What Is Nashville Like in Winter?

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  • 1 table
  • 2 sources cited

Winter in Nashville is mild by northern standards but changeable: under NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Nashville International Airport, highs average about 49 to 54°F from December through February and lows about 30 to 33°F, with only about 4.7 inches of snow in a normal year. The music venues, museums, and honky-tonks keep running, the big outdoor festivals are out of season, and the main weather risk is an occasional ice storm that can disrupt travel.

The Numbers

Month Average high Average low Nights at 32°F or colder Snow (in.)
December 52.2°F 33.3°F 15.8 0.4
January 49.1°F 30.1°F 18.8 2.0
February 53.8°F 33.0°F 14.2 1.5

Source: NCEI 1991-2020 normals for the airport. More detail is in Nashville’s coldest month and whether it snows in Nashville.

What Winter Does Well

  • Indoor music. The Grand Ole Opry lists shows through the winter on opry.com; check the calendars of the Ryman, the listening rooms, and the honky-tonks for your dates.
  • Museums. The Country Music Hall of Fame (open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the free Tennessee State Museum, the National Museum of African American Music, and the Frist Art Museum are all indoor, comfortable winter days.
  • Outside the big-festival calendar. With the major outdoor festivals in other seasons, January and February are a good time for a trip built around shows, food, and museums.
  • December events. Holiday shows and decorations add to downtown in December, and New Year’s Eve brings a large celebration; see what happens in Nashville on New Year’s Eve.

What Winter Makes Harder

  • Ice. Snow totals are small, but freezing rain and sleet can make roads and sidewalks hazardous. If ice is forecast, check road conditions and event announcements, and treat driving plans as tentative.
  • Short, cool days. Outdoor activities such as park walks and the pedestrian bridge are best in the middle of the day.
  • Wide daily swings. A morning near freezing can reach the 50s by afternoon, so dress in layers.

Packing for Winter

Bring a warm coat, layers, gloves, and shoes with good grip in case of ice. An umbrella is worth packing too: each winter month averages about 4 to 4.5 inches of precipitation, most of it rain.

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