Missouri, 1997

Heavy Snow in Missouri, April 10 to 11, 1997

April 10 to 11, 1997 · NWS EAX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Heavy wet snow fell across the Northern third of Missouri throughout the day on the 10th followed by a second band of snow during the early morning hours of the 11th. Since temperatures were near or slightly over freezing during the snowfall, some of the snow melted quickly but 6 to 12 inches of snow accumulated with well over a foot in many locations.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$9.8 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS EAX wrote it up.

Heavy wet snow fell across the Northern third of Missouri throughout the day on the 10th followed by a second band of snow during the early morning hours of the 11th. Since temperatures were near or slightly over freezing during the snowfall, some of the snow melted quickly but 6 to 12 inches of snow accumulated with well over a foot in many locations. The heaviest snow fell along and to the north of Highway 136 from Albany in Gentry County to Prineton in Mercer County to Lancaster in Schuyler County. The greatest totals were recorded in Schuyler and Mercer Counties where 20-24 inches of snow was reported. Schuyler County Emergency Management reported 24 inches of snow at Lancaster and a Mercer County Cooperative Observer measured 20 inches of snow in Lake Pahoe. Mercer County Emergency Management officials reported 18 inches of snowfall in Mercer and 14 inches in Priceton. Elsewhere in Northern Missouri, Cooperative Observers reported 17 inches of snow in Grant City, 14 inches in Bethany and 13 to 18 inches in Unionville. Observers in Albany reported 15 to 20 inches of heavy wet snow. In Schuyler County, just over 2 million dollars of damage was reported as a result of the heavy snow. Most of the damage was to farms and farm equiptment due to collapsed buildings and grain bins. Up to 20 cattle were reported lost during the storm. Schuyler County Commision signed a proclamation declaring the county a disaster area. Livestock loss and farm damage was also reported in other areas of Northern Missouri. In Mount Moriah in Harrison County heavy snow caused a barn roof to collapse injuring 17 horses, one of which was seriously injured as a result of a stab wound. In Albany, a large portion of the roof of a 200 foot bulding of a lumber company collapsed. Fork lifts, plywood, lumber and insulation were all damaged as a result of the roof collapse. There were many other reports of roofs calapsing throughout Northern Missouri to private residences.The roof of a bowling alley caved in in Trenton as a result of heavy snow build up , injuring two people. Numerous school closures and non-injury auto accidents were reported as a result of the snowstorm.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Schuyler

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Schuyler forecast zone
Property damage
$2.3 million
Coordinates
40.470, -92.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Putnam

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Putnam forecast zone
Property damage
$500,000
Coordinates
40.479, -93.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mercer

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Property damage
$500,000
Coordinates
40.422, -93.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Grundy

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Grundy forecast zone
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$3.0 million
Coordinates
40.114, -93.565 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Worth

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Worth forecast zone
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
40.479, -94.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Harrison

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
40.355, -93.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Holt

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Holt forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
40.094, -95.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Daviess

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Daviess forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
39.961, -93.985 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Adair

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Adair forecast zone
Property damage
$200,000
Coordinates
40.191, -92.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sullivan

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Sullivan forecast zone
Property damage
$750,000
Coordinates
40.211, -93.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Atchison

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Atchison forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
40.431, -95.428 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Nodaway

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Nodaway forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
40.361, -94.883 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Andrew

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Andrew forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
39.984, -94.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, De Kalb

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
De Kalb forecast zone
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
39.893, -94.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gentry

When
April 10, 12:00 AM CST to April 11, 11:00 PM CST
Where
Gentry forecast zone
Property damage
$1.5 million
Coordinates
40.212, -94.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Missouri in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5587514, 5587515, 5587516, 5587517, 5587518, 5587519, 5587686, 5587687, 5587688, 5587689, 5587690, 5587691, 5587692, 5587693, 5587694.