NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — So far, 2025 has been cold and snowy across Middle Tennessee. Temperatures for 11 of the first 13 days of the year have been colder than normal in Nashville, with a snowstorm dropping about 4″ across the region.
This has caused schools to be closed for several days in a row, and with extreme cold in the forecast, there’s a chance for additional cancellations.
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The forecast calls for temperatures in the single digits during the mornings and afternoon highs staying well below freezing early next week. The wind chills will be even colder.
Bart Barker the Public Information Officer for Wilson County Schools said they are keeping a close eye on the forecast, but in the years he has worked with the school he can’t remember a time they canceled for the cold alone.
“I’ve been here for five years, I don’t recall a closing due to the cold. We have had a number of closures due to winter weather, severe weather, high wind, and other things, but at least since 2019 when I arrived, I don’t recall a closure due to the cold,” Barker told News 2.
Barker said they are keeping a very close eye on the forecast for Tuesday the 21st since schools are already off on Monday for MLK Day.
Below is the forecast temperature for the morning of Tuesday, January 21. This is an early forecast and the numbers will be adjusted between now and Tuesday.
Temperatures are expected to get so cold that the National Weather Service might have to issue cold weather alerts. National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Husted explained how cold it needs to get for alerts to be issued.
“Here in Middle Tennessee if temperatures or wind chills get cold enough we will issue either a Cold Weather Advisory which is for temperatures or wind chills 5 degrees or lower, or an Extreme Cold Warning which is for temperatures or wind chills lower than 5 degrees below zero,” said Husted.
The cold weather alerts were consolidated and renamed in 2024. Below is an explanation from the National Weather Service.
With temperatures expected to be in the single digits, it doesn’t take much of a breeze to make it feel below zero. This means many folks in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky could be put under cold weather advisories early next week.
The News 2 Weather Authority team will continue following this arctic outbreak!
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