NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tornadoes have touched down in Tennessee during all 12 months, but there are times when they are typically more common and times when they are rare. August and September are when tornadoes are least likely to touch down in the Volunteer State.
According to data from the National Weather Service in Nashville, there have only been 22 tornadoes in August and only 12 tornadoes in September since the 1800s.
The most common time of the year for tornadoes is the Spring. March, April, and May are by far the most active months for twisters in the Volunteer State. The peak month for tornadoes in Tennessee is April, but that is not the case for other states.
For August, Tennessee has an average of just one tornado and zero tornadoes in Kentucky. This average is between the years of 2001 and 2025. The average is the total number of tornadoes in each state divided by the number of years. This means if only a few tornadoes touched down in August between 2001 and 2025, the average would be rounded down to zero.
This is why the two tornadoes that were confirmed on August 1st, 2026, were so rare. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Krissy Hurley, they were the first August tornadoes on record in Cumberland and Fentress Counties.
2 tornadoes went unwarned in Tennessee on August 1: Here’s why
For September, the average number of tornadoes in both Tennessee and Kentucky is zero.
Why are tornadoes so rare in August and September?
It all has to do with the jet stream and the ingredients needed for a tornado to form…