Tennessee, 2018

Excessive Heat and Heat in Tennessee, July 19 to 20, 2018

July 19 to 20, 2018 · NWS MEG · 22 events in 21 counties and zones

Upper level high pressure dominated the region during the middle of July 2018. High temperatures and humidity combined to create dangerous heat indices across the Mid-South.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
22

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 MEG wrote it up.

Upper level high pressure dominated the region during the middle of July 2018. High temperatures and humidity combined to create dangerous heat indices across the Mid-South.

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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 19, 9:39 AM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 19, 9:39 AM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 19, 2:13 AM CST, 8 hours 47 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Memphis TN
313 AM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-201015-
Alcorn-Benton MS-Benton TN-Calhoun-Carroll-Chester-Chickasaw-Clay-
Coahoma-Craighead-Crittenden-Crockett-Cross-DeSoto-Decatur-
Dunklin-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Greene-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-
Henderson-Henry-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lake-Lauderdale-Lawrence-
Lee AR-Lee MS-Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-
Panola-Pemiscot-Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-
Randolph-Shelby-St. Francis-Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-
Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley-Yalobusha-
313 AM CDT Thu Jul 19 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas...
the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A Heat Advisory is in effect for areas along and west of the
Mississippi river this afternoon. Heat Indices will range from
105 to 109F today.

In addition, there is a Marginal Risk for severe storms this
evening. Damaging winds and heavy rainfall are the main threats.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Heat indices may exceed 105 degrees across most of the Mid-South
on Friday. A Heat Advisory will likely be needed.

There is a Marginal Risk for severe weather across northwest
Tennessee on Friday. The primary hazard will be damaging wind.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

AC3

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 19, 6:55 AM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 heat, 1 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Shelby

When
July 19, 11:00 AM CST to July 20, 11:00 AM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.184, -89.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Tipton

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Tipton forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.497, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Lauderdale

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Lauderdale forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.761, -89.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Dyer

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Dyer forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.059, -89.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Lake

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.335, -89.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Obion

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Obion forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.358, -89.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Weakley

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Weakley forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.298, -88.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Henry

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.332, -88.301 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Gibson

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Gibson forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.997, -88.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Crockett

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Crockett forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.814, -89.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Haywood

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Haywood forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.583, -89.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Fayette

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.197, -89.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Carroll

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.973, -88.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Benton

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
36.070, -88.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Madison

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.608, -88.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Henderson

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Henderson forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.654, -88.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Decatur

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.603, -88.109 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Hardeman

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Hardeman forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.207, -88.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Chester

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Chester forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.422, -88.613 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, McNairy

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
McNairy forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.175, -88.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Hardin

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Hardin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.199, -88.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 105 degrees.

Excessive Heat, Shelby

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.184, -89.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values exceeded 110 degrees.

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, July 2018

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: 785162, 785174, 785175, 785176, 785177, 785178, 785180, 785181, 785182, 785183, 785184, 785185, 785186, 785187, 785188, 785189, 785190, 785191, 785192, 785193, 785194, 785219.