The possibility of snowfall in Tennessee during September

TENNESSEE — Snowfall in Tennessee during the month of September is an exceptionally rare weather event, according to historical climate records from the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

In most parts of the state, September is still considered a late-summer month, with average high temperatures ranging from the upper 70s to mid-80s Fahrenheit.

Because of these warm conditions, snow is virtually unheard of at lower elevations across Tennessee. Major cities such as Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga have no recorded instances of measurable September snowfall in official weather records.

However, the possibility is not entirely zero. The state’s highest peaks, particularly in the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee–North Carolina border, can experience unseasonably cold weather at times.

According to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service, snow has been documented on Mount Le Conte and Clingmans Dome in late September, though such occurrences are highly unusual.

National Weather Service records note that the earliest measurable snowfall on record in Tennessee fell in the higher elevations of the Smokies, with trace amounts occasionally occurring before October.

For example, weather logs from the National Park have documented dustings of snow on rare late-September days when cold air masses pushed unusually far south.

In Middle and West Tennessee, snowfall in September has never been recorded. Even in East Tennessee’s lower elevations, such as Knoxville, the earliest measurable snow on record did not occur until late October.

In summary, while Tennessee’s mountains have on very rare occasions seen snowflakes fall in September, the vast majority of the state has no historical record of such an event. For almost all Tennesseans, snow in September remains more a meteorological curiosity than a realistic possibility.