Tennessee, 2022

Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Tennessee, January 16, 2022

January 16, 2022 · NWS HUN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A low pressure system tracked east across the deep South on the 16th producing rain and snow across the Tennessee Valley. Temperatures in valley locations in southern middle Tennessee dropped to or just below freezing by the mid afternoon hours on the 16th, but likely much sooner atop the Cumberland Plateau including the Sewanee area where 5 inches of snow was measured.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 HUN wrote it up.

A low pressure system tracked east across the deep South on the 16th producing rain and snow across the Tennessee Valley. Temperatures in valley locations in southern middle Tennessee dropped to or just below freezing by the mid afternoon hours on the 16th, but likely much sooner atop the Cumberland Plateau including the Sewanee area where 5 inches of snow was measured. In lower elevations of Franklin County, 2 to 3 inches was measured. In Lincoln and Moore County, 1 to 2 inches of snow was measured.

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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 16, 5:49 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 5:49 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 6:55 AM CST, 5 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

2 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Franklin

When
January 16, 7:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulation of 2 to 5 inches fell above 1400 feet MSL elevation, while valley locations received an inch or less. Sewanee observed 5 inches of snow accumulation at the University of the South.

Winter Weather, Lincoln

When
January 16, 7:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulation of 1.5 inches or less was observed.

Winter Weather, Moore

When
January 16, 7:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Moore forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
35.285, -86.359 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulation of 1.5 inches or less was observed.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 2022

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: 1006292, 1006293, 1006294.