What typically comes to mind when you think of the city of Nashville, Tennessee? Music, right? We might have guessed your answer correctly, given that Nashville is rightfully known as the “Music City” and the “Songwriting Capital of the World.”
Thanks to its rich musical heritage, it is regarded as the birthplace of country music, where you’ll see famous landmarks such as the Grand Ole Opry House, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Johnny Cash Museum, and the historic Ryman Auditorium. Not to mention, many aspiring musicians choose to move there too at one point in their career.
What may not come to mind when thinking of Nashville are the words “winter” and “snow.” You most probably wouldn’t associate an absolute winter wonderland with the city. But are you correct? Or does snow fall on Nashville soil after all?
Although in Tennessee, places like Memphis or Nashville might be vulnerable to hailstorms, but snow? Let’s find out.
Does It Snow in Nashville?
In truth, Nashville does receive snow during the winter. The first snowflakes start accumulating, on average, around Dec. 23, just a couple days before Christmas. The bulk of the snowfall usually happens in the months of January and February, and then begins to thin out by March.
Since 1991, annual snowfall have averaged 4.7 inches for the city, but as history has shown, some years are just outliers.
For instance, one morning in the winter month of January 2024, the people of Nashville woke up to a surprising view outside their bedroom windows. The landscape had turned bright white, temperatures had dropped, and snow was falling, covering every inch of the ground. It was the result of an unexpected phenomenon — a winter storm that had taken place on Monday, the 15th.
The snowstorm racked up an impressive snowfall that was 6.3 inches thick, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). This was inches more than the normal snow the city receives for an entire winter! By the time the storm was over, Music City was blanketed by 7.6 inches of snow.
But that’s not even the thickest the snow has gotten in this part of the country. Nashville recorded its thickest snow blanket ever—39 inches—thanks to a winter snowfall that blew through the city between 1959 and 1960.
Declining Snowfall in Nashville
Aside from the 39 inches of snowfall in 1959 and 1960, Nashville’s top snowstorms have been between 10 inches to less than 20 inches. And, the general trend is that of a steady and slow decrease in snowfall.
In February 1886, a total of 16 inches of snow fell on Music City. The snowstorm was so big and so severe that railroad travel was almost suspended and stage coaches as well as mail carriers were not permitted to travel.
Six years later, in March 1892, Nashville was at the center of the storm and immediately found itself covered with 17 inches of snow. The white powder became a thick covering on top of roofs that men were sent to remove them.
Snowfall did not go crazy again until nearly four decades later. In February 1929, it was reported that 15 inches of snow fell on Nashville, about 10 inches in neighboring Gallatin and Clarksville. Taxis and trucks could hardly move through the snow this time which left people with no choice but to walk through the mounds of snow.
Roughly another three decades later in 1964, the amount of snow that Music City received was still a lot but less than those high snowfall reported earlier. Fortunately, it was a holiday so most people were at home watching football and sipping a hot beverage. For those who were outdoors, it was difficult to move through the accumulated snow, which was “much deeper than the bottoms of automobiles,” according to one report.
The steady decline of snowfall in Nashville through the years can be attributed to one thing. NWS Nashville meteorologist Krissy Hurley revealed the reason to The Tennessean as rising temperatures. “Normal Average Temperatures are computed every 10 years,” she told the publication. “Nashville’s Normal Average Temperature went up 1.5F degrees to 60.8F (1991-2020) compared to 59.3F (1981-2010).”
What to Expect When It Snows in Nashville
When Music City turns into a winter wonderland, what can you expect? That depends on how much snow you’re dealing with. Since we’ve already discussed what happens to the city and its citizens when big snowstorms come and leave a thick blanket of snow, let’s now look at what happens in Nashville when normal amounts of snow falls on the ground.
A moderate amount of snow can make for a fun day outdoors. Turns out, there are a plethora of things to do in Music City during the winter. Many residents take advantage of the day to enjoy the snow and the winter season. You’ll typically find people engaging in various outdoor activities, including skiing down hills, racing, and engaging in snowball fights or making snow angels.
Locals will also typically bring out their sleds and slide down a snowy neighborhood lane. One fellow even snowboarded from the cul-de-sac, where his house was located, down through the road. The entire thing was caught on video care of his 11-year-old son following his every move through a drone. You can watch the cool guy snowboarding through suburbia in this Fox Weather video.
While those at home might be enjoying the snow, motorists are a different story. Driving through the snow is always risky and dangerous due to icy road conditions. Icy roads are slippery and motorists will have a hard time maneuvering and controlling their vehicles, which might lead to accidents.
For instance, NewsChannel5 reports how a car slid down a hill and hit a truck. Many people also called and emailed the station to report how their roads have still not been cleared. However, other people took matters into their own hands. In one neighborhood, when a man took out a shovel to clear the ice in front of his house, other neighbors followed suit and their area was cleared in no time.
Does Nashville get snow?
So, it’s not all fun and games. Residents of Nashville and all Tennesseans are always called to remember the “four P’s: People, pets, pipes, and plants.” These are reminders of the cold weather preparations you should ensure to do when you’re in Nashville in wintertime.