The highest temperature ever recorded in Tennessee was 113°F on July 29 and August 9, 1930, both in Perryville. The National Weather Service reports that this is still the state’s official all-time high.
On June 29, 2012, Nashville set a record high temperature of 109°F.
During the 2012 North American heat wave, Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga had record-breaking temperatures of 105 °F, 108 °F, and 107 °F, respectively.
These historical peaks show how severe summer heat may travel well into Tennessee.
Other major cities are:
- Memphis: recorded 108 °F on July 13, 1980, part of the severe 1980 United States heat wave
- Knoxville: peaked at 105 °F on June 30 and July 1, 2012.
While these records predominantly originate from the early twentieth century and mid-1980s to the early 2010s, they continue to affect our understanding of Tennessee’s sensitivity to high heat events, which pose considerable hazards to public health, infrastructure, and ecosystems.
Most of us are interested ONLY how hot it is within the last day or couple of days. Not 90 some odd years ago.