# Nashville falls from 73 to 28: the South's 40-degree drop by Saturday night Published November 11, 2026, 7:46 AM ET By Ryan Hall, Y'all Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data. Nashville goes from a high of 73 today, Wednesday, to a low of 28 on Saturday night, Nov. 14, a 45-degree fall. Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte and Raleigh lose about 40 degrees over the same stretch as the coldest air of the season so far moves in Wednesday night. Isolated strong storms are possible today from Indianapolis to Nashville, and several Southern cities face freezing or near-freezing lows this weekend. ## Key points - **Where:** Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas, with the biggest drop on the map near 53 degrees in southeast Missouri. - **When:** Warm today. The cold air arrives Wednesday night. The lowest numbers come Saturday night, Nov. 14. - **What:** Highs of 69 to 76 today, then Saturday night lows of 28 to 33 in the listed cities. - **What it means:** Freezing or near-freezing nights this weekend, and a few storms today along the front. ![73 today, 28 Saturday night: the South's 40-degree drop (graphic by the Ryan Hall, Y'all newsroom)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-11-news-newsroom-kit-77fbd133f4-1235.png) Nashville reaches 73 today, Wednesday, then bottoms out at 28 on Saturday night, Nov. 14, a 45-degree fall. Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte and Raleigh lose about 40 degrees over the same stretch, going from the low 70s today to the low 30s Saturday night. The coldest air of the season so far starts pushing in Wednesday night, and a cold front brings a few strong storms to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on the way. ## How big the drop is, city by city ![73 today, 28 Saturday night: the South's 40-degree drop (graphic by the Ryan Hall, Y'all newsroom)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-11-news-newsroom-82459173-0-1235.png "73 today, 28 Saturday night: the South's 40-degree drop. Issued 7:35 AM ET Wednesday. Ryan Hall, Y'all") Today's highs run from 69 in Louisville and Knoxville to 76 in Columbia, South Carolina. Saturday night, Nashville, Louisville and Knoxville all fall to 28. Birmingham and Charlotte reach 32, and Atlanta, Raleigh and Columbia land at 33. Memphis hits 32 a night earlier, on Friday night. Those are point forecasts for each city. Our national forecast calls it an anomalous polar plunge, the coldest air of the season so far for much of the central and eastern U.S. ## Storms today ahead of the cold front ![73 today, 28 Saturday night: the South's 40-degree drop (graphic by the Ryan Hall, Y'all newsroom)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-11-news-newsroom-8850552-1-1235.png "73 today, 28 Saturday night: the South's 40-degree drop. Issued 7:35 AM ET Wednesday. Ryan Hall, Y'all") The front that brings the cold also brings a chance of strong storms. The Storm Prediction Center has a Level 1 of 5 (Marginal) risk today for parts of the Ohio and western Tennessee valleys, including Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Clarksville. Storms should build this afternoon over Illinois and Indiana. Late afternoon into evening, they spread from western and central Kentucky into middle Tennessee, getting more scattered as they head south. A few could produce large hail or damaging wind gusts. A tornado is possible but unlikely, with odds around 2%. Thursday and Friday carry no severe risk, and there is no flash flood risk outlined through Friday. Expect a cold stretch behind the front. A big upper-level low parked over the eastern U.S. keeps the chill in place. It also brings some snow to the high ground of northern New England and the central Appalachians, mostly above 1,500 to 2,000 feet, from Friday into Saturday. That is covered in our [winter storm outlook](/winter). ## What to do - **Today:** If you live in the Ohio or Tennessee valleys, make sure your phone will alert you to a warning this afternoon and evening. You can sign up for [Y'all Alerts](/alerts). Keep an eye on the sky and move the outdoor plans indoors if a storm is near. - **Thursday and Friday:** Pull in or cover tender plants, and bring in pets that normally stay out. - **Before Saturday night:** Drain and disconnect outdoor hoses and make sure exposed pipes are wrapped. Lows of 28 in Nashville, Louisville and Knoxville are below freezing. Lows of 32 and 33 farther south can still frost the grass and car windows. - **Weekend plans:** Pack real layers. Today's 70s are about to turn into jacket weather, and outdoor games and events Saturday night will be cold. Our [severe storm outlook](/severe) has the latest on today's storms. ## Bottom line Enjoy the low 70s today, because the South is about to lose roughly 40 degrees by Saturday night. The cold arrives Wednesday night, and cities across the region see freezing or near-freezing lows this weekend. ## The numbers ### Drop from today's high to Saturday night's low | | Value | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Nashville | 45 degrees F | 73 today, 28 Saturday night | | Birmingham | 41 degrees F | 73 today, 32 Saturday night | | Charlotte | 41 degrees F | 73 today, 32 Saturday night | | Raleigh | 41 degrees F | 74 today, 33 Saturday night | | Atlanta | 39 degrees F | 72 today, 33 Saturday night | Source: NWS point forecasts, 7:35 AM ET Wednesday More on: [Weather records, November 2026](https://ryanhallyall.com/news/topic/records-november-2026) Places in this story: Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Louisville, KY; Knoxville, TN; Memphis, TN ## Sources - NWS National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD), National Weather Service - NWS point forecasts, National Weather Service --- Canonical: https://ryanhallyall.com/news/nashville-falls-from-73-to-28-the-souths-40-degree-drop-by-saturday-night From Ryan Hall, Y'all (https://ryanhallyall.com). Always follow official warnings from the National Weather Service.