Wind chill values dipped into the -1 to 5 above range at a few locations during the mornings of the 14th and 15th.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 HUN wrote it up.
Wind chill values dipped into the -1 to 5 above range at a few locations during the mornings of the 14th and 15th.
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 Dec 13, 3:24 AM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
324 AM CST Sat Dec 13 2025
...New NEAR TERM...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1058 PM CST Fri Dec 12 2025
- A Cold Weather Advisory has been issued for Wind Chills in the
single digits from 6pm Sunday through 6am Monday.
- There is a 15-30% chance for light rain or drizzle Saturday
night with very little to no accumulation expected.
- Dangerously cold temperatures will begin Saturday night and sub
freezing temps will last through Monday morning.
&&
.NEAR TERM...
(Today)
Issued at 323 AM CST Sat Dec 13 2025
Tranquil conditions across the Tennessee Valley early this morning
with high pressure at the surface just to our east promoting a
clear sky. This has allowed temperatures to fall into the low to
mid 30s as of 09z. A few isolated spots of patchy river valley
fog were noted on satellite data along sheltered river valleys,
but most locations still remain devoid of fog. We will still
monitor this over the next couple of hours, but any fog that does
form should quickly dissipate after sunrise. After sunrise,
southerly winds and a mostly sunny sky will ahead allow
temperatures to reach the upper 50s to lower 60s (the warmest
we'll enjoy in several days). A cold front will then approach the
region from the north late today, bringing big changes for early
next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...
(Saturday night through Sunday night)
Issued at 1058 PM CST Fri Dec 12 2025
The cold front will begin to push into the Tennessee Valley
tomorrow evening bringing enough lift to warrant low chances for
light rain or drizzle. An evening look at the near term guidance
keeps the moisture layer around 800mb and below and as noted in
the previous discussion, not much support for lift in this region.
So while we have maintained low chance PoPs (15-30%), we believe
this will mostly be drizzle or very light rain that likely won't
result in more than 0.01" in most locations. The good news is that
any rain is forecast to end before the sub-freezing temperatures
arrive after midnight, so we are not expecting impacts from any
wintry precipitation. Increasing northerly winds will help to
mitigate damp roadways; however, any wet surface will freeze
Saturday night into Sunday and likely stay frozen until
temperatures warm back above freezing on Monday.
The main concern in the short term period will be the dangerous
cold that will linger for about 36 hours. Temps will fall to the
upper teens/lower 20s Sunday morning and combined with 20-25mph
wind gusts will bring wind chills down to the low teens and single
digits. Definitely bundle up if you have to be outside for any
length of time on Sunday, and avoid longer exposures outside in
the frigid temperatures. Highs on Sunday will not make it above
the freezing mark and the continued northerly gusty winds will
make it feel like temps are in the teens all day. A Cold Weather
Advisory has been issued from 6pm Sunday night through 6am Monday
morning when the combination of winds and temps in the teens
brings wind chills down to the 0-10 degree range. Please remember
to protect people, pets, and pipes during this extremely cold
period. Be proactive by informing family and friends as well as
ensuring proper insulated clothing for family and warm areas for
outdoor pets/livestock. Drip faucets both Saturday and Sunday
nights to prevent frozen pipes.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Monday through Friday)
Issued at 1058 PM CST Fri Dec 12 2025
Our main concern in the long term period is the very cold
temperatures on Monday morning as a result of the arctic front
forecast to push through. Low temperatures Sunday night into
Monday morning are forecast to drop into the lower teens (about 20
degrees below normal) with wind chill temperatures in the single
digits. A Cold Weather Advisory will go through 6am when winds
finally begin to subside and wind chills begin to rise above the
single digits. Temperatures should warm into the low 40s Monday
afternoon, which will be the start of a general warming trend
through mid week as a result of upper level ridging and subsequent
sfc high pressure shifting over the area. While the majority of
the long term period remains dry, rain chances return by late in
the week as an upper level shortwave and weak LLJ shifts eastward
over the area. We will continue to monitor this system in future
updates, however, the greater rain chances seem to remain north of
our area at this time (where the LLJ is stronger). Therefore,
continued with blended guidance of low to medium PoPs.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1210 AM CST Sat Dec 13 2025
VFR conditions are forecast through the TAF period with mostly
clear skies and light/variable winds. The one exception may be
early this morning between 08-12z when some patchy MVFR fog may
impact each terminal.
&&
.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM Sunday to 6 AM CST Monday for
ALZ001>010-016.
TN...Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM Sunday to 6 AM CST Monday for
TNZ076-096-097.
&&
NEAR TERM...AMP.24
SHORT TERM....25
LONG TERM....HC
AVIATION...AMPThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind chill values dropped into the -1 to 5 range.
Wind chill values dropped into the -1 to 5 range.
Wind chill values dropped as low as 4 degrees above zero.
Wind chill values dropped into the zero to 5 degrees above zero range.
Wind chill values dropped into the zero to 5 degrees above zero range.
Wind chill values dropped into the zero to 5 degrees above zero range.
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, December 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: 1298238, 1298239, 1298240, 1298235, 1298236, 1298237.