Tennessee has a mild climate. The average temperature is 58 degrees; in winter temperatures generally hover between 30 and 40 degrees, and temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees in summer. Summer days can feel very hot, however, especially in Middle and West Tennessee. Of the state’s three major cities, Memphis temperatures rise slightly higher than the others during the summer, and the city stays warmest in winter. Knoxville is the coolest city.

The state receives an average of 50 inches of rain per year, and only a few places in the Appalachian Mountains receive more than 10 inches of snow per year. Most parts of Tennessee receive little, if any, snow or ice precipitation annually.

Heavy rains associated with tropical weather systems can sometimes affect the state, and winter weather can close roads in the higher elevations along the Cumberland Plateau and the Smoky Mountains.

A historic drought in the summer of 2007 raised concerns about water supply throughout Tennessee.