Severe weather forecast in Nashville next 2 days. What it means for the SEC Tournament
Severe weather is on the way to Nashville, creating potential complications for the SEC men’s basketball tournament.
Storms are expected to begin overnight Friday, as the National Weather Service’s severe weather outlook has Nashville in the slight risk zone for the storm.
Slight risk indicates organized severe thunderstorms with varying levels of intensity. Nashville is close to the enhanced risk zone, though, where there will be stronger thunderstorms.
The NWS said the potential hazards from the storm include 60 to 80 mph wind gusts, up to golf ball-sized hail and potentially strong tornadoes. The storm is projected to weaken as it travels east, but forecasters warned that all areas of middle Tennessee, particularly near Interstate 65, have chances of experiencing severe weather.
More bad weather is expected Saturday afternoon and evening. Nashville is in the enhanced risk zone for Saturday’s storms, and more strong wind gusts, large hail and dangerous tornadoes are possible, according to the NWS.
Nashville could also see 3 to 4 inches of rain from the storms, according to the NWS.
As a precaution, the SEC has moved the Crush Soda SEC FanFare inside Bridgestone Arena in the concourse, the conference announced early Friday morning. The FanFare will remain inside the entirety of the tournament.
Kentucky advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament early Friday after defeating Oklahoma 85-84 in a second-round thriller. Junior Otega Oweh once again played the role of Sooner spoiler against his former team, as he hit a game-winner in the closing seconds to send the Cats to the next round.
Quarterfinal games begin at 1 p.m. EDT Friday with Ole Miss tipping off against top-seeded Auburn.
Kentucky plays Alabama in the final of four SEC Tournament games Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m., but that was the case for Thursday night’s game against Oklahoma, too, and it tipped off just before 11 p.m.
SEC semifinal games will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the SEC championship will be 1 p.m. Sunday.
Flashback to the tornado at the 2008 SEC Tournament
This won’t be the first time the SEC Tournament has been hit with severe weather.
Kentucky fans may recall the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta, when an EF-2 tornado struck the Georgia Dome during a game between Alabama and Mississippi State.
It was the first tornado to hit Atlanta since records began being kept in the 1880s.
The game was in overtime when a loud, thumping sound took the attention away from the court. A referee described the sound as the rumbling of a freight train locomotive, while UK guard Ramel Bradley, who was scheduled to play in the next game, thought a terrorist attack may have happened.
The storm left behind $2.2 million of damage to the arena. The tournament concluded at Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Georgia would go on to make a surprising run and win the conference tournament to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
