With abundant moisture and instability, the ingredients were there for another summer-like day across Middle Tennessee with scattered convection during the afternoon and evening of April 25, 2025. With little wind shear and forcing, these thunderstorms were non-severe.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 abundant moisture and instability, the ingredients were there for another summer-like day across Middle Tennessee with scattered convection during the afternoon and evening of April 25, 2025. With little wind shear and forcing, these thunderstorms were non-severe. However, slow storm motions allowed for flash flooding to be the primary risk, especially in Lawrence County where a thunderstorm produced 2 to 4 inches in a short time, causing flooding in the area.
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 Apr 25, 12:03 PM CST, 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 103 PM CDT Fri Apr 25 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1256 PM CDT Fri Apr 25 2025 - Showers and thunderstorm activity decrease through Saturday morning. Risk for severe weather remains low. - Temperatures increasing into the work week, approaching record values by mid-week. && .SHORT TERM... (Rest of today through Saturday) Issued at 1041 AM CDT Fri Apr 25 2025 Showers and thunderstorms are moving through Middle TN this afternoon as a shortwave aloft provides just enough forcing for a line of more organized storms to form. These storms are sub-severe as latest mesoanalysis shows modest CAPE (1500 J/kg) but weak wind shear (<20 kts) and mid-level lapse rates (5.5 C/km). PWATs are still among the 90th percentile, so heavy rain could lead to localized flooding concerns through the afternoon. These storms will progress east through the afternoon, exiting the Plateau late this evening. Some remaining showers will be possible tonight but very limited in coverage. Rain chances for Saturday continue to decrease as the shortwave aloft moves off to the east, leaving slack/zonal flow over Middle TN. A weak cold front will make it's way south over the region Saturday, but with limited forcing, this won't produce much precipitation for us. Best chances will be limited to terrain (along the Plateau) or localized boundary layer influences. Overall, not a bad day with highs in the upper 70s and mostly to partly cloudy skies. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday Night through next Friday) Issued at 1041 AM CDT Fri Apr 25 2025 A drier and warmer period sets up for the extended forecast. By mid-week, highs will warm into the mid to upper 80s, with the real possibility that record highs are met. With these temperatures, the afternoon shower and thunderstorm risk will be present as well, with our next possibility for precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday. As for the next severe weather threat, most of the activity looks to remain NW of Middle TN for now as we look to remain under the influence of a mid-level ridge. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1256 PM CDT Fri Apr 25 2025 Another complicated, messy TAF period for Middle TN airfields. Currently, areas of SHRA and isolated TS are the main priority. Activity near BNA and MQY is moving east, so will impact SRB/CSV next. Additional SHRA and isolated TS are developing to the west near a front, so this activity will be monitored. I've mainly focused on SHRA for TAFs since TS coverage is mostly isolated in coverage. Winds are southwest at 5-10 kts. Outside of convection, obs have managed to stay VFR for the most part. After convection fades away this evening, MVFR to IFR cigs are likely across all terminals, generally 09 through 18z. Winds will veer as the front passes through after 06z, becoming northerly at ~5 kts after 12z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 64 78 56 75 / 50 20 10 10 Clarksville 61 74 54 73 / 30 10 10 20 Crossville 58 73 49 72 / 60 30 0 10 Columbia 61 78 56 73 / 30 20 10 20 Cookeville 60 73 51 72 / 60 30 0 10 Jamestown 59 72 48 70 / 70 30 0 10 Lawrenceburg 61 78 56 74 / 30 20 0 20 Murfreesboro 61 78 54 74 / 40 20 0 10 Waverly 61 76 54 70 / 30 10 10 20 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...Cravens LONG TERM....Cravens AVIATION.....Sizemore
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:21 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches in Loretto caused flash flooding across Dixon Branch and Methvin Road, likely caused by heavy rainfall rates causing the nearby Dixon Branch Creek to overflow its banks. Extent of damages is unknown.
Heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches in Loretto caused flash flooding across Lambs Ferry Road, likely caused by heavy rainfall rates causing the nearby Bluewater Creek to overfill its banks. Extent of damages is unknown.
Heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches near St. Joseph caused flash flooding along Fairview Road east of South Old Miliary Road with a tree and mud covering part of the roadway. Damages are a rough estimate.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2025
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: 1237696, 1237699, 1237759.