Severe Thunderstorm Warning 68, NWS Springfield, MO

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Springfield MO
506 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Slight (level 2 of 5) severe thunderstorm risk this afternoon
  into tonight. All modes of severe storms will be possible with
  the main risks being large hail and damaging wind. Tornado
  Watch in effect until 9PM for locations west of Highway 65
  this evening.

- Thursday afternoon has a low-end Marginal (level 1 of 5) risk
  of severe thunderstorms in the far eastern Ozarks, with
  primary hazard being large hail.

- Severe thunderstorms expected again on Friday, with an
  Enhanced (level 3 of 5) Risk of severe weather beginning in
  the afternoon and continuing through the overnight hours into
  early Saturday morning. All modes of severe weather possible.

- Marginal excessive rainfall concerns through the week in areas
  that see repeated strong storms and/or training precipitation.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
Issued at 131 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

Synoptic overview and current conditions: Water vapor imagery
and upper level analysis show deep southwesterly flow aloft from
west Texas into New England. Upper low was located over Nebraska
with a trough extending southwest of the low into New Mexico
with another low entering the Pacific northwest. Surface front
was shifting out of central KS into eastern KS where surface
based CAPES were in the 3500-4000 j/kg and no CIN was residing.
The morning convection and low clouds have kept some CIN values
around 50-100 j/kg in the eastern half of the CWA, but this was
slowly eroding and better CAPES were spreading east into the
area. 0-6km shear values were around 50kts out of the southwest.
Still getting some scattered showers/storms over our eastern CWA
with the remnants of this mornings activity.

Severe weather this afternoon / tonight: Expecting convection to
develop along/ahead of cold front/dryline in eastern KS/OK
within the band of higher instability. This activity is expected
to initiate slightly west of the CWA with some discrete
supercells possible which would include all modes of severe
storms. As the upper wave and surface front shift east by late
afternoon and early evening, storms may form into clusters or
qlcs segments. Damaging wind and an embedded tornado risk will
be the main severe weather risks this evening as the qlcs shifts
east. While there is some timing differences in the CAMS, the
main area of convection should exit the eastern CWA between
midnight and 3 am.

Thursday/Thursday night: Instability is expected to increase
during the afternoon in the wake of any residual precipitation
from the today/tonight shortwave. A secondary shortwave is then
expected to move through the area during the afternoon and
early evening with some of the CAMS generating additional
convection over the eastern Ozarks. We are currently in a
marginal risk(1 of 5) for this activity, in which the main risk
would be with large hail. Anything that develops should move out
of the area by the early evening.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 131 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

Severe weather chances late Friday into Saturday morning: The
upper level wave currently entering the Pacific northwest will
continue to track east and into the plains during the day on
Friday. A strong upper level jet out of the southwest will be
southeast of the trough and move into the area late in the day.
strong southerly winds in the lower levels will advect Gulf
moisture into the area during the day. With temperatures and
moisture increasing in the low levels, instability will increase
ahead of an eastward moving dry line/cold front which will begin
to push into the area during the late afternoon or early
evening. Discrete supercells are expected to develop ahead of a
dryline over the central/southern plains and dryline. As the
upper wave shifts eastward, the cold front will overtake the
dryline and storms should begin to form into a qlcs with
damaging wind and spin-up tornado risks becoming the more
predominant severe weather risks. The storms and front will
continue to track east across the CWA during the night and
potentially into Saturday morning before ending. This upper wave
will finally end our persistent pattern of southwest flow aloft
with drier air moving in behind the wave and surface front for
the remainder of the weekend into early next week.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 506 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

Thunderstorms have developed across northeastern Oklahoma,
southeastern Kansas, and far southwestern Missouri early this
evening. This activity will continue to move east this evening.
Some showers and a few embedded thunderstorms will remain
possible behind this leading activity into the early overnight
hours ending from west to east. There will be the potential for
strong to severe storms with this activity, mainly west of
Highway 65 this evening. IFR conditions will be likely in the
storms within heavy rainfall. Gusty winds will also occur with
the storms this evening.

Ceilings may could improve to VFR behind the storms, but are
expected to drop back to MVFR late tonight into Thursday
morning.

&&

.CLIMATE...
Issued at 630 AM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

Record High Temperatures:

April 16:
KVIH: 85/2006

April 17:
KSGF: 87/1937
KVIH: 86/2004
KUNO: 87/2006

Record High Minimum Temperatures:

April 15:
KSGF: 63/2006
KJLN: 66/2006
KUNO: 62/2006
KVIH: 63/1976

April 16:
KSGF: 66/1963

April 17:
KSGF: 66/1976

&&

.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...None.
MO...None.

&&

SHORT TERM...Lindenberg
LONG TERM...Lindenberg
AVIATION...Wise
CLIMATE...Camden

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Springfield MO
147 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-161900-
Bourbon-Crawford-Cherokee-Benton-Morgan-Miller-Maries-Vernon-
St. Clair-Hickory-Camden-Pulaski-Phelps-Barton-Cedar-Polk-Dallas-
Laclede-Texas-Dent-Jasper-Dade-Greene-Webster-Wright-Newton-
Lawrence-Christian-Douglas-Howell-Shannon-McDonald-Barry-Stone-
Taney-Ozark-Oregon-
147 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri
Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Weather hazards expected...

  Slight tornado risk.
  Slight hail risk.
  Slight thunderstorm wind damage risk.
  Elevated lightning risk.
  Limited excessive rainfall risk
  Limited non thunderstorm wind risk.

DISCUSSION...

Strong to severe storms will be possible this afternoon into
tonight. All modes of severe storms will be possible with the
best chance of severe weather west of a West Plains to Salem line.
Hail to the size of golf balls, damaging wind up to 70 mph and a
few tornadoes will be possible.

Heavy rainfall associated with multiple rounds of thunderstorms
could cause localized flooding concerns. Damaging wind gusts up to
35-40 miles per hour will be possible outside of thunderstorms at
times today into tonight as well.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

A few strong storms will be possible on Thursday afternoon in the
eastern Ozarks with the main risk being hail to the size of
quarters.

A strong upper level wave and surface front will be the focus for
strong to severe weather late Friday into Friday night. All modes
of severe storms will be possible with the best severe weather
chances northwest of a Joplin to Osage Beach line.

Flooding may be possible in areas that receive multiple rounds of
heavy rainfall.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and tonight for
most of the area.

&&

More detailed information can be accessed at:
http://www.weather.gov/sgf/dsspacket

This product in graphical format...along with other weather...
hydrological and climate information...at
http://www.weather.gov/sgf

Lindenberg

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
435 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0431 PM     Hail             3 WSW Columbus          37.15N 94.89W
04/15/2026  E1.00 Inch       Cherokee           KS   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Quarter size hail.

&&

TG

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
445 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0436 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Columbus                37.17N 94.85W
04/15/2026                   Cherokee           KS   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Trees and powerlines down as well as
            considerable hail damage.

&&

TG

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
512 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0435 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Columbus                37.16N 94.84W
04/15/2026                   Cherokee           KS   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Tree down, road closed due to storm damage.

&&

TG

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
558 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Crestline               37.18N 94.70W
04/15/2026                   Cherokee           KS   Broadcast Media

            Powerlines down.

&&

TG

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
601 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0532 PM     Flash Flood      Columbus                37.17N 94.84W
04/15/2026                   Cherokee           KS   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Street flooding in and around Columbus.

&&

TG

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Springfield MO
649 PM CDT Wed Apr 15 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     Hail             1 NW Riverton           37.09N 94.72W
04/15/2026  M1.00 Inch       Cherokee           KS   Utility Company

            Quarter size hail.

&&

TG