Light snow fell across much of Middle Tennessee from the late evening hours on January 15 through the morning of January 16. Up to 3 inches of snow was reported.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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.
Light snow fell across much of Middle Tennessee from the late evening hours on January 15 through the morning of January 16. Up to 3 inches of snow was reported.
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 15, 7:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 739 PM CST Fri Jan 15 2021 .UPDATE... FOR EVENING DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... Latest HRRR, NAMNest, and RAP13 forecast guidance showing best potential for accumulating snowfall across Nashville Metro Area from 16/08Z (Sat 2 AM CST) to 16/15Z (Sat 9 AM CST) and Cumberland Plateau Region from 16/10Z (Sat 4 AM CST) to 16/16Z (Sat 10 AM CST). Amounts forecasted by these models in line with previously forecasted values. Will be updating suite of forecast products along with previous afternoon SPS issuance to align with these trends shortly. && .AVIATION... 00Z TAF DISCUSSION. CKV/BNA/MQY/CSV...VFR vsbys at terminals expected to prevail through 16/24Z unless otherwise noted. Exceptions will be another round of light snow CKV that could result in MVFR vsbys 16/03Z-16/05Z. MVFR vsbys expected CSV 16/04Z-16/16Z per light snowfall potential too. Greatest icing potential associated with frozen precipitation expected at CSV. VFR ceilings at terminals will eventually lower to MVFR thresholds, and potentially IFR CSV 16/14Z-16/16Z. Westerly prevailing surface winds around 10kts with gusts approaching 20kts will be possible thru 16/24Z per continuation of surface pressure gradient influences. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until noon CST Saturday for Clay- Cumberland-Fentress-Grundy-Jackson-Macon-Overton-Pickett-Putnam- Van Buren-Warren-White. && DISCUSSION......JB Wright AVIATION........JB Wright
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Nashville TN 610 PM CST Fri Jan 15 2021 TNZ005>011-023>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-161000- 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- 610 PM CST Fri Jan 15 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight. An evening rain/snow mixture will transition to snow showers across entire mid state region after midnight tonight. Total snowfall accumulations will range from a few tenths of an inch to more than an inch across higher elevations of Cumberland Plateau Region. Exercise caution while traveling on area roadways especially bridges and overpasses tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Snow showers will be exiting western locations and moving eastward across mid state as Saturday morning hours progress. Additional accumulations ranging from a dusting for locations in vicinity of Tennessee River Valley to one up to two inches Cumberland Plateau Region will be possible. Total snowfall accumulations from tonight through Saturday noon could range from around a half of an inch for locations in vicinity of Tennessee River Valley Region to one to two inches, with isolated higher amounts, across Eastern Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau Regions. Please continue to exercise caution while traveling on area roadways on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed to relay snowfall accumulation reports to NWS Nashville Office. Please relay any information about observed winter weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines. JB Wright
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Cannon County. CoCoRaHS station Woodbury 4.0 SE measured 1.0 inch of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Cannon County. CoCoRaHS station Woodbury 4.0 SE measured 1.0 inch of snow.
Up to 2 inches of snow fell across Clay County. CoCoRaHS station Red Boiling Springs 6.7 NNE measured 1.6 inches of snow, and Twitter reports indicated 1.5 inches of snow fell 6 miles west of Boyles.
Up to one half inch of snow fell across Coffee County. The COOP observer in Manchester measured 0.5 inches of snow.
Up to 2.5 inches of snow fell across Cumberland County. The public reported 2.5 inches of snow fell in Pleasant Hill. CoCoRaHS station Crossville 7.2 SE measured 1.5 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Fairfield Glade 0.1 NNW measured 1.3 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Davidson County. A COOP observer 4.7 miles southwest of Ridgetop measured 1.0 inch of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Goodlettsville 1.5 W measured 0.5 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across DeKalb County. CoCoRaHS station Smithville 4.9 SW measured 0.8 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Dowelltown 5.8 NE measured 0.6 inches of snow.
Up to 3 inches of snow fell across Fentress County. CoCoRaHS station Jamestown 3.1 SE measured 2.5 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Clarkrange 6.0 NE measured 2.3 inches of snow. A trained spotter in Clarkrange reported 3 inches of snow, and the COOP observer in Allardt measured 1.5 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Grundy County. CoCoRaHS station Beersheba Springs 2.1 ENE measured 0.7 inches of snow.
Up to one half inch of snow fell across Hickman County. A COOP observer 3 miles northeast of Centerville measured 0.5 inches of snow.
Up to 2 inches of snow fell across Macon County. Twitter reports indicated 2 inches of snow fell in Lafayette, 1.5 inches of snow fell in Red Boiling Springs, and 0.8 inches of snow fell in Siloam.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Overton County. CoCoRaHS station Livingston 1.9 NNW measured 1.0 inch of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Rickman 3.8 ESE measured 0.8 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Pickett County. CoCoRaHS station Byrdstown 2.8 SSW measured 0.7 inches of snow.
Up to around 2 inches of snow fell across Putnam County. CoCoRaHS station Monterey 5.6 S measured 2.1 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Cookeville 5.4 WNW measured 0.9 inches of snow. Social media reports indicated 1.5 inches of snow fell in Cookeville.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Robertson County. CoCoRaHS station White House 1.0 N measured 1.0 inch of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Greenbrier 1.3 ESE measured 0.5 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Smith County. CoCoRaHS station Carthage 8.7 NNE measured 1.0 inch of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Elmwood 4.5 NNE measured 1.0 inch of snow.
Up to 1.5 inches of snow fell across Sumner County. CoCoRaHS station Westmoreland 5.4 NNE measured 1.5 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Bethpage 4.5 NW measured 0.8 inches of snow. The COOP observer in Portland measured 1.5 inches of snow, and the COOP observer 1.5 miles southeast of White House measured 0.7 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Warren County. CoCoRaHS station Mcminnville 8.5 ESE measured 1.0 inch of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across White County. CoCoRaHS station Sparta 4.6 NE measured 0.7 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Sparta 5.6 NW measured 0.5 inches of snow.
Up to 1 inch of snow fell across Williamson County. CoCoRaHS station Brentwood 0.5 SSW measured 0.7 inches of snow, and CoCoRaHS station Fairview 3.8 SW measured 0.5 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 2021
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: 941565, 941566, 941567, 941568, 941569, 941570, 941571, 941575, 941576, 941577, 941578, 941579, 941580, 941581, 941582, 941583, 941584, 941585, 941586, 941587.