NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — So many of us have memories of snowy days in Nashville with long-time residents debating which year brought the most snow. Truly, we have never gone very long without another major snow year.
If you hear about the top 40, it probably makes you think of top 40 radio. Some of us think of Casey Kasem and the top 40 songs on the charts. I'm actually talking about a different top 40 chart. Well, really, it's a top 41.
The National Weather Service has a chart of the 41 times Nashville got more than six inches of snow. Topping the chart is March 1892 with 17.3 inches of snow.
I wanted to take a look back at some of those days in the top 41 chart. Obviously, we don't have 1892 in the station archive, so how about 1979?
February 6-9, 1979 saw 11.3 inches of snow. This was the most Nashville had seen since January 1951.
1985 actually makes the chart twice. There was 6.1 inches of snow that January and then 7 inches in February. 1985 is best remembered for Nashville's record low temperature of -17 degrees on January 21.
Let's jump up a few years.
Nashville began the year 1988 knowing something was coming.
"It gonna snow!" a woman told a NewsChannel 5 crew in 1988, surrounded by people hurrying through the grocery store line.
"Business booms when there's snow?" the reporter asked a man stocking sleds.
"Weather man is a good ally!" the man laughed.
January 6-8 of 1988 brought 8.2 inches of snow. People were stranded at the airport when American Airlines canceled 50 flights.
"How long until you're back out here shoveling the snow off the sidewalk?" a reporter asked a man working in the snow.
"About an hour-and-a-half!" he laughed.
Now, I know what you're thinking. 1994. 1994 actually doesn't make this particular chart. We remember it so well because it was such a damaging year, especially with all the power outages. Recent years 2016, 2022, and 2024 do make the chart, all getting more than six inches of snow.
As we head into more winter weather, let's jump back to 1988. It's always good to know, every time we've made the chart, there have been good people out there to help.
"You been doing this a while?" a reporter asked a man using his truck to pull people out of ditches.
"Since about six this morning!"
"How many people you pull out?"
"Oh, about 15."
For the full list of dates with more than six inches of snow, visit the National Weather Service here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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