Overall, Tennessee has a temperate climate consisting of warm summers and mild winters. Significant variations can occur between the state’s four climate zones, known as East, the Cumberland Plateau, Middle and West. The Cumberland Plateau and the mountainous regions to the east typically have a lower average annual temperature than the rest of the state.
While snow is not uncommon in Tennessee, the accumulation throughout the winter is relatively light. For example, The average snow accumulation in January is approximately 2 inches in Nashville and Knoxville and only 1.5 inches in the Memphis area.