Does It Snow in Nashville?
- 4 sections
- 2 tables
- 2 sources cited
Yes, but not much. Nashville averages about 4.7 inches of snow a year under the official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Nashville International Airport, and a typical year has only one or two days with an inch or more. A day with 3 inches or more comes, on average, about once every three years.
The averages come from NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals for the airport station.
How Much and When
| Measure (1991-2020 normal) | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual snowfall | 4.7 inches |
| December through February snowfall | 3.9 inches |
| Days a year with 1 inch or more | 1.4 |
| Days a year with 3 inches or more | 0.3 |
By month, January (2.0 inches) and February (1.5 inches) carry most of the total, with smaller amounts in March (0.7), December (0.4), and November (0.1).
The Biggest Snowstorms on Record
The National Weather Service office in Nashville keeps a list of every storm of 6 inches or more since 1871, using downtown records through 1947 and the airport after that (NWS, Top Nashville Snowstorms, last updated May 1, 2026). The top five are all more than 45 years old:
| Rank | Storm | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 16 to 18, 1892 | 17.3 inches |
| 2 | February 2 to 3, 1886 | 16.3 inches |
| 3 | February 20 to 21, 1929 | 15.0 inches |
| 4 | January 29 to February 1, 1951 | 11.9 inches |
| 5 | February 6 to 9, 1979 | 11.3 inches |
The two largest recent storms on the same list are January 22 to 23, 2016 (8.0 inches) and January 14 to 15, 2024 (7.6 inches).
Ice Is the Bigger Problem
For getting around, freezing rain and sleet are a bigger risk than snow. A thin coat of ice on roads, bridges, and hilly streets can make driving hazardous even when the total precipitation looks small on a forecast. When a winter storm warning or an ice forecast is issued:
- check road conditions and school or event announcements before heading out,
- treat any plan that needs a car as tentative until the roads are clear,
- and buy what you need before the storm arrives rather than once roads are icy.
Should Snow Change Your Travel Plans?
For most winter trips, no. With about one or two days of inch-plus snow in a typical year, the odds that any particular December, January, or February weekend brings disruptive snow are low. The risk is real enough, though, that a winter visitor with a tight schedule, such as a flight connection or a ticketed show, should watch the forecast in the days before travel. For January’s temperatures and day-to-day conditions, see Nashville’s coldest month, and for the full year, what the weather is like in Nashville.