The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) first issued a slight risk across northeastern Arkansas into the Tennessee Valley area in their 1:00 a.m. CST (06:00 UTC) March 2 outlook.

In their forecast, the SPC noted that an unstable atmosphere was likely to materialize ahead of an approaching cold front, but that this environment would likely be contained by a capping inversion for most of the day.

[4] By the afternoon hours, the SPC expected the combination of rich moisture, modest wind shear, and cold mid-level temperatures to promote the formation of supercells with a primary risk of large hail.

[5] At 5:20 p.m. CST, the first tornado watch was issued from northern Arkansas northeastward into southern Indiana and western Kentucky as discrete storms began to develop.

After passing just north of Pegram, the supercell immediately began showing signs of better organization as a well-defined hook echo reappeared on radar.

This abrupt dissipation was due in part to a southern circulation developing within the cell to the south of Interstate 40, which later resulted in the eighth tornado, a brief EF0, southeast of Cookeville in Goffton.

An EF2 tornado, the ninth from the cell, began near Rinnie, north of Crossville, and moved east into the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, producing extensive tree damage.

[12] This deadly and very destructive high-end EF3 tornado touched down around 12:32 a.m. CST (06:32 UTC) in far western Davidson County along River Road, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Pegram.

The tornado crossed the river a second time before heavily damaging the John C. Tune Airport and an industrial area along Centennial Boulevard, including a terminal and the headquarters of Western Express, Inc. at high-end EF2 strength.

More than 90 aircraft parked at the airport, including charter jets, smaller airplanes, and a news helicopter operated by CBS affiliate WTVF were destroyed.

[33] Maintaining high-end EF2 strength, it crossed Briley Parkway and struck the former Tennessee State Prison, which sustained considerable structural damage.

[34] The tornado grew to nearly two-thirds of a mile (1.1 km) wide as it crossed Interstate 65 and moved into Germantown, just north of the Tennessee State Capitol, where it produced a widespread swath of mid to high-end EF2 damage.

Kroger, Panera Bread, and Petco, in addition to multiple apartment buildings, sustained considerable damage along Old Hickory Boulevard to the west.

Maintaining EF3 intensity along a six-mile (9.7 km) swath, the tornado continued east of Mount Juliet along the north side of Interstate 40 towards Lebanon, causing severe damage in residential, commercial, and industrial areas between the two cities.

As the tornado passed Linwood Road, a gas station and a heavy equipment auctioneer's property sustained low-end EF2 damage.

More tree and structural damage was observed as the tornado left Gordonsville at EF1 intensity before it lifted east-northeast of Hickman along Lancaster Highway at 1:35 a.m. CST (07:35 UTC).

The tornado touched down along the north side of U.S. 70N and moved due east, producing EF0 damage to trees, outbuildings, and homes as it approached Highway 56 near Baxter.

Maintaining EF4 strength along a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) swath, the tornado crossed Plunk Whitson Road and moved eastward through more residential areas.

Numerous fatalities occurred as at least 17 well-anchored block-foundation homes were leveled or swept away along Hensley Drive and North McBroom Chapel Road.

A few poorly-anchored homes were leveled or swept from their foundations along this segment of the path, while a small apartment building, a metal structure, and outbuildings also sustained significant damage.

[35] The tornado weakened further to EF2 intensity as it crossed Tennessee Avenue and Miller Road, badly damaging a smoke shop and a metal-framed warehouse structure.

A few businesses and other structures, including a bank and the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, also sustained considerable damage as the tornado entered the Cookeville city limits.

Continuing towards downtown Cookeville, the tornado passed south of Sycamore Elementary School, downing trees and causing minor to moderate damage to homes and other structures at EF0 to EF1 strength.

Additional EF0 to EF1 damage to trees, some apartment buildings, and homes occurred as the tornado crossed Buck Avenue and moved through areas just east of this point.

[41] Later, after the Nashville EF3 tornado had lifted, a four-mile (6.4 km) long swath of straight-line winds of up to 75 mph (121 km/h) affected eastern Smith County north of Lancaster, with several trees being snapped or uprooted and a few outbuildings suffering roof damage.

Severe thunderstorms bought destructive straight-line winds that downed numerous trees south of Interstate 85 across the southern part of the state.

President Donald Trump visited the state on March 6 and toured the hardest hit areas, including Putnam County.

Additionally, Tennessee Tech and the city of Cookeville honored the victims by ringing bells 19 times at 1:48 p.m. CST on March 3 (a year and 12 hours after the tornado touched down).

[55] West Wilson Middle and Stoner Creek Elementary in Mount Juliet, which sustained catastrophic damage, were closed for the next two school years.