Five years ago today...

[Thundersnow]

Remember it?

If you were anywhere around the Nashville area, you will. 

[servocrow]

I remember we were in KY...and NOT home...and BOY oh, BOY...my BOYS STILL haven't forgiven me for it.

[Ron_Jarrell]

Time flies. I was working at Acklen PO in Hillsboro Village. It was totally surreal. I remember having to walk to Domino's about a block away to get lunch for everyone since cars were pretty much useless. My boss went to pick up his kid from school at Brentwood Academy at 9am and didn't get back until 4pm.

[jmundie]

I was in memphis with a 33 degree monsoon. I hate you all.

[tornadofreek1]

Well my mom was taking me to school.. We was listening on the radio; Chance of Morning Flurries.. And we started seeing a few and my mom was like COOOMMMEEE ON BIG FLAKES.. and when she said that.. The bottom fell out, there was snow accumulating on the road a inch thick. We got to school and all the teachers were outside playing in the snow and telling people to go home. Buses were waiting to unload the kids and they sent them on their way as well. By noon, we had 9 inches of snow. I-40 was pretty much shutdown.. And the horror stories I have heard from that day, gives me chills till this day!! What a AWESOME SNOW!

[Reneezelle]

suuuuuuuure wish this would happen tonight..........

[joemomma]

Remember it well.  Took me several hours to get home from Lebanon to Cookeville, even after I left early!

[Eric]

The day before, we were working downtown at the current offices of the Nashville Business Journal (at least I hope it still current).  I remember walking to Hooters for lunch.  Got home and heard about the chance of snow.  I stayed home the next day and watched all the idiots from the safety of my couch.  I think we got about 6 inches in Smyrna.  Man, was it pretty coming down.  I'd give my left pinkie toe for 6 inches between tonight and the 19th-20th system.

[Coach B]

I can't remember exactly, but I think we only got 2-3 inches down here.  I didn't have any problems getting home, but it was coming down hard and all over the roads.  They have a big framed picture in the county bus garage of a school bus that slid off the road near Chapel Hill that morning. 

[Thundersnow]

I remember the day or two before the event, forecasts were calling for 2-4 inches.  But, the night before and into the morning of... the forecasts trended downward.  Forecasts were, at the last minute, calling for 1-2 or 1-3 inches at most.  I think we had either a Winter Weather Advisory or Snow Advisory at most.  They were talking about the snow beginning to develop in western parts of the midstate on the local channels that morning.  Then, I saw the flakes begin to fall in Bellevue.

I went on into work, thinking that this will be a fairly small event.  Maybe if we're lucky, we would get enough to whiten the ground.  It snowed lightly on the way into work.  When I was close to work in Belle Meade, it started snowing a little harder.  I noticed that it was beginning to stick just a little bit in some of the grassy areas.

When I came in, the first thing I did, of course, was pull up the radar.  I remember thinking... that's some pretty heavy stuff developing just to the west.  It was getting heavy enough on the radar where I was wondering if the radar was picking up sleet.  Then, a few minutes later, the CEO of the company sent out an email basically advising that we could leave if we wanted to.  About that time, it was really starting to come down.  I looked out and saw that White Bridge Road was rapidly being covered.  When the median lines started disappearing, I decided it was time to leave.

I headed out to the parking garage and saw someone I knew who was also leaving.  He said that Fairview already had 2 inches.  I knew then that this was the right decision.  So, I got into my '99 Ford Escort and headed out.  I had front-wheel drive and fortunately some new tires at the time... which helped out, I think.

I was heading west on Harding Road in Belle Meade... and, it was soon gridlock.  My windshield wipers were on high, and the visibility was only a few feet... total whiteout.  I thought... ok we're beyond Winter Weather Advisory (or whatever the advisory was) at this point.

About that time, the bulletin came across the radio.... Heavy Snow Warning.  They increased the expected snow accumulation to 3-5 inches (which still turned out to be underdone).  My uncle called and said that my grandmother was stuck in the snow between Brentwood and Bellevue.  So, he was going to rescue her.  Actually, we were lucky to establish that call.  Most of the calls I attempted to make on my cell phone failed, because of network overload.

After about an hour of driving, I finally made it home to Bellevue.  Cars were all over the road and off to the side.  I actually did pretty well and only had problems going over one little hill.  I turned on my road and saw that a school bus had slid off the road and was nearly on its side.  I don't think there had been children on it, thank goodness.

By the time the snow ended, I believe I had about 7 inches in my yard.  But, other areas apparently had 8-9 inches.

Good times.  

[Coach B]

Was that Nashville's last big snow?  We've had at least one good one down here since then.

[Thundersnow]

We had one or two other decent snows that winter, I believe.  I think it was on a Sunday night a couple of weeks later when we had a decent system.  I'll have to look that up.

Last year and the year before, we had a couple of smaller events... maybe a couple of inches or less.

But, January 16, 2003 was the last time Nashville had what I would call a "big snow" as far as I can remember.

[Ron_Jarrell]

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/newsletter/030103.htm

Synopsis of Winter 02-03
Bonus article by News2's Kevin Skarupa.

[lyngo]

Geat surprise storm!  Like everyone else I wasn't expecting much.  Got to work about 8:30 with light snow that soon picked up pretty good.  It was gridlock around 10:30 or so.  Everyone was leaving but when I heard traffic reports I decided to wait. 

I didn't leave work until about 3:00pm.  It still took me 2 1/2 hours to get home in Hermitage from Brentwood.  It looked like the Rapture had taken place with all of the abandoned cars on the interstate.  Good times...

[Polarbear]

Ahhh, that storm was a nice one. You can see some pics from Cookeville/Baxter that I took. That was when I had a fun job, which was before our first daughter came along and required me to get a "real" job with insurance. I would definitely like to see one like that again. bring it on.

http://www.cookeville.com/news/1042838765/index_html