Here’s the last time Memphis saw measurable snowfall, and how often it happens historically

What counts as “the last time it snowed” in Memphis

For day-to-day weather records, the most widely used benchmark is measurable snowfall at Memphis International Airport, the city’s long-running official observing site. In climate reporting, “measurable” typically refers to at least 0.1 inch of snow accumulation; smaller amounts may be recorded as a trace.

The most recent measurable snowfall

The latest measurable snowfall recorded at Memphis International Airport occurred on January 10, 2025, when 7.5 inches of snow were measured. That total was part of a broader Mid-South winter storm that brought significant travel disruption and rapid accumulations across the region.

In the same month, additional days saw flurries or trace snowfall, but the 7.5-inch measurement on January 10 stands as the most recent confirmed measurable snow at the city’s main climate site.

How common snow is in Memphis

Snow in Memphis is relatively infrequent compared with cities farther north, and year-to-year totals can vary sharply. Recent winters illustrate that variability: some seasons produce only light accumulations, while others feature one or more impactful events that account for most of the year’s snow total.

• Measurable snow in Memphis tends to be concentrated in January and occasionally February, with December events less common.
• When larger totals occur, they are often tied to a single storm system that combines cold air already in place with moisture from a developing low-pressure system.

Context: how January 2025 compares to other major Memphis snow days

A 7.5-inch daily snowfall is notable locally, but it is not the city’s all-time record. The historical record includes much larger single-day totals, reflecting that rare, high-impact snowstorms do occur in the Mid-South.

Memphis’ snowfall history is defined by long stretches of modest totals punctuated by occasional major storms.

Among the largest daily snowfall totals in the modern recordkeeping era, Memphis has documented double-digit or near double-digit snow days, including events in the 1960s and 1980s. These historical extremes help explain why a single storm can reshape a season’s overall snowfall statistics.

Bottom line for readers tracking the “last snow”

By the standard definition of measurable snowfall at Memphis International Airport, the last time it snowed in Memphis was January 10, 2025 (7.5 inches). Trace flurries can occur outside of major events, but measurable accumulation is less frequent and typically clustered in mid-winter.