Cold/Wind Chill in Tennessee

Events

244

Deaths

34

Injuries

1

Damage

None recorded

• Cold in Tennessee, January 24 to 27, 20268 deaths · 68 eventsWhile the wintry precipitation created the initial impacts, it was the multi-day period of subfreezing temperatures that prolonged and, in many cases, worsened those impacts.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 14 to 17, 20247 deaths · 21 eventsAn arctic air mass brought very cold air temperatures and sub-zero wind chills across West Tennessee during the January 14-17, 2024 timeframe.
• Cold in Tennessee, February 17 to 21, 20156 deaths · 3 eventsArctic air plunged into the Mid-South from the middle to latter part of February. Highs remained below freezing while low temperatures dropped into the single digits. A few locations even recorded temperatures below zero.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 2 to 15, 20105 deaths · 3 eventsThe most profound cold snap to occur in at least 14 years over West Tennessee occurred during the first two weeks of January 2010. Highs in Memphis stayed below freezing for 11 out of 13 days between January 2nd and January 14th.
• Cold in Tennessee, February 13 to 21, 20214 deaths · 1 injured · 18 eventsAn arctic airmass settled over the region in the wake of a departing winter storm. Snow cover combined with clear skies and diminishing winds to produce the coldest night across much of the Mid-South since 1989.
• Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Tennessee, February 16 to 17, 20153 deaths · 53 eventsA winter storm tracked through area on the 16-17th with the atmosphere favorable for both heavy snow and ice accretion. The highest peaks had up to 6 inches of snow while ice accumulations had up to an inch. In addition, cold weather accounted for 3 deaths.
• Cold in Tennessee, February 2 to 3, 19962 deaths · 1 eventTwo deaths occurred in Hardin County due to the cold weather. One man was found frozen to death near a woodpile in his backyard in Morris Chapel. A second man was found in his trailer in Shiloh.
• Winter Weather and Cold in Tennessee, January 20 to 21, 20111 death · 2 injured · 21 eventsThe combination of a strong arctic cold front and an upper level disturbance produced light snow across much of the Mid-South during the afternoon hours of January 20th, 2011. The snow began to taper off during the evening hours.
• Cold in Tennessee, February 1, 20261 death · 21 eventsA Canadian airmass encompassed the region on the morning of February 1. This airmass intensified to 1040mb allowing temperatures to fall below freezing to kick off the month.
• Cold in Tennessee, December 13, 20101 death · 1 eventCold arctic air filtered into the Mid-South on December 13th, 2010. Temperatures dropped to 16 degrees at Memphis International Airport during the early morning hours. As a result, one death occurred as a result of the cold temperatures.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, December 22 to 24, 202242 eventsThe coldest airmass since December of 1989 descended upon the Mid-South right before Christmas.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 31, 202621 eventsA dry, mid-level shortwave aid in the push of another cold front in late January. Another arctic airmass residing behind this boundary resulting in another bitterly cold period.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 19 to 22, 202513 eventsA cold wave resulted in temperatures and/or wind chills dropping to the +5 to -10 range at various times during the period from the 19th through the 22nd, mainly during the nighttime and early morning hours.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 5 to 8, 201410 eventsA record cold airmass overspread the region beginning on the evening of January 5th as a strong cold front moved through.
• Winter Storm and Strong Wind in Tennessee, December 23, 202210 eventsStrong winds occurred across the Tennessee Valley ahead of a cold front. Some locations had trees and limbs blown down, resulting in some power outages. Behind the front, temperatures dropped quickly, with some locations recording wind chill values of -15 F or lower.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, December 22 to 24, 202210 eventsBitterly cold temperatures and wind chills arrived behind a very strong Arctic cold front. Wind chill values stayed zero or below for around 36 hours straight. In some cases, wind chills dropped into the -15 to -24 degree range in parts of southern middle Tennessee.
• Winter Weather and Cold in Tennessee, February 18 to 19, 20156 eventsVery cold air overspread the region on the 18th behind an Arctic cold front. Scattered snow showers developed and moved southeast across southern middle Tennessee along and slightly ahead of the arctic cold front.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 16 to 17, 20186 eventsTemperatures falling into the lower teens combined with north winds of 5 to 15 mph lowered wind chills below zero during the evening of the 16th through the morning of the 17th. Some areas experienced wind chills of 10 to 15 below zero.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 1 to 2, 20186 eventsA bitterly cold air mass overspread the Tennessee Valley on the 1st into the 2nd. North winds of 10 to 20 mph at times combined with very cold temperatures in the single digits and teens to produce wind chills of zero to 10 below.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 15 to 17, 20246 eventsAn Arctic airmass overspread the region after the recent snowfall. North winds combined with the very cold temperatures to produce dangerous cold weather from the 16th into the 17th. During the morning of the 16th, wind chill values dropped into into the 0 to -10 degree range.
• Cold in Tennessee, December 13 to 15, 20256 eventsWind chill values dipped into the -1 to 5 above range at a few locations during the mornings of the 14th and 15th.
• Extreme Cold and Cold in Tennessee, January 19 to 21, 20245 eventsAfter a brief moderation in temperatures on the 18th, more Arctic air arrived dropping wind chills once again below zero during the overnight of the 19th into the morning of the 20th, and again on the morning of the 21st.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 28 to 29, 20144 eventsWind chills dropped into the zero to 9 below zero range during the early morning of the 28th, and again on the 29th.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 31, 20264 eventsWind chill temperatures dropped into the 5 above to 4 below zero range.
• Cold in Tennessee, January 25 to 27, 20264 eventsWind chill temperatures dropped into the 5 above to 3 below zero range.

Cold/Wind Chill everywhereEvery kind of event in Tennessee

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.