The tornado outbreak of January 23–24, 1997 resulted in 16 tornadoes across the Deep South. Damage in excess of $16 million occurred across several states, with the worst damage in Tennessee and Alabama. Over 300 buildings, including homes, businesses, and public facilities were either damaged or completely destroyed. An F2 tornado killed one person in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The strongest storm in the outbreak was an F4 tornado that destroyed dozens of homes in and near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

On January 23, an upper-level trough moved across the Great Plains with a front stalled over portions of Texas and Louisiana, prompting the Storm Prediction Center to forecast a slight risk of severe thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast states.^[3] Two tornadoes, rated F1 and F2 respectively, damaged homes in Texas and Louisiana.^[4][5]

On January 24, 1997, the trough continued across the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys.^[3] A warm and moist airmass covered much of central Alabama. Morning temperatures across most of the state were in the lower 60's with a dewpoint of approximately 60 °F (15-16 °C).^[6] Meanwhile, a warm front was moving from Louisiana and into central and southwest Alabama. By noon, the skies had begun to darken as a cold front trailed over areas of northeast Texas. These conditions prompted the Storm Prediction Center to issue a moderate risk outlook across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama with a slight risk outlook covering a region from Louisiana to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida.^[3]

The threat of severe weather across middle Tennessee was first identified by the early afternoon of January 23. A special weather statement was issued to highlight the severe weather threat for middle Tennessee for the afternoon of January 24. Another special weather statement was issued early on January 24 to continue to alert the public of the possibility of severe weather.^[7]

The tornado outbreak unfolded quickly across middle Tennessee during the early afternoon of January 24. Shortly after 330 PM, Doppler weather radar indicated a tornado as severe weather spotters reported a funnel cloud just east of Centerville, Tennessee. A tornado warning was issued at 333 PM for northern Maury and Williamson Counties as the tornado moved toward the more heavily populated area of Franklin. By 344 PM, another tornado warning was issued for Maury County as another tornado was indicated by Doppler weather radar in western Maury County, about 15 miles west of Columbia.

By 422 PM, a tornado warning was issued for Rutherford and extended for Williamson County until 515 PM. Three tornadoes were indicated by Doppler weather radar from about 10 miles northeast and 5 miles west of Franklin, Tennessee and also along the Maury-Williamson County line. Several weather spotters, amateur radio operators, and sheriffs' deputies were maintaining contact with NWSO Nashville and provided excellent updates of the tornadoes, which coincided with Doppler weather radar indications.

A very important severe weather statement was issued shortly after 430 PM highlighting the multiple tornadoes in Williamson County. This statement provided crucial information regarding areas within the Nashville metropolitan area which were in the paths of the tornadoes (including heavily populated areas such as Murfreesboro in Rutherford County).

At 440 PM, the northernmost tornado about 5 miles northeast of Franklin continued to maintain itself, prompting a tornado warning for Wilson county valid until 545 PM.

Another crucial severe weather statement was issued at 454 PM to indicate tornado locations and to pinpoint towns along the tornado paths. This particular statement mentioned that tornadoes would move to near Murfreesboro between 500 and 515 and to just southeast of Lebanon by 515 PM.

At around 500 PM, an F2 tornado touched down near Smyrna in Rutherford County causing damage to Smyrna Middle as it moved southeast of Lebanon in Wilson County to near Watertown in southeast Wilson County at the predicted 515 PM time. Rutherford County residents had a 48-minute tornado warning lead time and Wilson county a 20-minute lead time.

• December 2000 Tuscaloosa tornado
• 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado
• Tornadoes of 1997
• Tornado intensity and damage