What is the weather like in Nashville?
Nashville has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cooler winters.
The climate of Nashville (Tennessee) is classified as humid subtropical with hot, humid summers and rather cool winters. Statistically most rain falls during winter and spring, summers are drier.
The temperature in Nashville can vary anywhere between its official heat record of 109 °F (43 °C) and cold record of −17 °F (−27 °C). Typically the hottest months are July and August and the coldest is January. The rainfall is biggest in May.
Nashville weather in summer: Hot and humid, occasional thunderstorms
The summers in Nashville bring along hot and humid weather. Rainfall decreases slightly during the summer months but occasional and strong thunderstorms are not uncommon in the city.
The hottest month in Nashville is usually July, but August comes very close. The average daily high temperatures in July reach 89.3 °F (31.8 °C), followed by an almost equally hot August with average daily highs of 89.0 °F (31.7 °C).
Nashville is prone to intense and humid heat waves, if the synoptical situation allows air currents to flow in from the Gulf of Mexico. This can lead to temperatures rising over 100 °F (37.8 °C) and if relative humidity is high, the heat index can reach very high values.
The heat and humidity also favours thunderstorm development, which may bring heavy precipitation, wind gusts, tornadoes and hail stones.
Nashville weather in winter: Chilly, with an occasional snowfall
Nashville has cool winters with occasional cold spells coming from the north. On average, Nashville has six snowy days per year. Most of them occur either in January or February.
The statistically coldest month in Nashville is January. The average daily high temperature in January is 47 °F (8 °C) and the average daily low 28 °F (−2 °C). However, temperatures have dropped as low as −17 °F (−27 °C) during an arctic outbreak.
After a drier fall, Nashville sees a slight increase in precipitation towards the winter months. Most of winter precipitation falls down as rain, but snow or even blizzards can sometimes shake the city. The latest major snow event happened on January 22, 2016, as Nashville received 8 inches (20 cm) of snow. The snow rarely stays on the ground for longer than a day or two.
May is the rainiest month
Based on the statistics, May is the rainiest month. In May the average precipitation can reach up to 5.50 inches (140 mm) and on average rain is observed on 12 days. October is the driest month with an average rainfall of 3.04 inches (77 mm). A secondary low is observed in August.
It is typical for the Upper South states to see more rain and especially thunderstorms during April and May. This is the time of the year when southern warm and humid air masses collide with northern cold and dry air. As a result, several thunderstorms and low pressure systems develop over the central and eastern states.
| Month | Daily mean °F (°C) | Avg daily max °F (°C) | Avg daily min °F (°C) | Avg precip inc (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37.7 (3.2) | 46.9 (8.3) | 28.4 (–2.0) | 3.75 (95) |
| February | 41.7 (5.4) | 51.8 (11) | 31.6 (–0.2) | 1.94 (49) |
| March | 50 (10) | 61 (16.1) | 39 (3.9) | 4.11 (104) |
| April | 59 (15) | 70.5 (21.4) | 47.5 (8.6) | 4.00 (102) |
| May | 67.5 (19.7) | 78.2 (25.7) | 56.8 (13.8) | 5.50 (140) |
| June | 75.7 (24.3) | 86 (30) | 65.4 (18.6) | 4.14 (105) |
| July | 79.7 (26.5) | 89.3 (31.8) | 69.5 (20.8) | 3.64 (92) |
| August | 78.7 (25.9) | 89.0 (31.7) | 68.4 (20.2) | 3.17 (81) |
| September | 71.5 (21.9) | 82.4 (28.0) | 60.7 (15.9) | 3.41 (87) |
| October | 60.3 (15.7) | 71.7 (22.1) | 48.9 (9.4) | 3.04 (77) |
| November | 49.8 (9.9) | 60.3 (15.7) | 39.4 (4.1) | 4.31 (109) |
| December | 40.4 (4.7) | 49.5 (9.7) | 31.3 (–0.4) | 4.24 (108) |
Severe weather in Nashville
Like anywhere else in the United States, severe weather can also occur in Nashville. During the warm season Nashville is prone to severe thunderstorms, which may also bring big hail, strong wind gusts and tornadoes.
The spring months are when damaging tornado events are statistically most common. They happen earliest in February and at latest in May. However, the chance of violent storms is present until autumn.
Flooding can sometimes happen in Nashville. Deep low pressure systems or remnants of hurricanes can drop considerable amounts of rain over the city and cause flash floods. This is most likely to happen during the autumn months or early winter.