What Is the Weather Like in Nashville?

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  • 1 table
  • 4 sources cited

Nashville has four distinct seasons: hot, humid summers, mild but changeable winters, and long spring and fall seasons in between. By the official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Nashville International Airport, July averages a high of about 91°F, January averages a low of about 30°F, the city gets about 50.5 inches of precipitation a year, and snowfall averages only about 4.7 inches.

Those normals come from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information for the airport weather station, which is the city’s official record (NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals). Neighborhoods away from the airport can run a few degrees different on a given day, but the pattern is the same.

Month by Month

Month Average high (°F) Average low (°F) Precipitation (in.) Snowfall (in.)
January 49.1 30.1 4.02 2.0
February 53.8 33.0 4.47 1.5
March 62.7 40.2 4.52 0.7
April 72.6 48.9 4.72 0.0
May 80.4 58.3 5.02 0.0
June 87.7 66.4 4.36 0.0
July 90.9 70.5 4.16 0.0
August 90.4 69.0 3.79 0.0
September 84.4 61.8 3.80 0.0
October 73.5 49.9 3.36 0.0
November 61.4 39.2 3.86 0.1
December 52.2 33.3 4.43 0.4

Three patterns stand out. May is the wettest month and October the driest, but no month averages less than about 3.4 inches, so there is no true dry season. April and October have almost the same temperatures, which is why spring and fall feel like mirror images. And the snow is concentrated in January and February, with only about 4.7 inches in a normal year, so some winters bring very little.

The Seasons in Plain Terms

  • Spring (March to May) warms quickly, from highs in the low 60s in March to about 80 in May, and it includes May, the wettest month.
  • Summer (June to August) brings highs near or above 90 on most days in July and August. By the normals, the airport averages about 54 days a year at 90°F or hotter, nearly all of them between June and September. Humidity makes those afternoons feel hotter than the thermometer reading.
  • Fall (September to November) cools steadily. September still averages a high of about 84, while October settles near 74 with the year’s lowest precipitation.
  • Winter (December to February) is mild by northern standards, with highs around 50 and lows near freezing. The normals count about 66 nights a year with a low of 32°F or colder, most of them from November through March.

For what each season means for a trip, from crowds to what to pack, see the season guides, starting with what Nashville is like in fall and what Nashville is like in summer.

Extremes

The National Weather Service office in Nashville keeps the city’s records back to December 1873. The all-time high is 109°F, set on June 29, 2012, and the all-time low is −17°F, set on January 21, 1985 (NWS Nashville climate records). Both are far outside a normal year.

Severe Weather

Middle Tennessee gets tornadoes, and Nashville has been hit directly. On March 3, 2020, an EF-3 tornado touched down in western Davidson County, crossed Germantown and East Nashville, and tracked more than 60 miles east through Wilson County into Smith County, killing five people and injuring 220 along its path, according to the NWS storm summary. Heavy rain is the other hazard: the May 2010 flood is covered in how the 2010 flood changed Nashville.

If you are visiting, the practical rules are simple. Check the forecast for thunderstorms on any spring or summer day you plan to be outdoors, have a way to receive weather alerts on your phone, and know what to do in a tornado warning. The National Weather Service’s guidance is to go to a basement, safe room, or interior room away from windows, and, if you are outside, to get inside a sturdy building immediately; tents, sheds, and mobile homes are not safe shelter (NWS tornado safety). In a hotel, ask at check-in where the designated shelter area is.

Winter Ice

Snow totals are small, but a winter storm with freezing rain can still shut down travel for a day or more. When ice is in the forecast, check road conditions and school or event announcements before setting out, and treat plans that require driving as tentative.

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