Nashville, TN – Tennessee may face a burst of winter-like cold heading into Thanksgiving week, raising concerns about frostbite and hypothermia, according to updated projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency’s Nov. 19 climate outlook highlights a significant pattern shift beginning November 25, with colder-than-normal temperatures possible across much of the Southeast through early December.
According to NOAA, the cold shift is being shaped by several atmospheric drivers, including the ongoing La Niña pattern, the Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the potential for a rare late-November sudden stratospheric warming event. These combined factors may draw colder Arctic air into the North-Central and Eastern U.S., placing Tennessee in a region of elevated frostbite risk.
As families prepare for Thanksgiving travel, outdoor gatherings, football games, and early holiday shopping, health officials caution that frostbite and hypothermia can develop more quickly than many expect — particularly if wind chills fall below freezing.
Key frostbite symptoms include:
• Numbness or loss of feeling
• Tingling or prickling sensations
• Cold, hard, waxy-looking skin
• Skin discoloration (red, white, blue, gray, or purple)
• Blisters that may develop after rewarming
Ten signs of hypothermia:
Shivering, slurred speech, shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion, memory loss, severe fatigue, stumbling or clumsiness, drowsiness, and — in severe cases — loss of consciousness. Infants may present with bright red, cold skin and unusually low energy.
NOAA urges Tennessee residents to dress in warm layers, cover exposed skin, and limit time outdoors during the coldest periods of the holiday week. Anyone showing frostbite or hypothermia symptoms should seek immediate medical attention and warm affected areas using warm — not hot — water or gentle body heat.
