Tennessee, 2023

Excessive Heat and Heat in Tennessee, August 13 to 14, 2023

August 13 to 14, 2023 · NWS HUN · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

Temperatures climbing to between 88 and 95 degrees along with dewpoints in the 78 to 82 degree range allowed heat index values to climb above 105 degrees during the late morning or early afternoon hours the 12th through the 14th. These heat index values continued through much of the afternoon before dropping below 105 degrees.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
5

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.

Temperatures climbing to between 88 and 95 degrees along with dewpoints in the 78 to 82 degree range allowed heat index values to climb above 105 degrees during the late morning or early afternoon hours the 12th through the 14th. These heat index values continued through much of the afternoon before dropping below 105 degrees. Heat index values peaked between 110 and 120 degrees in the afternoon on the 13th and 14th.

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 Aug 13, 8:39 AM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 8:39 AM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 13, 5:42 AM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
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  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
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</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
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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

3 heat, 2 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Franklin

When
August 13, 10:00 AM CST to August 14, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through mesonet and official NWS observations, it was determined that temperatures climbed into the 88 to 96 degree range during the late morning into the afternoon hours. This combined with very moist boundary layer conditions (surface dewpoints in the 78 to 82 degree range) to produce heat index values of 105 degrees or above. These heat index values continued until around 6:30 PM before dropping below 105 degrees in most locations.

Heat, Lincoln

When
August 13, 10:00 AM CST to August 14, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through mesonet and official NWS observations, it was determined that temperatures climbed into the 88 to 96 degree range during the late morning into the afternoon hours. This combined with very moist boundary layer conditions (surface dewpoints in the 78 to 82 degree range) to produce heat index values of 105 degrees or above. These heat index values continued until around 6:30 PM before dropping below 105 degrees in most locations.

Heat, Moore

When
August 13, 11:00 AM CST to August 14, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Moore forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.285, -86.359 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through mesonet and official NWS observations, it was determined that temperatures climbed into the 88 to 93 degree range during the late morning into the afternoon hours. This combined with very moist boundary layer conditions (surface dewpoints in the 76 to 81 degree range) to produce heat index values of 105 degrees or above. These heat index values continued until around 6:30 PM before dropping below 105 degrees in most locations.

Excessive Heat, Franklin

When
August 13, 12:00 PM CST to August 14, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through mesonet and official NWS observations, it was determined that temperatures climbed into the 88 to 96 degree range during the late morning into the afternoon hours as dewpoints remained in the 78 to 83 degree range. These heat index values peaked between 110 and 115 degrees on the 13th and 14th.

Excessive Heat, Lincoln

When
August 13, 12:00 PM CST to August 14, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through mesonet and official NWS observations, it was determined that temperatures climbed into the 88 to 96 degree range during the late morning into the afternoon hours as dewpoints remained in the 78 to 83 degree range. These heat index values peaked between 110 and 115 degrees on the 13th and 14th.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2023

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1138623, 1138625, 1138634, 1138624, 1138626.