Tennessee, 2022

Heavy Snow in Tennessee, January 2 to 3, 2022

January 2 to 3, 2022 · NWS MRX · 22 events in 15 counties and zones

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system over the Southeast states ushered in cold air into East Tennessee, changing rain to snow through the evening and overnight hours. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were reported in some locations.

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 MRX wrote it up.

A rapidly intensifying low pressure system over the Southeast states ushered in cold air into East Tennessee, changing rain to snow through the evening and overnight hours. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were reported in some locations.

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 6:26 PM EST, 4 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 6:26 PM EST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 2, 4:07 PM EST, 6 hours 53 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

22 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Sequatchie

When
January 2, 11:00 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Sequatchie forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.371, -85.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Lone Oak, 5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Scott

When
January 2, 11:00 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.429, -84.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Oneida, 4 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Hamilton

When
January 2, 11:00 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.181, -85.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On Signal Mountain, 4 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Sequatchie

When
January 2, 11:00 PM EST to January 3, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Sequatchie forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.371, -85.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On Cagle Mountain, 4 to 5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Sequatchie

When
January 2, 11:00 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Sequatchie forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.371, -85.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the higher elevations east of Dunlap, 3.0 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where
Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Mt. Le Conte, 9 inches of snow fell.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where
Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In Gatlinburg, 8 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Rhea

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Rhea forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.609, -84.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In the higher elevations of western Rhea County, 4 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, McMinn

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where
McMinn forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.425, -84.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Etowah, 3.5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Hamilton

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.181, -85.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Soddy-Daisy, 3.0 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Blount/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 1:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Blount/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Walland, 4 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Hamblen

When
January 3, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Hamblen forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
36.217, -83.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Morristown, 4 inches of snow was measured.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Monroe

When
January 3, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.443, -84.253 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In Madisonville, 4 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When
January 3, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.051, -83.446 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Piedmont, 3.8 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Blount

When
January 3, 1:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Blount forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.687, -83.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Wildwood, 3.5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Southeast Greene

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Greene forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.175, -82.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Camp Creek, 7 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Unicoi

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Unicoi forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.111, -82.432 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Erwin, 6 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Washington

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.293, -82.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Near Embreeville, 5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Pittman Center, 5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Pigeon Forge, 4.3 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Cocke/Smoky Mountains

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Cocke/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.925, -83.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At Cosby, 4.5 inches of snow was reported.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Monroe

When
January 3, 2:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.443, -84.253 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

About 3 inches of snow was reported in Tellico Plains.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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: 998166, 998172, 998174, 998177, 998186, 998160, 998162, 998176, 998187, 998188, 998171, 998173, 998175, 998185, 998189, 998163, 998164, 998165, 998167, 998169, 998170, 998184.