NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s no secret that September 2026 was extremely hot, but what caused it to be so hot for so long? News 2 Meteorologist Alex Libby explains the perfect storm that occurred to produce such intense heat.
In order to see such a prolonged stretch of extreme heat, you need a very inactive weather pattern. That is exactly what occurred over Tennessee in September.
A large area of high pressure moved over the Southeast at the end of August and didn’t breakdown until the third week of September. This area of high pressure caused clear skies that allowed for the maximum amount of the sun’s energy and allowed the heat to build day after day.
While Tennessee was baking in the sun, parts of the Southwest and Midwest were getting daily showers and storms that cooled the air. Parts of the Pacific Northwest saw their coolest September in more than a decade…