What City Has the Best Weather in Tennessee?
The Volunteer State has been growing in popularity as a state to move to not only because of its lower than the national average cost of living but also warm and sunny weather most of the year. If you’re looking for best weather cities in Tennessee, in this article you’ll discover several options.
I’m going to provide cities with the best weather in Tennessee for those who want the highest temperatures. I’ll also discuss cities with the best weather year round and a place with the coolest summers. Whatever your preference is, you’re about to find the best place to live in Tennessee for weather for you.
What City in Tennessee Has the Warmest Weather?
I wrote an article on the 50 warmest cities in Tennessee ranked by their average temperature. Memphis placed first with its average temperature of 63.3 °F, ahead of Chattanooga (61.85 °F) and Savannah (61.5 °F).
Memphis has the highest temperatures in Tennessee both during the day as well as at night.
In the winter, Memphis experiences daytime temperatures of 51-56 °F while at night they drop to 33-36 °F. With snow falling on average only 2-3 days a year, there’s no significant snowfall. For more on winters in Memphis and elsewhere in Tennessee, read my article What Are Winters Like in Tennessee?
In the summer, Memphis gets hot and humid, with average high temperatures climbing to 92 °F and average low temperatures at 70-74 °F.
The city is sunny year round, enjoying 2,888 sunshine hours a year. Sun shines 50% of the time even in the cloudiest month (December) and 74% in the summer. No matter the season, you won’t complain much about the number of sunny days.
In addition to that, Memphis is one of the best places to live with warm weather and a low cost of living.
What City in Tennessee Has the Best Weather Year Round?
If we assume that hot and humid weather experienced in Memphis for about four months doesn’t stand for best weather, then what are the best options for a more pleasant climate year round?
Out of the more populous cities, Kingsport in East Tennessee on the border with Virginia may provide an alternative. This city of 55,000 residents doesn’t get as hot and humid as Memphis in the summer months. It features temperatures that on average climb to 84-87 °F which is noticeably cooler than 89-92 °F in Memphis.
But its nights in Kingsport that make its summers much more comfortable. Temperatures drop to 62-66 °F (compared to 70-74 °F in Memphis), meaning that it’s possible to cool off during the evenings and mornings.
As for winters, while Kingsport isn’t as warm as Memphis, it still records average daytime temperatures of 46-51 °F (compared to 51-56 °F in Memphis) and nighttime temperatures of 27-30 °F (compared to 33-36 °F in Memphis).
Even if we consider the two coldest months to be “uncomfortable” compared to Memphis, we still gain two months of more comfortable weather than in Memphis.
Out of the bigger cities, Johnson City may also be an option. It has colder winters than Kingsport (highs of 45-50 °F, lows of 25-28 °F) but more pleasant summers (highs of 83-86 °F, lows of 60-64 °F).
What Part of Tennessee Has the Coolest Summers?
Typical for most of Tennessee weather that’s hot and humid in the summer can be avoided by living in a city at a higher altitude. Out of the major cities, Crossville atop the Cumberland Plateau is the best place to skip uncomfortable summers.
The city has four distinct seasons with 11 days of snow in the winter and temperatures at night dropping below freezing. Crossville then enjoys a crisp spring, warm but not extremely hot summer, and a crisp fall.
Winter temperatures are around 42-45 °F during the day and 25-29 °F at night. Summer temperatures are around 79-82 °F during the day (and 60-63 °F at night) which is the coolest average temperature in Tennessee in the summer.
A Small Town Alternative to Crossville
For a small town alternative, Gatlinburg on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is another option. The town has warmer winters (47-51 °F during the day, 27-29 °F at night) and slightly warmer but still comfortable for Tennessee standards summers of 80-83 °F during the day and 59-63 °F at night. For an easy access to outdoor activities and milder winters while still enjoying beautiful weather in the summer, it’s a better option than Crossville.
A Bigger City Alternative to Crossville
Among the most populous cities in Tennessee, Johnson City (population: 71,000 people) has the coolest summers. They reach on average about 85-86 °F during the day and 60-64 °F at night. The city’s milder climate is moderated by its elevation and proximity to the Appalachian Mountains.
Which of the Six Big Cities in Tennessee Has the Best Weather?
Tennessee has six major cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. They are: Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro.
If you’re looking for the best weather out of the big cities, no city comes close to Memphis. Chattanooga has similar temperatures but less sunny weather (the city records 2,562 sunshine hours compared to 2,888 in Memphis).
Memphis also features the least rainy climate, with average 111 precipitation days compared to 123 in Nashville which would place second.
Out of the large cities, Memphis is also the least humid city, with average relative humidity at 67.2% compared to 69.8% in the Music City which would place second.