TENNESSEE — While Tennessee is not typically associated with heavy snowfall, historical weather data show that it is entirely possible for parts of the state to receive a foot of snow or more from a single storm in January under the right conditions.
January is climatologically the coldest month in Tennessee, increasing the likelihood that precipitation will fall as snow rather than rain. When sufficiently cold air is already in place at the surface and through the lower atmosphere, a strong winter storm moving across the Southeast can produce significant snowfall totals, according to the National Weather Service.
Past storms demonstrate this potential. Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, has recorded January storms producing 8 to 12 inches of snow in less than 24 hours.
East Tennessee cities such as Knoxville have also experienced double-digit snowfall totals when cold air funnels south through the Appalachian region. Higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains routinely see snowfall amounts exceeding one foot during strong winter systems, even when surrounding valleys receive less.
Heavy snow events in Tennessee typically occur when Gulf of Mexico moisture moves northward and interacts with entrenched cold air from the Arctic or central Plains. If the storm system slows or intensifies as it tracks across the state, snowfall rates can become heavy enough to rapidly accumulate several inches per hour, allowing totals to reach or exceed 12 inches before the storm ends.
Although such events are infrequent, they are well documented in Tennessee’s climate history. Records show that significant January snowstorms, while uncommon, are not unusual enough to be considered unprecedented. When atmospheric conditions align, a single winter storm can deliver snowfall totals comparable to those seen in more snow-prone regions of the country.
