A historic high wind event set up over all of Middle Tennessee on March 3, 2023. An incredibly strong surface low deepened to about 979mb over the Ohio River Valley.
Every event with a place to put it; 38 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.
A historic high wind event set up over all of Middle Tennessee on March 3, 2023. An incredibly strong surface low deepened to about 979mb over the Ohio River Valley. In fact, this system broke numerous all-time low pressure readings across the lower Ohio River Valley. At the official weather station at the Nashville International Airport, the barometric pressure dropped to 29.06 inches which was very close to the all time record of 29.02 inches. This intense low pressure system combined with a potent cold front resulted in a very strong pressure gradient across the area which resulted in several hours of high winds. The high winds were first felt along a line of thunderstorms that very quickly tracked east-northeast through Middle Tennessee. This line prompted several Several Thunderstorm Warnings with the primary hazard being wind. However, winds increased dramatically behind this line of thunderstorms with wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph common through the afternoon. The highest measured gust was 79 mph at the Clarksville ASOS which set a record the highest wind gust measured at this station. These high winds resulted in widespread damage with every county reporting snapped or uprooted trees, downed powerlines, power outages, roofs torn off buildings, and other property damage. Tragically, three people were killed during this event with all three killed due to falling trees.
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 Mar 3, 5:28 AM CST, 4 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 528 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Saturday) Issued at 302 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 Current surface map features a low over eastern AR with a cold front extending to the south. A warm front extends eastward across northern middle TN at this time. Ingredients will begin to come together by afternoon for a severe weather event. The surface low will track northeast across western KY and southern IN today. The mid state will reside in the triple point warm sector with instabilities on the upswing through the day to the east of the front. The strong pre frontal forcing will be located roughly along I-65 around midday, 18Z. It will then quickly clear our Plateau by 21Z. Phasing for severe will really begin to take shape along the I-65 corridor and points east. Strong n-s forcing will be advancing quickly ahead of the front. LI values look like -2C to -4C with capes of 500 j/kg to 1000 j/kg. The 850 mb jet will be running along at around 75-80 kts. Helicity values of 600 m(2) s(2) will evoke a rather good tornadic threat. Note that the associated upper system will begin to tilt negatively around midday. The pva enhancement will exert its influence with the surface low bombing out from around 15Z to 18Z. N-S extension of the pre frontal forcing zone will be quite strong. For the overall timing of this severe threat, it looks like 9 AM far west to 3 PM Plateau. Again though the best chance will be along and east of I-65. SPC has placed an enhanced risk for eastern middle TN and a slight risk for the west. Note that STP parameters off of the short term cams are particularly high across the southeastern quadrant of middle TN today. The entire gauntlet of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes will all be in play, here. Moving on, lets now address the high wind warning threat. In my 21 years as a forecaster here in Nashville, I do not recall a gradient wind event like this one. History indicates that there were a couple of tropical systems whereby wind warnings were needed. This looks a little different however as the warning level magnitudes are much more widespread with several hours of impact expected. Subsidence zones will reside both within the pre and post pre-frontal sectors. Short term cams seem to pinpoint the 11 AM to 5 PM time frame where the highest gusts will occur. Still expecting wind speeds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts of as high as 60 mph. Power outages are a good possibility. Winds will still be gusting in the 30-40 mph range this evening but will be on the decrease through the remainder of the overnight. For the flood threat, it's important to note the progressiveness of todays upcoming front as it will be a quick mover. Thus, latest wpc guidance only indicates average rainfall amounts of 1/3 to 1/2". WIth the more intense storms, however, a few 1" amounts are quite possible. Latest 1 hr FFG across the watch area shows roughly 1 3/4". Given the ISC picture, will go ahead and cancel the flood watch for our south. Our river sites are in genrally good shape. Moving on, high pressure will build in and provide a much needed tranquil weekend. Skies will clear on Saturday with highs in the 60s. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday Night through next Friday) Issued at 302 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 In the extended forecast, a frontal boundary will approach and move through on Monday. This feature will stall to our south with several pieces of surface energy moving along it during the week. Looks like a cool week with showers on and off. Otw, look for a cooling trend. After highs on Monday in the lower 70s, temperatures will cool with highs only in the upper 40s to lower 50s by Wednesday. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 512 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 Expect rapidly deteriorating conditions today as a line of storms moves through the mid-state during the late morning and early afternoon hours. Progression will be quick, with wind gusts of 40-50 kts ahead of the line of storms, and gusts to 60 kts possible as the storms pass through the TAF sites. VIS and CIGS will mainly be MVFR through the TAF period, with borderline IFR VIS in the storms. After 00Z winds will gradually shift from the west to the northwest with gusts decreasing overnight. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 69 41 62 40 / 90 0 0 0 Clarksville 68 38 62 40 / 90 0 0 0 Crossville 65 38 58 38 / 90 0 0 0 Columbia 69 40 63 39 / 90 0 0 0 Cookeville 68 40 59 39 / 90 0 0 0 Jamestown 66 38 57 36 / 100 0 0 0 Lawrenceburg 69 41 62 39 / 90 0 0 0 Murfreesboro 70 40 62 37 / 90 0 0 0 Waverly 67 39 62 40 / 100 0 0 0 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 6 PM CST this evening for Bedford-Cannon- Cheatham-Clay-Coffee-Cumberland-Davidson-De Kalb-Dickson- Fentress-Giles-Grundy-Hickman-Houston-Humphreys-Jackson-Lawrence- Lewis-Macon-Marshall-Maury-Montgomery-Overton-Perry-Pickett- Putnam-Robertson-Rutherford-Smith-Stewart-Sumner-Trousdale-Van Buren-Warren-Wayne-White-Williamson-Wilson. && SHORT TERM...21 LONG TERM....21 AVIATION.....05
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Nashville TN 331 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 TNZ005>011-023>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-040945- 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- 331 AM CST Fri Mar 3 2023 ...corrected.... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Strong gradient winds are expected to start blowing around 6 am and by 9 am, sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph will be possible. Winds will begin relaxing around 6 pm Friday evening. Mixed into the non-thunderstorm winds, several severe storms will be possible. Additional damaging straight line winds and a few tornadoes will be possible from 9 am in the west to about 3 pm on the Cumberland Plateau. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed today. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local and state guidelines. 21
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:01 UTC.
38 high wind, 11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe winds associated with a thunderstorm caused damage in the Lawrenceburg area. Along Quail Drive and along Old Florence Pulaski Road, several power poles were downed. This knocked out power to the northern half of the town. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Houston County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Humphreys County. Tragically, this event was responsible for one fatality and one injury in Humphreys County. A tree fell near the intersection of Little Blue Creek Road and East Blue Creek Road between McEwen and Waverly. The tree fell on a car, impaling and killing 62-year-old James Howard Warner who was driving. The man's nephew, who was a passenger in the car, was injured and hospitalized. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Perry County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Stewart County. In Dover, a roof was blown off a garage. The Stewart County emergency manager reported that a record number of 911 calls were received for a day as well as power outages across the county. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Wayne County. The emergency manager reported that a roof was blown off of a home south of Waynesboro. Damages are estimated.
The Giles County emergency manager reported roof damage to a metal building near Pulaski as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area. Damages are estimated.
A severe thunderstorm tracking through Giles County downed tree limbs and power poles near Elkton. Damages are estimated.
A mesonet station near Lawrenceburg measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph. Several hours of severe winds led to numerous damage reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage. The worst of the damage was reported near Lawrenceburg where a roof was torn off of an unoccupied building north of Locust Avenue and Weakly Creek Road. A strip mall in Lawrenceburg also sustained structure damage. Damages are estimated.
The Davidson County emergency manager reported that severe winds caused a tree to fall through a home just west of Nashville as severe thunderstorms moved through the area. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of non-thunderstorm severe winds led to numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of Giles County. The Pulaski Abernathy Field Airport AWOS lost power due to the high winds for several hours along with other weather stations in the area. Therefore, exact wind speeds are unknown. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous damage reports across Cheatham County, including downed trees and limbs, downed powerlines, and roof damage. One home along New Hope Road near Coopertown received roof damage after a tree fell on the home. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated.
An AWOS station at Dickson Municipal Airport measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph. Several hours of severe winds led to numerous damage reports across all of Dickson County, including downed and uprooted trees and downed powerlines. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage. The worst damage was seemingly in Bon Aqua where a Twitter user using #tspotter shared pictures of a peeled metal barn roof. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Lewis County. About an estimated 1,500 customers were without power. Damages are estimated.
One of the strongest wind gusts of this event was recorded at the Clarksville ASOS site with a non-thunderstorm wind gust of 79 mph. This is the highest wind gust ever reported at the Clarksville ASOS where records go back to April 2001. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Montgomery County. Some of the most significant damage was reported near Fredonia where H & S Farms reported that their greenhouse was destroyed and a roof was torn off their building. Damages are estimated.
A severe thunderstorm near Cornersville downed several trees in the area and also tore the roof off an unknown building. Damages are estimated.
Severe winds from a thunderstorms downed a large tree near the Goodlettsville Fire Department. Damages are estimated.
Severe winds from a thunderstorm downed a tree near Park and Loretta in Goodlettsville. Damages are estimated.
A severe thunderstorm moving through Goodlettsville downed severe powerlines. Damages are estimated.
An AWOS station at Columbia Airport measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 68 mph. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Maury County. Damages are estimated.
A severe thunderstorm near Smyrna blew a metal roof off of a shed. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of damage across all of Davidson County. The highest wind gust measured in the county was at a mesonet station west of Berry Hill with 66 mph. Nashville International Airport measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph while a mesonet station at Vanderbilt University measured a peak gust of 58 mph. Due to the high winds, Nashville International Airport was forced to issue a ground stop through much of the afternoon for all arriving aircraft. Numerous reports from various sources were received for downed or uprooted trees, downed powerlines, roof and other property damage, and power outages. Some of the worst damage included an overturned and totaled private airplane at John Tune Airport. In Belle Meade, a large tree fell on top of a car along Woodmont Boulevard near Belle Meade. Hillwood High School near Belle Meade also received damage on its ballfield while a home in the area sustained damage after a tree fell on top of it. In Hermitage, a Walgreens building received roof damage, and the Embraer facility near Nashville International Airport also received roof damage. In south Nashville, a tree fell on top of a house along Hill Road. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in Davidson County. Nashville Electric Service reported that at its peak, 115,563 customers were without power due to 71 broken power poles. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Marshall County. Damages are estimated.
The strongest wind gust measured in Sumner County was 58 mph at the Gallatin Airport. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous reports of damage, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Sumner County. Near Portland, a tree was downed on Ranch Road which knocked out power in the area. Unfortunately, two people were killed during this event in Sumner County. Near Green Hill, 81-year-old Joan Kay Tutor was walking home along Pleasantview Drive when a tree fell and killed her. In Gallatin, 15-year-old Aleya Brooks was critically injured when a tree fell on her in her driveway while she was cleaning up debris. She was rushed to the hospital, but suffered a traumatic brain injury and was pronounced brain dead. Four other injuries were reported across Sumner County. Damages are estimated.
A mesonet station near Bradyville measured a 58 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous reports of downed trees and limbs, powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of DeKalb County. Damages are estimated.
The highest measured gust in Macon County came from a spotter near Lafayette who measured a wind gust of 60 mph. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Macon County. Damages are estimated.
An AWOS station at Springfield Airport measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 74 mph. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Robertson County. The worst damages were reported in Springfield where a Twitter user using #tspotter reported nine fallen trees, one of which fell on a car. No injuries were reported. Damages are estimated.
An AWOS station at the Smyrna Airport measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Rutherford County. In Smyrna, a Twitter user using #tspotter shared pictures of a destroyed shed while in Nolensville, a roof was torn off of an outbuilding. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Trousdale County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Williamson County. The worst damage was reported in Franklin where a factory along Liberty Pike sustained roof damage. Damages are estimated.
The Putnam County emergency manager reported that a severe thunderstorm partially blew a roof off of a structure near Monterey and also knocked out power to the area. Damages are estimated.
An AWOS station at Shelbyville Municipal Airport measured a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph. Severe winds across the area led to numerous reports of downed trees and powerlines across Bedford County. Damages are estimated.
A weather station northeast of Woodbury measured several hours of sustained wind speeds greater than 40 mph with a peak sustained wind speed of 50 mph. These severe winds led to several reports of downed trees and powerlines across the Cannon County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of non-thunderstorm high winds led to numerous reports of damage across Clay County, including downed trees and limbs, downed powerlines, and roof damage. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds across Coffee County led to numerous damage reports, including downed trees and limbs, downed powerlines, and roof damage. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Jackson County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Pickett County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Putnam County. Damages are estimated.
The highest wind gust measured in Wilson County was 62 mph from an AWOS station at the Lebanon Airport. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Wilson County. Some of the worst damage was reported in Green Hill. A tree fell onto powerlines which snapped two power poles, dropping the powerlines onto an occupied car. Other downed trees blew a transformer at Grandview and Brookside Road. Another tree fell onto a house along Santa Rosa Road and along Tyne Boulevard. In Watertown, a tree fell onto powerlines along Parkerson Road, causing a fire and forcing the closure of the road. In Rural Hill, the roof was peeled off of Suggs Creek Market along Stewarts Ferry Pike. No injuries were reported in Wilson County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Smith County. At Smith County High School, metal legs on the football scoreboard were bent which caused the scoreboard to fall on top of an outbuilding. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Fentress County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of Grundy County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of Van Buren County. Damages are estimated.
The strongest wind gust recorded in Warren County was 58 mph at an AWOS station at the McMinnville Airport. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of Warren County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of White County. Damages are estimated.
Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous damage reports of downed trees and limbs, downed powerlines, and roof damage. A NWS employee reported that a fallen large tree created a traffic jam along Interstate 40 from Crossville to Ozone. Damages are estimated.
The Overton County emergency manager estimated a peak non-thunderstorm wind gust of 80 mph in Livingston. Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, included downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Overton County. Damages are estimated.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Humphreys | 2023-03-03 | 62 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| High Wind, Sumner | 2023-03-03 | 15 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| High Wind, Sumner | 2023-03-03 | 81 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, March 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: 1074024, 1073892, 1073893, 1073903, 1073910, 1073915, 1074014, 1074015, 1073895, 1074016, 1073889, 1073881, 1073887, 1073891, 1073896, 1073900, 1074020, 1074017, 1074018, 1074019, 1073899, 1074021, 1073885, 1073898, 1073911, 1074022, 1073886, 1073897, 1073906, 1073907, 1073912, 1073917, 1074023, 1073879, 1073880, 1073882, 1073883, 1073894, 1073904, 1073905, and more.