Winter Weather
Average annual amounts of snowfall totals vary across the state. Portions of the West Mississippi Floodplain in southwestern Tennessee can typically record around 3 inches, while the region of the Unaka Mountains can observe up to 36 inches of snow. Variations in snowfall occur both seasonally and from place to place, causing some locations to get more or less than their typical average amount of snowfall.
Source: Knox News
Areas of the Southeast United States are susceptible to ice storms, including Tennessee. Ice storms are a type of winter storm that is caused by freezing rain. As snow falls, it encounters a warm layer of air in the middle of the atmosphere that turns it to rain. Before the rain hits the ground or the surface of an object, it encounters a very shallow layer of cold air that causes the rain to freeze on the cold exposed surfaces. The ice accumulates on trees, power lines, bridges, and roadways causing significant damage and dangerous driving conditions.
In addition to snow and ice, sub-zero temperatures are possible throughout Tennessee during the winter months.
Did You Know?
The record amount of snowfall in a 24-hour period is 30 inches observed on March 14, 1993, in Mount Leconte, TN (Sevier County). The record snowfall depth for the state is 63 inches, which occurred in at the same location in during the same storm, the March 1993 Superstorm.