When people from up north hear us Tennesseans talk about the winter they tend to roll their eyes. We get it — we live in the South and Tennessee winters are very mild for the most part. Except when they’re not. The coldest winter in Tennessee took place in 1899 and wow, was it rough!

Winter in Nashville is usually pretty mild, but in 1899 it was a completely different story.
Lindsey Turner/ Flickr
In 1899, a massive cold front swept through the state causing temperatures to drop below freezing and stay that way for nine consecutive days.
David Lewis/ Flickr
That might not seem too rough, but for Tennessee, that was a big departure from the norm.
greenslaw/ Flickr

Related Stories

11 Quirky Facts About Tennessee That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate

11 Quirky Facts About Tennessee That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate

 History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In Tennessee, Dunbar Cave State Park

History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In Tennessee, Dunbar Cave State Park

 This Hidden City In Tennessee Held One Of The World's Most Closely-Guarded Secrets

This Hidden City In Tennessee Held One Of The World's Most Closely-Guarded Secrets
In 1918, there was an eight-day streak of temperatures below freezing that stopped just short of tying the record set in 1899.
Carol VanHook/ Flickr
Then we experienced 43 years till the next contender broke into the top five records.
Carol VanHook/ Flickr
During February 2021, you might have felt like things were particularly cold in Tennessee. You would be correct because that was the fifth longest streak of below-freezing temperatures we had in Nashville totaling seven days.
We came close that year to beating out the infamous winter of 1899, but it still holds the frozen crown. Our southern blood is thankful for that, too!
ajgarrison3/ Flickr

The coldest Tennessee winter is behind us, way behind us, but we can be thankful for where we live. With a light snowfall in the colder months and a mild temperature, we are happy to be right in the middle. However, that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the winter it just makes it better. There is a lovely cabin in Erwin that is cozy and perfect for a winter getaway.  

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore Tennessee

Featured Addresses
Nashville, TN, USA