Scattered showers and thunderstorms affected parts of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours on April 8. Numerous reports of wind damage and large hail were received.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms affected parts of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours on April 8. Numerous reports of wind damage and large hail 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 Apr 8, 2:20 PM CST, 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 320 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 .DISCUSSION... The focus of the forecast remains on the threat of severe weather overnight tonight. The main threats continue to be damaging winds and large hail, however an isolated tornado is possible. The best timing for severe storms will be from 10PM to 4AM with the potential for a few strong to severe isolated storms this afternoon and evening. Current airmass is certainly unstable enough to support a few isolated strong to severe storms this afternoon, so expect storms in west TN to continue to move east, but remain south of I-40. Shear and helicity will increase later tonight as low level winds pick up. Forcing ahead of tonight's cold front will provide the lift needed to organize a line of storms and tap into the ample CAPE values we have in place right now. In addition to CAPE between 1500 and 3000 j/kg we also have steep mid level lapse rates in place throughout the evening, which is the reason for our higher than normal large hail threat. If you're staying up and watching for the storms to move into our area, keep an eye out for the development of a line of storms over southern Missouri and eastern Arkansas. This line will race to the east and south ahead of the cold front. Expect storms in the northwest counties between 10PM and 12AM, then in Nashville and the northern Plateau between 11PM and 2AM, and on the southern Plateau between 1AM and 3AM. The line is expected to be oriented from WSW to ENE and some bowing segments with damaging winds possible anywhere along the line. Additional backing of the winds at the surface could increase the tornado threat, but with the current projected low level shear direction tornado threat remains isolated. The flooding threat also remains low thanks to the speed of the system. The entire line should exit Middle Tennessee before sunrise tomorrow morning. Winds will be out of the southwest tomorrow and temperatures should feel substantially cooler. Expect lows in the low 40s and upper 30s on Friday morning. Dewpoints look to be in the 20s, so not expecting much in the way of frost that morning, but calm winds, higher dewpoints and lows in the mid 30s Saturday morning could allow for at least patchy frost for many areas. Precip chances increase on Saturday night as a strong upper trough brings showers and storms to the southeast U.S. Expect storms and possibly around an inch of rain throughout the day on Sunday. Temperatures will fall again on Monday in the wake of the weekend's cold front. && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. MVFR cigs look to hold on for a few more hours before VFR cigs return by late afternoon. Chances for showers and thunderstorms will move in later this evening, and especially overnight. Severe storms will be possible, with damaging winds and large hail from around 04Z to 09Z across the area. After storms move out, MVFR cigs will linger for a few hours before VFR cigs return by the end of the TAF period. Southwest winds will pick up tonight to be around 10 knots gusting up to 20 knots, and be out of the northwest after storms move through around 10 knots gusting to 20 knots. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 55 64 38 57 38 / 70 0 0 0 0 Clarksville 50 62 36 57 37 / 70 0 0 0 0 Crossville 54 59 35 52 32 / 80 20 0 0 0 Columbia 55 65 39 58 36 / 70 10 0 0 0 Lawrenceburg 56 65 39 58 36 / 70 10 0 0 0 Waverly 52 63 37 58 38 / 80 0 0 0 0 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION......11 AVIATION........Barnwell
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Nashville TN 503 AM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 TNZ005>011-023>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-091015- 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- 503 AM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Severe thunderstorms are likely for all of Middle TN between 9 pm and 3 am tonight. All modes of severe weather are possible, including damaging winds of 60-75 mph, golf ball sized hail or larger, and even an isolated tornado. Please remain weather aware tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines. 27
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
327 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
TNZ056-058-093-082115-
Wayne TN-Lewis TN-Perry TN-
327 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN LEWIS...NORTHERN
WAYNE AND SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CDT...
At 326 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Reagan, or 9 miles southeast of Lexington, moving east at 20 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Linden and Flatwoods.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3547 8802 3548 8799 3551 8798 3553 8798
3555 8800 3562 8804 3565 8802 3566 8802
3568 8774 3566 8774 3563 8768 3542 8761
3545 8804
TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 275DEG 16KT 3555 8828
FBSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
345 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
TNZ056-058-093-094-082130-
Lawrence TN-Wayne TN-Lewis TN-Perry TN-
345 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN LEWIS...NORTHERN
WAYNE...NORTHERN LAWRENCE AND SOUTHWESTERN PERRY COUNTIES UNTIL 430
PM CDT...
At 344 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 11
miles southwest of Linden, moving east at 35 mph.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Waynesboro, Clifton, Ethridge, Flatwoods and Henryville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3547 8802 3548 8799 3550 8798 3553 8798
3555 8800 3543 8746 3534 8729 3518 8749
3534 8801 3535 8801 3536 8802 3539 8802
3539 8799 3541 8797 3543 8803 3545 8804
TIME...MOT...LOC 2044Z 283DEG 31KT 3547 8796
FBThe Nashville radar (KOHX), 157 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.
22 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Jerter Road and Morrison Creek Road.
Some trees were blown down in Waynesboro. One tree fell onto a car on Fairlane Drive.
Golfball size hail was reported on Pondfield Road.
Dime to Quarter size hail was reported in parts of Mount Juliet.
A tree fell on a power line and started a fire on Knob Creek Road.
A trained spotter reported a 50 to 60 mph wind gusts.
Trees were blown down on Spring Creek Road at Waterloo Road. One tree fell on a car.
Multiple trees were blown down on Rabbit Trail Road including one that fell onto the Union Hill Church.
Numerous trees were blown down with roof damage to several homes in the 400 and 500 block of Revilo Road.
Quarter size hail was reported at the Highway 80 and Highway 85 junction.
Quarter size hail and winds to 58 mph were reported in Dover.
Shingles were blown off the roof of a home on Tiny Town Road.
Trees were blown down on Cooper Creek Road.
Trees were blown down on Rossview Road.
A trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 65 mph.
Trees were blown down in Barren Plains.
Trees were blown down on Highway 161 at Taylor Road.
Trees were blown down on Kinneys Road at Airport Road.
A tree fell onto three cars on Turner Street.
Trees were blown down on Union Road at Highway 76 in White House. Other trees were blown down across Robertson County.
Part of a tree snapped and fell on power lines knocking them out of a house.
A power pole was snapped in half and a couple of trees were blown down on Coles Ferry Road at Drivers Lane.
Small limbs were blown down with half inch size hail on Desha Creek Road.
A large limb was snapped near Thompson Lane at Nolensville Road.
A NWS employee reported a 60 mph wind gust.
Penny to nickel size hail was reported on East Humphreys County Line Road.
A tree was blown down into the roadway at 1511 Cainsville Road.
A reported positive lightning strike caused a barn fire near the corner of Beechcroft Road at Charles Lane in Spring Hill, and the barn was completely destroyed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2020
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: 888578, 888579, 888581, 888595, 888583, 888585, 888586, 888588, 888622, 888594, 888591, 888597, 888598, 888602, 888603, 888604, 888605, 888606, 888608, 888607, 888609, 888611, 888612, 888613, 888617, 888615, 888620, 888618, 888619, 888621.