Winter Storm in Missouri, December 20 to 21, 1998

Name: Winter Storm in Missouri, December 20 to 21, 1998
Start: 1998-12-20T02:00
End: 1998-12-21T21:00
Location: Missouri

December 20 to 21, 1998 · NWS SGF · 34 events in 34 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 34 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: 34

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 SGF wrote it up.

Periods of light rain, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and light snow caused numerous traffic accidents across west central, central, southwest, and south central Missouri. The most prolonged period of freezing drizzle and light snow occurred in west central and central Missouri from areas around Lamar and Nevada, MO to the Lake of the Ozarks region.Some highlights:- One man was killed just before dawn on 12/20/99 on Missouri Hwy 13 in St. Clair County when he lost control of his vehicle on an ice covered bridge and collided with a tractor trailer.- One woman was killed early on 12/20/99 near Carthage in Jasper County when the car she was driving skidded out of control on an icy bridge and overturned. - A man was killed in Joplin in Jasper County on the afternoon of 12/21 when he reportedly slipped on a patch of ice and struck his head on the front bumper of his truck.-Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported across southern Missouri.- Precipitation amounts were light and no structural damage due to ice accumulation on trees or power lines was reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

34 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Greene

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.258, -93.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Vernon

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Vernon forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.851, -94.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Barton

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Barton forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.502, -94.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jasper

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.204, -94.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Newton

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Newton forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.906, -94.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McDonald

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: McDonald forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.629, -94.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, St. Clair

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: St. Clair forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.037, -93.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cedar

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cedar forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.724, -93.857 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dade

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dade forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.432, -93.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lawrence

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.106, -93.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Barry

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Barry forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.710, -93.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Benton

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.295, -93.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hickory

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hickory forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.941, -93.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Polk

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.617, -93.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Christian

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.970, -93.189 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stone

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Stone forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.747, -93.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Taney

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Taney forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.655, -93.041 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Morgan

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.424, -92.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Camden

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Camden forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.027, -92.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dallas

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.680, -93.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Laclede

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Laclede forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.658, -92.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Webster

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.281, -92.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wright

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.270, -92.469 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.933, -92.499 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ozark

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Ozark forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.649, -92.445 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Miller

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Miller forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.215, -92.428 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Maries

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Maries forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.162, -91.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pulaski

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.825, -92.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Phelps

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.877, -91.792 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Texas

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Texas forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.317, -91.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dent

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dent forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.607, -91.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Shannon

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Shannon forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.157, -91.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Howell

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Howell forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.774, -91.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oregon

When: December 20, 2:00 AM CST to December 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Oregon forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.687, -91.403 (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

Every storm in Missouri in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, December 1998

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: 5677955, 5677956, 5677957, 5677958, 5677959, 5677960, 5677961, 5677962, 5677963, 5677964, 5677965, 5677966, 5677967, 5677968, 5677969, 5677970, 5677971, 5677972, 5677973, 5677974, 5677975, 5677976, 5677977, 5677978, 5677979, 5677980, 5677981, 5677982, 5677983, 5677984, 5677985, 5677986, 5677987, 5677988.