The large snowstorm may have missed Chattanooga, but it brought significant accumulation to Nashville on Thursday, marking the snowiest day in years.
Nashville reported at least four inches of snow as of midday, making it the city's snowiest day since Jan. 22, 2016, when eight inches of snow fell.
By the end of Thursday, Nashville had received 6.3 inches of snow, which set a new daily record for Jan. 6. The city's previous record for the day of four inches was set back in 1977. Other parts of Tennessee reported higher amounts, including Gallatin, which reported eight inches of snow on Thursday evening.
This storm alone gave Nashville the snowiest winter since 2015-16. The prior snowiest winter was when three inches accumulated at the city's airport in 2017-18.
Snow first began to fall around 7 a.m., slowing the congested morning commute around central Tennessee. Travel across the state became difficult as the snow began to accumulate on the roads, causing weather-related accidents and "treacherous" conditions, the Metro Nashville Police Department said. The quick accumulation made it harder for crews to keep up with clearing the roads.
On Thursday morning, a tractor-trailer jackknifed on Interstate 40, causing the westbound lanes to be closed in the area. The wreck occurred just outside Jackson, Tn. The interstate remained closed until around 11 a.m. EST.
In Germantown, three people had to be taken to the hospital, including two firefighters, after a Nashville transit bus and a Nashville fire department truck were involved in a wreck.
Crashes were also reported on Interstate 24, 40 and 65, leaving drivers stranded on the snow-packed roads. The Nashville Department of Transportation warned against travel unless absolutely necessary.
Traffic stalled on Interstate 40 when multiple semi-trailer trucks were unable to make it up a hill, according to Rebekah Hammonds, the community relations officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Crews worked to push the semis up the hill, opening a lane and allowing traffic to move again.
Interstate 40 had another slow down just after 3 p.m. when a semi jackknifed on the westbound side in Wilson, Tn.
The snow did not discourage some visitors from still taking to the streets to visit businesses and tourist attractions in Nashville that remained open, including Lynne Darlington, who was visiting form New York.
"I wanted to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, so we walked to the doors. In New York, that would never be closed on a day like today," Darlington told AccuWeather National News Reporter Kim Leoffler.
Darlington's cowboy hat was picking up some snow accumulation as she spoke with Leoffler and added that it was disappointing that the Country Music Hall of Fame was closed, but was still enjoying her time in the city.