Tornado season in Tennessee
Tornado season in Tennessee peaks from March to May, when 57% of its tornadoes touch down; April is the busiest month. Tennessee averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025. It also has a second season from November to February, which brought 30% of its tornadoes; November is the busiest of those months.
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). All states
Tornadoes in Tennessee by month
All tornadoes recorded in Tennessee, 1996–2025, by the month they touched down.
| Month | Tornadoes, 1996–2025 | Average a year | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75 | 2.5 | 8% |
| February | 78 | 2.6 | 8% |
| March | 125 | 4.2 | 13% |
| April (busiest) | 234 | 7.8 | 25% |
| May | 172 | 5.7 | 18% |
| June | 41 | 1.4 | 4% |
| July | 26 | 0.9 | 3% |
| August | 16 | 0.5 | 2% |
| September | 11 | 0.4 | 1% |
| October | 32 | 1.1 | 3% |
| November | 79 | 2.6 | 8% |
| December | 49 | 1.6 | 5% |
Is there a second tornado season in Tennessee?
Yes. Besides the spring peak, Tennessee has a late-autumn and winter season: November to February brought 30% of its tornadoes (281 in 1996–2025), and November is the busiest of those months. Cool-season tornadoes in the South ride a strong winter jet stream and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. They often move fast, can come at night, and may be hidden by rain, so a warning may give less time to act. See winter tornadoes in the Southeast.
What time of day tornadoes hit Tennessee
The most common hour for a tornado to touch down in Tennessee is 4 pm to 5 pm (local standard time). 52% came between 6 pm and 6 am, when it is dark for much of the year and many people are asleep. A weather radio or phone alerts that can wake you matter most where night tornadoes are common.
How strong: the EF-scale mix
Ratings of Tennessee's tornadoes, 1996–2025. Wind speeds are the EF scale's estimated 3-second gusts. 22% of rated tornadoes were EF2 or stronger.
| Rating | Estimated wind | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 / F0 | 65–85 mph | 380 | 41% |
| EF1 / F1 | 86–110 mph | 349 | 37% |
| EF2 / F2 | 111–135 mph | 143 | 15% |
| EF3 / F3 | 136–165 mph | 50 | 5% |
| EF4 / F4 | 166–200 mph | 15 | 2% |
| EF5 / F5 | over 200 mph | 1 | under 1% |
| Unrated (EFU) | — | 0 | 0% |
Strongest tornadoes in Tennessee since 1950
Highest rating first; ties by deaths, injuries and path length.
| Date | Rating | Deaths | Injuries | Path | First county |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 16, 1998 | F5 | 3 | 36 | 69.4 mi, 1,760 yd wide | Wayne County |
| March 21, 1952 | F4 | 38 | 157 | 46.8 mi, 177 yd wide | Hardeman County |
| March 3, 2020 | EF4 | 19 | 87 | 8.4 mi, 900 yd wide | Putnam County |
| April 27, 2011 | EF4 | 12 | 305 | 37.3 mi, 800 yd wide | Hamilton County |
| April 3, 1974 | F4 | 11 | 121 | 27.5 mi, 800 yd wide | Lincoln County |
Deadliest tornadoes in Tennessee since 1950
Deaths in Tennessee only; a tornado that crossed a state line may have killed people elsewhere too. 221 people died in tornadoes in Tennessee in 1996–2025.
| Date | Deaths | Rating | Injuries | Path | First county |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 21, 1952 | 38 | F4 | 157 | 46.8 mi | Hardeman County |
| February 5, 2008 | 22 | EF3 | 63 | 29.5 mi | Sumner County |
| March 3, 2020 | 19 | EF4 | 87 | 8.4 mi | Putnam County |
| April 2, 2006 | 16 | F3 | 70 | 18 mi | Dyer County |
| April 27, 2011 | 12 | EF4 | 305 | 37.3 mi | Hamilton County |
Tornadoes per year in Tennessee
The busiest year in 1996–2025 was 2011, with 101 tornadoes; the quietest was 2022, with 5. 1,479 tornadoes are recorded in Tennessee since 1950. The last 10 years:
| Year | Tornadoes |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2023 | 40 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2021 | 67 |
| 2020 | 35 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2018 | 26 |
| 2017 | 34 |
| 2016 | 10 |
Tornado risk in Tennessee right now
This page is history. For today, check tornado warnings in force now and the severe weather and tornado outlook for the next three days, or all weather alerts in Tennessee. How exposed each county is: natural disaster risk in Tennessee.
Tornado watch or tornado warning?
- Tornado watch: conditions are right for tornadoes in and near the watch area, often parts of several states, for several hours. Issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Be ready and know where you would shelter.
- Tornado warning: a tornado has been seen or is shown by radar and threatens the warned area now. Issued by the local National Weather Service office, usually for less than an hour. Go to shelter at once: a basement, or an inside room with no windows on the lowest floor.
- Tornado emergency: the most serious wording the Weather Service can put in a warning, used when a confirmed, damaging tornado is heading for a town or city.
Right now: tornado warnings in force · severe weather and tornado outlook for today to day 3 · all US weather alerts by state
About this data
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). Source: the tornado file of the NOAA Storm Prediction Center's Severe Weather Database (1950-2025_all_tornadoes.csv), a US Government work in the public domain, spc.noaa.gov/wcm. Built 2026-10-18.
- Months, times of day, averages and the EF-scale mix cover the latest 30 full years in the database. The strongest and deadliest lists go back to 1950, when the database starts.
- A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in every state it touched, with the deaths and injuries in each state, as the Storm Prediction Center advises. National totals count each tornado once.
- Ratings before February 2007 are on the Fujita (F) scale and later ones on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. "EFU" means the tornado could not be rated, usually because it hit nothing that could be surveyed.
- Times are local standard time; the county is the first county on the tornado's path. More tornadoes are reported now than in the 1950s because of radar, spotters and phone cameras, so old and new counts are not directly comparable.
- This is history, not a forecast. Any month can bring a tornado; follow your local National Weather Service office.
Questions
When is tornado season in Tennessee?
Tornado season in Tennessee peaks from March to May, when 57% of its tornadoes touch down; April is the busiest month. Tennessee averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025. It also has a second season from November to February, which brought 30% of its tornadoes; November is the busiest of those months.
How many tornadoes does Tennessee get a year?
Tennessee averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025 (938 tornadoes in all). The busiest year was 2011, with 101 tornadoes. A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in each state it touched.
What was the deadliest tornado in Tennessee?
The deadliest tornado in Tennessee since 1950 was the F4 tornado of March 21, 1952, starting in Hardeman County, which killed 38 people in Tennessee. Records before 1950 are not in this database.
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form in and near the watch area, which often covers parts of several states for several hours; it is issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Stay alert and know where you would shelter. A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or shown by radar and is a threat to the warned area now; it is issued by the local National Weather Service office for a much smaller area, usually for less than an hour. A warning is the more serious of the two: go to your shelter at once.
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