‘Significant’ snow could be coming to East Tennessee: See predictions

The “s” word is back in the forecast.

Knoxville and East Tennessee it may snow January 23 and January 24. Snow fell across a large area of ​​the eastern United States as a result of a major winter storm. National Weather Service.

The snowstorm is predicted to be a “major weather event,” according to Charles Dalton, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Morristown office. East Tennessee may experience irregularly high snowfall totals.

“Right now it looks like the chances of a serious winter storm are high,” Dalton said.

After the snow falls, cold weather will prevail, meaning ice or snow may stick around for days without melting.

Storm it could be Dalton said the incident will be similar to what happened in Knoxville in January 2024. This means the potential for more than 6 inches of snow and longer-term impacts on roads.

Here’s what to expect.

How much snow will fall in Knoxville?

Dalton said it’s too early to tell exactly how much snow might fall in Knoxville and East Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 24, but that will begin to become clear as the date approaches.

In pursuit of the most accurate weather forecasts, meteorologists often wait until about three days before a storm to estimate how many inches of rain or snow an area could receive.

A week before the blizzard, meteorologists at the National Weather Service track at least three separate models to create a forecast: One American, one European, and one from the United Kingdom. Three days before a snowstorm, forecasters have more weather models available to them.

“We look at the big picture first, then we look at the fine details and what’s most likely,” Dalton said.

Freezing temperatures after a snowstorm

According to National Weather Service forecasts, no matter how much snow falls on January 23 and January 24, it will fall for days.

Highs are expected to remain around the freezing mark until next week, according to Dalton.

“The cold air behind the storm will keep it around for a few days,” Dalton said.

What is a ‘major’ snowstorm?

“Significant” is a subjective term that depends on the normal weather conditions for an area. What “normal” or “significant” snowfall means will vary from city to city.

In East Tennessee, Dalton expects snowfall totals of 6 inches or more to be a significant amount.

What happened in January 2024?

Knoxvillians will remember the massive storm that shut down the city in 2024. Schools were closed for days and life in East Tennessee essentially ground to a halt as heavy snowfall crept into the region and lingered.

According to the report, there were seven consecutive days with at least 4 inches of snow on the ground because the cold air meant it wasn’t melting. knoxville records.

Nine people died in that snowstorm, mostly from cold exposure.

When was the last time there was a major snowstorm in East Tennessee?

A significant amount of snow in Knoxville in 24 hours is not unprecedented, but it is rare. According to the National Weather Service, there have been nine incidents since 1884 where 8 inches or more of snow fell in Knoxville in 24 hours.

There have been seven instances of this in the Tri-Cities since 1938, and eight times when Chattanooga received more than 8 inches of snow in one day.

Here’s the last time major snowstorms hit East Tennessee.

More than 8 inches of snow in 24 hours

• Chattanooga: 10-11 January 2011

• Knoxville: 15-16 January 2024

More than 10 inches of snow in 24 hours

• Chattanooga: 12-13 March 1993

• Knoxville: 12-13 March 1993

• Three Cities: 2-3 February 1996

Knoxville weather radar

Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com

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This article first appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville weather forecast: How many inches of snow will fall this weekend?