The Arctic has been warming about four times faster than the rest of the planet. 

One consequence of this warming, caused primarily by fossil fuel burning, is that the lasso of cold air circling the North Pole can veer off and dip south, bringing bouts of frigid cold. 

Tennessee has experienced several Arctic blasts in recent years, each revealing new risks. 

In the December 2022 winter storm, the Tennessee Valley Authority issued rolling blackouts after its coal and gas plants failed. Those power plants held up fine last week. 

Instead, TVA’s transmission system took a hit: the storm knocked down more than two dozen lines that feed power to smaller utilities. In Nashville, at least 760 electricity poles owned by NES tilted or cracked. 

The storm exposed a vulnerability in the grid and raised a common question: How much will governments and utilities invest to safeguard the grid from extreme weather?

Tennessee communities can push for heftier poles, underground power lines and additional contracts for lineworkers prior to storms. WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams and I will be looking into the feasibility of such solutions in the coming weeks. 

Before I jump to the next topic — trees 💔 — I want to say I am sorry to anyone still without power! A tree limb still lingers over one of my lines, and I have learned that there are a lot of cascading, stressful consequences to ongoing displacement and uncertainty. Sending warm thoughts.

WHAT TO KNOW

Warner Park lost upwards of a thousand trees during the January 2026 ice storm.
Courtesy: Terry CookNashville’s natural skyline changed last week. 

Thousands of trees splintered, split or died after frozen water blanketed the town, worsened by prolonged cold and occasional strikes from wind. 

“All that night that the ice was happening, I just kept hearing pop, pop, and then crashes and then hisses,” said local naturalist Jo Brichetto. “It was utterly terrifying.”

Brichetto lived in her current house in West Nashville in 1994 during the last major ice storm. She described last week’s storm as “much worse.” 

Across town, parks have piles of debris and neighborhood canopies look tattered and thinned. Nashville’s largest park, the combined Warner Parks, likely lost upwards of a couple thousand trees, according to local naturalist Terry Cook, who surveyed the park with a drone on Monday. 

At the Nashville Zoo, a hackberry estimated at 150 years old was cut down after an arborist determined it had too much damage to safely be left standing. 

While reporting on all of this tree loss, checking in with about a dozen tree officials and advocates, I was surprised by the amount of hopefulness and determination to rebuild a smarter, healthier urban forest in Nashville. 

One easy way: For people who need to cut down damaged trees, leave a larger part of the trunk, called a “snag,” instead of a short stump. They act as nurse trees for a wide variety of critters, Brichetto said. 

Citizens can also demand better laws to protect trees against development, which kills more trees than storms, plant climate-resilient trees, and volunteer with or donate to tree-planting efforts. 

It might just take some courage. 

“I spend so much of my time trying to soothe the fears of people about anything to do with nature, about bees and birds and critters and trees,” Brichetto said. “This is going to be hard to get people to want to plant trees again. But we have to do it.”

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On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast with host Nina Cardona 🎙️ 

Who runs elections in Tennessee? With the president talking about “nationalizing” U.S. elections, let’s take a look at how things run right now in this state. Plus the local news for February 4, 2026 and this week’s edition of What Where Whens-day. 

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MORE TO KNOW

• Water pipe breaks are expected to increase across Nashville this week as the city thaws out from the ice storm. Soils are shifting from the bloat and contraction, and moderate ground movement can break a water pipe whether old or new. Since the start of the ice storm, the city had already fixed 70 water main breaks by Monday. The city was working on 12 more pipe breaks that afternoon. 
   
• Gov. Bill Lee announced his budget priorities for this year during his annual, and final, “State of the State” speech on Monday. The governor wants to expand nuclear energy, rural health care and his school voucher program, WPLN’s Marianna Bacallo reported.  He also wants the state to invest more in “quantum” research but did not elaborate on specifics. 
   
• The Nashville Mayor’s office is taking action to hold the Nashville Electric Service accountable for its role in the ice storm recovery. Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed an order Monday to create a commission to review storm preparations and response. The commission will have nine members, including seven community leaders and experts in utilities and emergency communications. The commission, which will have investigative powers, is required to deliver findings within six months.

FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE

We grapple with our precious and destructive trees. Winter storm Fern may have been misnamed because it was actually hardwoods and hackberries wreaking so much havoc. The local canopy will never be the same. 

Your input is central to our show. Call (615) 751-2500 to leave us your feedback. Submit your idea or email us. Stream This is Nashville with host Blake Farmeron YouTube, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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