Half of Tennessee is in drought — for the fourth consecutive fall

More than half of Tennessee has parched soils. 

The far western portion of the state is now in severe drought, with a small portion in “extreme” drought, and much of West and Middle Tennessee is in moderate drought. 

The state has now been in widespread drought for four consecutive years — including the past few fall seasons, despite intermittent heavy rainfall events. 

Tennessee has experienced fall droughts for four consecutive years 

In October 2022, Nashville got about 1.4 inches of rain. The city also got just 1.4 inches that September — so widespread drought had set in by early October that year and affected local fall foliage and wildlife. The ongoing drought that fall, which set in not long after a drought that summer that intensified the city’s sixth-hottest summer, caused enough soil movement to break water pipes. 

More: Dirt is key to understanding Tennessee’s environmental disasters in 2022. Let’s talk about it. | WPLN News

More: Droughts will worsen in Tennessee. The state lacks a real plan, a new report finds | WPLN News

In October 2023, Nashville got 0.7 inches of rain. This drought set in quickly enough to earn the label “flash drought.” 

In October 2024, Nashville got about 0.5 inches of rain. One month earlier, the city got more than 8 inches of rain, thanks to remnants of Hurricane Helene. But the hurricane was not enough to end the widespread drought.

More than half of Tennessee remained dry between June 2024 and February 2025. The drought almost entirely cleared in April after an extended rainfall event. 

Entering into this fall season, much of the state is back in drought. 

Drought conditions can set in quickly during periods of abnormally high temperatures, wind and radiation. Nashville is often dancing between drought and heavy rainfall events because climate change is intensifying the hydrological cycle, and the city just finished its seventh-hottest summer on record. 

It is too early to predict what will happen this October or even the rest of this month.  A tropical storm could bring heavy-enough rainfall to replenish the ground in some areas. 

But currently, drought is worsening in both West and Middle Tennessee.