Memphis Climate Reality: Music-city heat and mild cold
Is it going to swelter, flood, blow off roofs, or something worse? The summers are hotter than Beale Street asphalt and the winters drizzle like barbecue sauce. And don't forget the occasional tornado siren. Here's what else is going on around Memphis that will impact the time you spend outside.
Mike, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Michael is a Tennessee native who has lived, worked, or worn out tires in all three divisions of the state, from Memphis to Nashville to Johnson City, plus plenty of small towns that never make postcards. He once moved from the far northeast corner of Tennessee to the far southwest for college, stayed twenty years, then somehow boomeranged right back to Appalachia. He knows the difference between mountain quiet and river loud, will defend Memphis BBQ like its a birthright, and can point you to everything from out of the way eateries to where locals actually hunt. We are not all barefoot moonshiners, but yes, some of us know where the real stuff is. At Snappy Scout Michael uses that deep statewide mileage to refine Tennessee moving guides so they're as real as a proper BBQ smoke ring, not some oven baked liquid smoke waste of calories.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What's the Weather Really Like in Memphis?
The forecast, the fashion, and the fine print locals wish someone had told them sooner.
Summer temps be like
Satan's front porch with no breezes between buildings (mid to upper 90s).
Winter lows are
Memphis sports team hoodie weather with trust issues (30s and 40s).
The humidity makes me
question if I'm swimming or walking and struggle to breathe.
Unique weather patterns
Ice storms that shut down the city for three days, plus we're close enough to tornado alley that you'll learn what a weather radio is and not to ignore local sirens real quick.
Local weather fashion tip
Layers are your religion here because it'll be 45 degrees at breakfast and 72 by lunch.
You know it's time to get out of town when
It's the third week of August and your car's steering wheel is literally too hot to touch at 3pm.
Bugs be like
Mosquitos the size of redbirds holding neighborhood meetings on your patio from May through October.
You're stuck indoors again today because
The heat index hit 107 and your weather app just sent you a passive aggressive notification about heat stroke.
Green thumb enthusiasts love
A ridiculously long growing season where tomatoes thrive, crepe myrtles explode with color, and you can basically stick anything in the ground and it'll grow (whether you want it to or not).
My Favorite Season in Memphis
Fall is my favorite time of year in Memphis. Enjoy the The Cooper Young Festival, the Mid-South Maze at Agricenter International, and the pumpkin patch at Jones Orchard. My family loved the Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo for Halloween-themed activities. And of course, leaf-watchers need travel no farther than Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park to see fall colors.
— Mike Stover
Tennessee Local Expert
Ready to See If Memphis Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Memphis guide for the bigger picture.