With a large area of high pressure building over the central United States, temperatures soared across Middle Tennessee during late August. The rapid warning trend peaked on August 24, 2023 with heat index values exceeding 110 degrees across much of the area west of Interstate 65.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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.
With a large area of high pressure building over the central United States, temperatures soared across Middle Tennessee during late August. The rapid warning trend peaked on August 24, 2023 with heat index values exceeding 110 degrees across much of the area west of Interstate 65. The Nashville International Airport measured a high temperature of 100 degrees. The last time this station measured triple digit heat was September 21, 2022, and it was the first 100 degree reading in August since 2011.
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 Aug 24, 8:37 AM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 937 AM CDT Thu Aug 24 2023 ...New UPDATE... .UPDATE... Issued at 928 AM CDT Thu Aug 24 2023 Update is out. I tweaked a couple of things, including hourly temperatures and dew points based on current trends and I still like the placement of our current heat products. I will say this though: even though the Metro area will be flirting with Excessive Warning criteria (Heat Index of 110+), it looks like we might actually get to triple digits on the mercury at BNA. We did 99 for a high yesterday and at 9 am today, we're already 4 degrees warmer than we were at this time yesterday. The only reason I didn't push the Excessive Heat Warning further east is the 12Z sounding looks similar to yesterday. If we mix out like we did yesterday, eventual Heat Index values should remain below that 110 threshold. I know, we're splitting hairs. It's still gonna be stinkin' hot out there, so do the things: drink water and seek shade as much as possible if you have to be outside anywhere in Middle TN today. The record for today at BNA is 102 set in 2007. && .SHORT TERM... (Today through Friday) Issued at 238 AM CDT Thu Aug 24 2023 The heat and humidity will bring another miserably hot day for most of the midstate. We've upgraded the Heat Advisory to an Excessive Heat Warning for our extreme western counties. Heat indices got close to warning criteria yesterday...and while temperatures may end up being similar to yesterday, dewpoints may be slightly higher thanks to southerly surface winds. Even for those areas not in the Heat Warning, conditions will still be dangerously hot...mainly west of the Cumberland Plateau. Another topic of interest will be some convection to our west this afternoon. A few CAMs are indicating a very small chance that our eastern counties see a passing storm later today. More than likely, any precip will stay to our east, but perhaps some residual cloud cover over the east will dampen temperatures a bit. Friday will be another hot and soupy day. Models continue to push temperatures close to 100 or more, but with the high pressure that's been responsible for the heat starting to meander farther west on Friday and into the weekend, it seems possible that we remain just below 100 degrees. Still, heat indices will remain quite high. Surpassing 105 degrees in many places west of the Plateau and perhaps pushing above 110 degrees near the TN River, so the Heat Warning and Advisory will continue through Friday afternoon. && .LONG TERM... (Friday Night through next Thursday) Issued at 238 AM CDT Thu Aug 24 2023 We're still running with the chance for some isolated storms on Saturday afternoon as a weak boundary moves through the area. Plenty of moisture and instability will be in place to support a couple of storms with strong wind gusts and heavy rain. Widespread activity looks unlikely right now. These storms and associated cloud cover could keep highs a few degrees cooler than the previous days...which isn't saying much. It'll still be a hot and humid day, but perhaps not quite hot enough to warrant extending the Heat Advisory. By Sunday an upper trough has taken hold of the eastern U.S. and it will allow for afternoon thunderstorms to enter the forecast each day through Tuesday. Northwest flow will allow for cooler temperatures in the extended portion of the forecast. Highs may actually stay in the 80s Sunday through Tuesday. Toward midweek a frontal passage will send a reinforcing shot of drier and cooler air into the the midstate. In fact highs may dip into the low 80s by next Wednesday, but this looks short lived as models move high pressure back into the central U.S. toward the end of next week. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 619 AM CDT Thu Aug 24 2023 The fog currently impacting CKV/SRB will mix out by 13z and VFR conditions will return for all terminals. Fog will likely impact the CSV/SRB and possibly CKV again tonight after 06z. Winds will increase out of the SSW/SW today to around 5 kts before calming this evening. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 100 76 99 76 / 0 0 10 10 Clarksville 99 75 99 75 / 0 0 10 10 Crossville 91 69 90 69 / 10 0 10 10 Columbia 99 74 98 74 / 0 0 10 10 Cookeville 94 72 94 72 / 10 0 10 10 Jamestown 92 71 92 70 / 10 0 10 10 Lawrenceburg 97 74 96 73 / 10 0 10 10 Murfreesboro 100 74 99 73 / 10 0 10 10 Waverly 98 74 98 73 / 0 0 10 10 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Excessive Heat Warning until 8 PM CDT Friday for Dickson-Hickman- Houston-Humphreys-Lawrence-Lewis-Montgomery-Perry-Stewart-Wayne. Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Friday for Bedford-Cheatham- Davidson-Giles-Macon-Marshall-Maury-Robertson-Rutherford-Smith- Sumner-Trousdale-Williamson-Wilson. && UPDATE.......Unger SHORT TERM...Whitehead LONG TERM....Whitehead AVIATION.....Reagan
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
A CWOP station in Dickson measured a maximum heat index of 115 degrees.
An AWOS station at Pulaski Abernathy Field measured a maximum heat index of 117 degrees.
A CWOP station in Liberty measured a maximum heat index of 114 degrees.
A CWOP station in Centerville measured a maximum heat index of 117 degrees.
A weather station in Clarksville measured a maximum heat index of 117 degrees.
An AWOS station at Nashville John Tune Airport measured a maximum heat index of 110 degrees.
A CWOP station in Lawrenceburg measured a maximum heat index of 114 degrees.
A CWOP station in Pegram measured a maximum heat index of 117 degrees.
A CWOP station in Culleoka measured a maximum heat index of 117 degrees.
The Lewisburg Fire Tower RAWS station measured a maximum heat index of 111 degrees.
A CWOP station in Bradyville recorded a maximum heat index of 113 degrees.
A RAWS station in Meriwether measured a maximum heat index of 116 degrees.
A weather station in Clifton measured a maximum heat index of 114 degrees.
The Dover Stilly Hollow RAWS station measured a maximum heat index of 114 degrees.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2023
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: 1112977, 1112978, 1112976, 1112980, 1112985, 1112975, 1112981, 1112974, 1112984, 1112983, 1112972, 1112982, 1112988, 1112986.