Record-Breaking Nashville Temps Aren't High Enough to Open Cooling Shelters

Temperatures in Nashville reached 100 degrees Wednesday for the first time since July 8, 2012. Then, an hour later, an increase to 101 degrees broke the local record for June 22.

According to the National Weather Service, Nashville’s heat record remains 109 degrees, which was recorded on June 29, 2012. 

While the Nashville Office of Emergency Management has distributed recommendations for staying safe in the heat, temperatures have not gotten high enough for the organization to open a cooling shelter. OEM won’t open cooling shelters until the city records a 110-degree heat index “for a prolonged period.” Meanwhile, the Salvation Army opened cooling shelters of its own on Tuesday and Wednesday. Due to the heat, Nashville Electric Service suspended all disconnections for nonpayment through June 30. 

The area saw a heat advisory last week, which expired Thursday. 

Since Sunday, the Office of Emergency Management reports 14 total calls for heat-related illnesses, with the majority of calls in the past week from outdoor workers and some older adults, while four were reportedly unhoused, says OEM spokesperson Joseph Pleasant. 

“We have not seen any heat-related deaths or a high number of hospitalizations due to heat,” Pleasant says. 

Will Minkoff, partner in forecasting group Nashville Severe Weather, says the best way to measure how the heat will affect the body is to look at the wet bulb globe temperature, which is a measure of heat stress in direct sunlight, taking into account temperature, humidity, windspeed, sun angle and solar radiation. 

“What we say is that anytime we get heat indices north of 92 degrees or, better yet, wet bulb globe temperature that's in the higher ranges, folks that are outside should use caution,” Minkoff says. “Stay in tune for high heat warnings and stuff like that, but it doesn't have to be 100 degrees for it to be hurtful or impactful for those working outside.”

When it comes to opportunities to hit 100 degrees again, or even break the 109-degree record, Minkoff says there’s a chance of these temperatures even through the beginning of September in Tennessee. When it comes to extreme heat, the state isn’t close to out of the woods, he says. 

“We live in Tennessee; it gets hot here in the summer,” Minkoff says. “For whatever reason, a number of variables and different forcing mechanisms conspired to park an area of high pressure that brought really high temperatures for this week.”

This article first ran via our sister publication, the Nashville Post.