Season guide · Nashville · United States
Nashville in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold with occasional snow and ice, holiday lights and lower prices outside New Year. Expect highs up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 33 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -2°C (28°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 33
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C (48°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 11 | 10 h | 1/5 |
| February | 12°C (54°F) | 0°C (32°F) | 11 | 10.8 h | 2/5 |
| December | 11°C (52°F) | 1°C (34°F) | 11 | 9.7 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 22°C (72°F), and 33 of the year's roughly 123 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- December: Holiday lights at Cheekwood (usually December)
- December: New Year's Eve concert and fireworks downtown (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Book the Studio B tour with your museum ticket; it is only reached by the museum's shuttle.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
Johnny Cash Museum
A compact museum of Johnny Cash's life and career, with costumes, instruments, handwritten letters and a stone wall from his Hendersonville home.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Downtown and Lower Broadway
National Museum of African American Music
Plan at least two hours; the interactive galleries take time.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Museum · Midtown and Music Row
The Parthenon
A full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon built for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition stands in Centennial Park.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Downtown and Lower Broadway
Frist Art Museum
Check the current exhibitions online; under-18s go free.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Kids
Day trips in winter
- Chattanooga (About 2–2.5 hours by car) — A river city in the mountains, known for the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain's Incline Railway, Rock City and Ruby Falls, and the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge.
- Mammoth Cave National Park (About 1.5 hours by car) — The longest known cave system in the world, with ranger-led tours through vast chambers and narrow passages, from short walks to strenuous half-day routes.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Nashville?
It is a trade-off: Cold with occasional snow and ice, holiday lights and lower prices outside New Year. The best months overall are April–May and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Nashville in winter?
Highs of up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 33 rainy days over the season.