Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 239, NWS St. Louis, MO

August 16, 2026Franklin County, Gasconade County, Warren County, Missouri

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 2026, 8:33 PM CDT for Franklin County, Gasconade County, Warren County, Missouri. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 2026, 8:33 PM CDT (01:33 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2026, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
70.0 mph

Counties Franklin County, MO, Gasconade County, MO, Warren County, MO

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:37 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 289 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2026-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3774 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2026-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 28 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
3774 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1331 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
4.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

161 
WUUS53 KLSX 170133
SVRLSX
MOC071-073-219-170215-
/O.NEW.KLSX.SV.W.0239.260817T0133Z-260817T0215Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
833 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Northwestern Franklin County in east central Missouri...
  Northeastern Gasconade County in east central Missouri...
  Southeastern Warren County in east central Missouri...

* Until 915 PM CDT.

* At 833 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Drake, or 10
  miles north of Owensville, moving northeast at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and small hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to
           mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.

* Locations impacted include...
  Swiss, Berger, Lyon, New Haven, Treloar, Holstein, Washington and
  Marthasville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Anyone outdoors should move to shelter inside a well-built structure
and stay away from windows. This storm is capable of producing
widespread damaging winds.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can
hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

&&

LAT...LON 3839 9140 3856 9151 3879 9116 3866 9105
      3848 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 241DEG 30KT 3848 9146

THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...70 MPH

$$

BAH
3 follow-up statements
746 
WWUS53 KLSX 170156
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
856 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

MOC071-073-219-170215-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0239.000000T0000Z-260817T0215Z/
Franklin MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-
856 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN, NORTHEASTERN GASCONADE AND SOUTHEASTERN WARREN
COUNTIES...

At 856 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over New Haven,
moving northeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
  Swiss, Berger, Lyon, New Haven, Treloar, Holstein, Washington and
  Marthasville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can
hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

&&

LAT...LON 3839 9140 3856 9151 3879 9116 3866 9105
      3848 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 0133Z 243DEG 30KT 3848 9146

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

BAH
138 
WWUS53 KLSX 170203
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
903 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

MOC073-170213-
/O.CAN.KLSX.SV.W.0239.000000T0000Z-260817T0215Z/
Gasconade MO-
903 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHEASTERN
GASCONADE COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

&&

LAT...LON 3863 9136 3874 9112 3866 9105 3848 9104
      3840 9137 3845 9137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0156Z 243DEG 30KT 3857 9123

$$


MOC071-219-170215-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0239.000000T0000Z-260817T0215Z/
Franklin MO-Warren MO-
903 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN AND SOUTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTIES...

At 903 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Treloar, or
near New Haven, moving northeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
  Lyon, New Haven, Treloar, Holstein, Washington and Marthasville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can
hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

&&

LAT...LON 3863 9136 3874 9112 3866 9105 3848 9104
      3840 9137 3845 9137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0156Z 243DEG 30KT 3857 9123

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

BAH
589 
WWUS53 KLSX 170209
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
909 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

MOC071-219-170215-
/O.CON.KLSX.SV.W.0239.000000T0000Z-260817T0215Z/
Franklin MO-Warren MO-
909 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN AND SOUTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTIES...

At 909 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Marthasville,
or near Washington, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and small hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
  New Haven, Lyon, Treloar, Holstein, Washington and Marthasville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from
windows. This storm is capable of producing damaging winds.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can
hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

&&

LAT...LON 3864 9124 3870 9110 3866 9105 3848 9104
      3844 9123 3849 9126
TIME...MOT...LOC 0203Z 259DEG 30KT 3858 9112

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

BAH

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 16, 6:51 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected late this afternoon and evening mainly along and south of I-70. A couple of storms will be capable of mainly damaging wind gusts.
  • Rain chances return Tuesday night into Wednesday and then Wednesday night into Thursday.
  • Seasonable temperatures are expected for a majority of the area through this week.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 6:51 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service St Louis MO
Issued by National Weather Service Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO
651 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected late this
  afternoon and evening mainly along and south of I-70. A
  couple of storms will be capable of mainly damaging wind
  gusts.

- Rain chances return Tuesday night into Wednesday and then
  Wednesday night into Thursday.

- Seasonable temperatures are expected for a majority of the
  area through this week.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
Issued at 314 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

An MCV can be seen on visible satellite imagery and in surface obs
moving across northern Missouri and southern Iowa this afternoon. A
cluster of thunderstorms associated with this MCV raced through
northeastern Missouri and west-central Illinois earlier today,
producing a cold pool and outflow boundary that is moving toward I-
70. The outflow is becoming increasingly diffuse in satellite
imagery, though broken cloud cover has kept the cold pool in place
and kept instability from rebuilding in this portion of the CWA.

A cold front is currently edging into northeastern Missouri and will
continue south-southeastward through this evening. As it does so, it
will encounter an air mass characterized by 3,000 J/kg of
MLCAPE along and south of I-70. Forcing from the front and
passing MCV will initiate scattered convection in this part of
the CWA starting around 5-6pm. Effective shear may be as high as
30-35 kts, allowing for organized multicell clusters capable of
damaging wind gusts. Much of this shear is going to be
associated with the MCV and behind the front, so the potential
for strong to severe storms will be confined to along the front;
therefore, right along the I-70 corridor. Additionally, LCLs
along the front may be low enough to allow for a threat of brief
tornadoes in bowing segments thanks to about 30 kts of 0-3km
shear.

Convection is expected to depart the CWA eastward shortly after
midnight, with the front clearing the area through the early
morning hours. A much more comfortable air mass will then settle
into the region, with highs tomorrow expected to only top out
in the low to mid 80s for most locations.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Issued at 314 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

Portions of the CWA will only have a brief break from the heat, as
guidance consensus is that as Monday's post-frontal air mass shifts
east, low-level ridging will nose into the region. However, there is
not a consensus as to how far north the crest of the ridge will
build, and therefore, how warm temperatures at the surface will get.
The overall trend over the last 24 hours has been for a less
aggressive ridge, with NBM probabilities for highs reaching and
exceeding 90 degrees are at most 50-70% over southeastern Missouri
Tuesday and south of I-70 on Wednesday.

Wednesday's temperatures will have to contend with a cold front
dropping southward through the CWA. While guidance consensus is that
much of the CWA will not see FROPA prior to peak heating, associated
rainfall and cloud cover will produce an effective boundary further
south across the area. This will produce a strong temperature
gradient bisecting the CWA west to east, with low to mid 80s to the
north and low to mid 90s to the south. Once the front pushes south
of the area on Thursday, near normal to below normal temperatures
are expected through the weekend.

As the front slowly sinks through the area, guidance consensus is
that two shortwaves will ripple through the Midwest; one early
Wednesday, and one early Thursday. The location of the front during
the passage of the waves is where rainfall will be focused, and this
is currently north of I-70 Wednesday morning and south of I-70
Thursday morning. The front appears to be progressive enough to
mitigate a threat for flooding. However, ensemble guidance supports
PWAT of 1.5-2", and given upper-level flow parallel to the southward-
moving front, training convection capable of locally heavy rainfall
may be a concern.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 635 PM CDT Sun Aug 16 2026

Scattered thunderstorms are developing along a composite cold
front/outflow boundary currently stretching from near KI63 to
near KJEF. Expect this activity to increase in coverage and
intensity somewhat as it moves east this evening. Thunderstorms
will be capable of producing IFR flight conditions in heavy
rain, and wind gusts to 40-50kts are also possible.
Thunderstorms should be through the eastern portions of our area
in south central Illinois by 06-08Z. There may be some
lingering showers behind the main area of precipitation, but
most guidance is dry after the initial wave of storms. There is
also the possibility of low stratus behind the cold front
tonight. Initial thoughts are that the eastern Ozarks and south
central/southwest Illinois will have the highest chance for low
ceilings before sunrise Monday, however parts of east central
Missouri, and possibly central Missouri may also see low MVFR
ceilings before sunrise tomorrow. Any low ceilings that do
develop should lift and scatter by 17-18Z Monday and VFR
conditions are expected to prevail after that.

&&

.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...Heat Advisory until 9 PM CDT this evening for MOZ035-036-042-
     052.
     Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for MOZ041-
     047>051-059>065-072>075-084-085-099.
IL...Heat Advisory until 9 PM CDT this evening for ILZ058>060-064-
     065-098-099.
     Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for ILZ069-
     070-074-079-100>102.

&&

SHORT TERM...Elmore
LONG TERM...Elmore
AVIATION...Carney

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXGasconade, Osage45 min
Aug 16, 9:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXFranklin, Saint Charles, Saint Louis, Warren39 min
Aug 16, 9:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXSaint Louis, City of Saint Louis35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Missouri, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.