1.0 inch of snow measured 3 miles south-southwest of Byrdstown and in Byrdstown.
CoCoRaHS reports indicated 1 to 2 inches of snow fell in White County.
Reports indicated 0.5 to 1.5 inches of snow fell in Coffee County with the highest amount measured in Manchester.
The COOP observer in Smithville measured 0.5 inch of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 2017
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: 677314, 677317, 677319, 677321, 677322, 677324, 677325, 677326, 677327, 677330, 677331, 677338, 677342, 677343, 677344, 677345, 677347, 677350, 677351, 677359, 677363, 677364, 677371, 677372, 677383, 677385, 677387.