Cold/Wind Chill — Mcnairy, Tennessee

2021-02-16 to 2021-02-21 · Mcnairy, Tennessee

Event narrative

Very cold temperatures settled over the region in mid-February. Temperatures dropped to around zero degrees on the morning of February 16th and wind chills dropped as low as 15 degrees below zero. Thin ice formed on area ponds. A young girl drowned when she fell through the ice on a small pond while sledding.

Wider weather episode

An arctic airmass settled over the region in the wake of a departing winter storm. Snow cover combined with clear skies and diminishing winds to produce the coldest night across much of the Mid-South since 1989. Several locations dropped below zero with wind chills reaching fifteen below on Tuesday morning, February 16th. High temperatures only reached the teens for the third day in a row across much of the Mid-South. The last time that happened in Memphis was January 1928.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 944327. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.