Missouri, 1997

Winter Storm in Missouri, February 21, 1997

February 21, 1997 · NWS EAX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

After receiving 2 to 4 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, several hours of heavy snowfall resulted in a 1 to 5 inch snow accumulation over West Central and Northwest Missouri. The heaviest snow fell from Kansas City International Airport to Plattsburg in Clinton County then northeastward through Princeton in Mercer County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
17

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.

After receiving 2 to 4 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, several hours of heavy snowfall resulted in a 1 to 5 inch snow accumulation over West Central and Northwest Missouri. The heaviest snow fell from Kansas City International Airport to Plattsburg in Clinton County then northeastward through Princeton in Mercer County. Numerous schools were closed in West Central Missouri from Kansas City to Chillicothe. There were also numerous reports of non-injury traffic accidents. Power outages were reported in many locations.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Jackson

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
39.009, -94.346 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Coordinates
39.311, -94.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Platte

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Platte forecast zone
Coordinates
39.381, -94.774 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Buchanan

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Buchanan forecast zone
Coordinates
39.660, -94.806 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Andrew

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Andrew forecast zone
Coordinates
39.984, -94.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Worth

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Worth forecast zone
Coordinates
40.479, -94.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gentry

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Gentry forecast zone
Coordinates
40.212, -94.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Harrison

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Coordinates
40.355, -93.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, De Kalb

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
De Kalb forecast zone
Coordinates
39.893, -94.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Daviess

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Daviess forecast zone
Coordinates
39.961, -93.985 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mercer

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Coordinates
40.422, -93.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grundy

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Grundy forecast zone
Coordinates
40.114, -93.565 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Livingston

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Livingston forecast zone
Coordinates
39.782, -93.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Caldwell

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Caldwell forecast zone
Coordinates
39.656, -93.983 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clinton

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Clinton forecast zone
Coordinates
39.602, -94.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ray

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Ray forecast zone
Coordinates
39.352, -93.990 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Carroll

When
February 21, 5:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Coordinates
39.427, -93.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5587471, 5587472, 5587473, 5587474, 5587475, 5587476, 5587477, 5587478, 5587479, 5587480, 5587481, 5587482, 5587483, 5587484, 5587485, 5587486, 5587487.