Planning & Practicalities

Memphis handles severe weather through a layered system: the National Weather Service issues watches and warnings, Shelby County’s emergency management office coordinates sirens and public alerts, MLGW restores power after storm damage, and local school districts and the city government decide on closures. There is no single “storm plan” — it is several agencies working … Read more

Memphis dressing comes down to humidity management from May to September, layering for swings of 20–30°F in winter, and carrying rain protection nearly year-round. There is no single “Memphis look” — the climate is humid subtropical, which means heat and moisture drive summer choices and volatility drives everything else. What does a Memphis summer actually … Read more

Memphis is in the Central Time Zone, the same zone used across most of the central United States. That means the city is six hours behind Coordinated Universal Time during daylight saving months (UTC-5) and five hours behind standard time in winter (UTC-6). It is one hour behind New York and Atlanta, and two hours … Read more

Memphis is a mid-priced American city, not a cheap one and not an expensive one. A visitor can see the major museums, eat well and get around without a car for less than comparable trips to Nashville or New Orleans — but a few specific costs (Graceland’s paid tours, a rental car, and any hotel … Read more

What are Tennessee’s alcohol laws, in practice? Tennessee splits alcohol sales into three separate systems, each with its own rules on where, when and by whom something can be sold: grocery and convenience stores, licensed retail package stores, and on-premise bars and restaurants. In Memphis, all three operate, but what’s allowed shifts by container type, … Read more

Tipping in Memphis follows the same broad American convention as the rest of Tennessee: tips are expected in restaurants, bars and for many personal services, and they are not optional add-ons but a structural part of how service workers are paid. This is true for visitors and residents alike, and it holds whether the setting … Read more

The Beale Street Music Festival is a multi-day, multi-stage music festival held each spring as the opening weekend of Memphis in May, the city’s month-long international festival. Despite the name, it does not take place on Beale Street. It is staged on the Mississippi River bluff downtown, historically at Tom Lee Park, and draws touring … Read more

Memphis in May is the name of a nonprofit organization, Memphis in May International Festival, and of the month-long calendar of events it runs each spring. The best-known pieces are the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, both usually staged on or near the riverfront downtown, drawing large crowds, road … Read more

Memphis has a genuine tornado season, running roughly from late winter into early summer, with a secondary risk window in autumn. The National Weather Service forecast office that covers the city, based in Memphis and known as NWS Memphis (weather.gov/meg), issues watches and warnings for Shelby County the same way it does for the rest … Read more

A Memphis winter is short, mild on most days, and punctuated by sharp cold snaps rather than a sustained freeze. Snow falls most years but rarely amounts to much and usually melts within a day or two. The bigger disruption, when it comes, is ice — not snow depth. How cold does it actually get … Read more