Nashville, Tennessee – St. Patrick’s Day week across Tennessee could bring a surprising return of winter as colder air dropping south from Canada raises the potential for late-season snow just days before the official start of spring.
According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 day outlook, the period from March 15 through March 21 favors above-normal precipitation across parts of the Tennessee Valley and eastern United States, while temperatures trend below seasonal averages across much of the region. The setup forms as a broad cold boundary stretches from Maine through the Great Lakes and south toward Georgia and parts of Florida, allowing colder Canadian air to spill deep into the eastern half of the country.
That pattern could place Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Clarksville in a zone where incoming storm systems interact with colder air, raising the possibility of late-season snow or a rain-to-snow transition during St. Patrick’s Day week, especially across higher elevations of eastern Tennessee.
Drivers along major travel corridors including Interstate 40, Interstate 24, Interstate 65, and Interstate 75 should monitor conditions if storm systems develop during the period. Even light snow during mid-March can quickly create slick bridges and reduced visibility during overnight hours and early morning travel.
The timing stands out because daylight saving time begins this weekend, yet winterlike conditions may linger across the Tennessee Valley even as the first day of spring arrives later that week.
Forecasters expect additional updates over the coming days as the mid-March pattern becomes clearer, and advisories could follow if storm systems align with the colder air mass across the region.
