Snowfalls More Frequent this Winter in Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It's not the amount of snow, it's the frequency that is making this winter seem endless in Tennessee.

As another winter storm pushed in from the west on Wednesday, forecasters said it's been awhile since snow fell so often, even if records aren't breaking.

"The reason it seems it's been snowy is that the last three winters that made the Top 20 snowfalls were in the early 80s," said forecaster Ryan Husted at the National Weather Service office in Memphis. "Most of the record snows were in the early 1900s."

Up to 4 inches fell Wednesday in the Memphis area, beginning around noon. Traffic was snarled all afternoon, and it took hours to drive across the city. Along Tom Lee Park, motorists had trouble getting up an incline to reach Interstate 55.

WREG-TV reported police received 130 accident calls Wednesday afternoon.

In Nashville, snow began falling and accumulating just as the evening commute began. Schools had been dismissed two hours early in order to avoid snowy roads.

Wednesday's snowfall added to the state's number of snow events.

The number of days on which there have been at least a trace of snow this winter adds up — 14 in Memphis, 13 in Nashville, 20 in Chattanooga, 23 in Knoxville and 34 in the Tri-Cities.

And while total snowfall doesn't approach record depths, it's more than usual. Seasonal snow depth through Tuesday included 8.9 inches in Memphis, 11.1 inches in Nashville, 13.7 inches at the Tri-Cities, 11.5 inches in Knoxville and 11.4 inches in Chattanooga, where the city was socked with a Jan. 10-11 storm that accounted for 8.5 inches of its total.

In Nashville, Robert Hudson echoed the sentiments of many parents faced with again having their children out of school,

"Oh, no. I'm trying to work and school is letting out two hours early," he said as he worked the cash register Wednesday at a cafeteria near downtown.

As the snow began falling again in West Tennessee, clerk Lloyd Roberson at the Little General convenience store in Union City told WYVY-FM he's ready for spring.

"I think it's pretty and it was great at Christmas, but I think I've had all I want for now," Roberson said.

Forecasters expected up to 7 inches of snow through Wednesday night in the Memphis area. About 3 inches was forecast for Nashville and the Tri-Cities , 2 inches in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Ricky Martin was waiting for a bus with two other people on Poplar Avenue, a main thoroughfare that leads out of Memphis into the suburbs. Martin said he had been waiting for about 30 minutes as the snow fell steadily around him on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm not mad, but this bus is just taking so long," Martin said. "This lady here, she's been waiting like an hour."

Meteorologist James Larosa at the Nashville NWS office offered a ray of hope, noting that some sunshine and temperatures rising into the 50s are on tap for the weekend.

"If people can hold on a couple of days spring is on its way," Larosa said.

No precipitation and seasonably warm temperature were expected through next week statewide.