What Is Nashville Like in Spring?

2 min read

  • 4 sections
  • 1 table
  • 5 sources cited

Spring in Nashville warms quickly and turns the city green: average highs climb from about 63°F in March to about 73°F in April and 80°F in May under NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Nashville International Airport. It is a comfortable time to visit, with outdoor concerts returning and patios filling up. It is also the stretch when severe storms are a real possibility, and May is the wettest month of the year.

The Numbers

Month Average high Average low Rain (in.)
March 62.7°F 40.2°F 4.52
April 72.6°F 48.9°F 4.72
May 80.4°F 58.3°F 5.02

Source: NCEI 1991-2020 normals for the airport.

What’s On in Spring

  • Tin Pan South. The Nashville Songwriters Association International’s five-day songwriters festival brings songwriters to about 10 venues for up to 100 shows; in 2026 it ran March 24 to 28 (Tin Pan South). Tickets go on sale three weeks before each show date, according to the festival.
  • Musicians Corner. The free outdoor concert series in Centennial Park runs each spring and fall (Musicians Corner).
  • Gardens and parks. Spring is the season for walks at Radnor Lake and in Centennial Park as the trees leaf out.

What to Plan Around

  • Storms. The National Weather Service’s Nashville office counts an average of about 18 tornadoes a year across Middle Tennessee (1995 to 2025) (NWS Tennessee tornado statistics). Keep weather alerts on, and in a tornado warning go to a basement, safe room, or interior room away from windows, as the NWS advises (NWS tornado safety).
  • Temperature swings. March and April can feel like two seasons in one day; pack layers and a rain jacket.
  • Rain. May averages about 5 inches of rain, the most of any month, so have an indoor backup for every outdoor plan.

Is Spring the Best Time to Go?

April’s normal high (72.6°F) is close to October’s (73.5°F), and spring brings the return of outdoor music. If storms worry you, choose October instead; if you want green landscapes and patio weather, spring is a strong choice. For a month-by-month comparison, see the best time to visit Nashville.

Related posts:

  1. What Is the Difference Between Lower Broadway and Upper Broadway? Lower Broadway is the stretch of Broadway from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue, by the Cumberland River: the honky-tonk district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the......
  2. Why Are So Many People Moving to Nashville? People move to the Nashville area for work, for Tennessee's lack of a personal income tax, and for housing that is still cheaper than in the largest coastal metros, with......
  3. Are There International Flights From Nashville? Yes. As of October 2026, Nashville International Airport (BNA) has nonstop flights to London Heathrow on British Airways, Dublin on Aer Lingus, seasonal Reykjavík on Icelandair, several Canadian cities, and......
  4. Can You Bike Around Nashville? Yes, and the greenways let you ride away from car traffic: Nashville has more than 110 miles of paved, multi-use greenway paths, according to the nonprofit Greenways for Nashville. Riding......
  5. Can You Get Hot Chicken Delivered in Nashville? Yes. Hattie B's Hot Chicken takes delivery orders directly: its FAQ says to use the "Order" button on its website or its app to order for delivery or pickup (Hattie......
  6. Can You Make Nashville Hot Chicken at Home? Yes. The step that makes it Nashville hot chicken, and not just spicy fried chicken, comes after frying: the fried chicken is coated in a cayenne paste. Wikipedia describes the......
  7. Can You Park for Free in Nashville Neighborhoods? Sometimes. Outside downtown, parking on a residential street without a meter or a restriction sign costs nothing, but neighborhood commercial strips can be metered, and some blocks near busy areas......
  8. Can You Walk Between Nashville Neighborhoods? You can walk between some Nashville neighborhoods, mainly the ones next to downtown: the Gulch and SoBro are short walks from Lower Broadway, and Germantown and the east bank across......
  9. Do You Need a Car in Nashville? You do not need a car in Nashville if you stay downtown and spend most of your trip around Lower Broadway, the Ryman, and the Country Music Hall of Fame,......
  10. Does It Snow in Nashville? 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......
  11. Does Nashville Airport Have Good Food? If good airport food means Nashville food, yes: BNA's terminal has outposts of local brands, including Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Party Fowl, Slim & Husky's Pizza Beeria, and Tootsie's Orchid......
  12. Does Tennessee Have a State Income Tax? No. Tennessee does not tax personal income of any kind, so wages, salaries, interest, and dividends are all free of state income tax. Its last personal income tax, the Hall......
  13. How Bad Is Nashville Traffic? Nashville traffic ranks among the worst in the country: the INRIX 2025 Traffic Scorecard placed Nashville 12th in the U.S. and 30th in the world for congestion, with drivers losing......
  14. How Did Nashville Become the Capital of Tennessee? The legislature chose Nashville as the permanent capital on October 7, 1843, after years of moving the seat of government around, and Nashville won by one vote. Wikipedia's history of......