Nashville, TN — While the chill of fall and winter has settled over Nashville, the city has yet to experience temperatures that threaten its historic cold records. Despite the recent cold snaps, the coldest days ever recorded in Music City remain a distant memory.
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Nashville occurred in January 1985 when the mercury plummeted to a bone-chilling -17°F. The city also experienced its coldest high temperature on January 2, 1918, when the thermometer struggled to reach just 2°F. These extreme cold events, though a part of the city’s weather history, remain outliers in the region’s typical winter conditions.
In more recent years, Nashville has not seen temperatures dip below freezing for extended periods. The most recent sub-zero day occurred on December 23, 2022, when the temperature reached -1°F, marking the city’s first time below 0°F in nearly a decade.
While the city has certainly felt some cold, the record-breaking winters of the past are a far cry from the weather patterns of today. One of the longest stretches of consecutive days below freezing occurred 129 years ago, from February 4 to February 15, 1895. For 12 straight days, Nashville’s temperatures never rose above 32°F, a cold streak that stands out in the city’s historical weather records.
As for this winter, meteorologists are predicting that temperatures in Nashville will remain slightly above average, thanks to the ongoing La Niña weather pattern. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts that the region will experience average precipitation, with the potential for above-average snowfall. While Nashville is not likely to break any cold temperature records this year, residents may still see some snowy days in the near future.
Though the region’s weather has changed over the decades, the memory of its coldest days serves as a reminder of the city’s occasional encounters with extreme winter weather. As this winter unfolds, Nashville can expect a season of moderately cold temperatures, typical precipitation levels, and possibly a few snowstorms to keep things interesting.