Memphis sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River in southwestern Tennessee, on the edge of the Mississippi delta at approximately 35.15°N, 90.05°W. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — with long, hot, oppressively humid summers and mild winters — and it lies in a severe-storm corridor.

Summer, from June to September, is long, hot and oppressively humid, with July and August the hottest — average highs around 33°C — and the heat index regularly exceeding 40°C as Gulf moisture streams north up the Mississippi valley. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent, and the nights stay warm and sticky.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and short, with January the coolest month — average highs around 10°C and lows near 0°C. Snow is light, around 10 cm a year, but ice storms are a serious hazard, and the season swings sharply between warm, humid Gulf air and cold Canadian outbreaks.

Memphis is wet, receiving around 1,350–1,400 mm of precipitation a year, spread through every month with a spring maximum from severe thunderstorms; the Mississippi's vast catchment means major flooding can arrive even when local rainfall is modest. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Memphis lies in Dixie Alley, where tornadoes are more likely to strike at night and are obscured by trees and rain — a deadlier combination than the visible supercells of the plains. The Mississippi valley funnels Gulf moisture straight to the city, giving it some of the muggiest summers in America.

To follow any single measurement in Memphis more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.