Hail, St. Louis (C)
- When
- July 3, 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- St. Louis (C) County, St Louis
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 38.650, -90.250
Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, July 3, 1998
A severe thunderstorm blew into downtown St. Louis during the Fair St.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 LSX wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm blew into downtown St. Louis during the Fair St. Louis 4th of July celebration causing an estimated 200,000 people to scurry for shelter. The wind and hail blew down tree branches, billboards, and destroyed numerous vendor booths set up on the Gateway Arch grounds for the Fair. Two people received minor burns when the wind blew over a fryer filled with hot oil. The Fair was cancelled for the remainder of the day, but re-opened the following day. Several windows on homes and vehicles were also broken by the wind and hail just south of the Arch grounds.
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:28 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, St. Louis (C)
- When
- July 3, 3:38 PM CST
- Where
- St. Louis (C) County, St Louis
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.650, -90.250
Thunderstorm Wind, St. Louis (C)
- When
- July 3, 3:38 PM CST
- Where
- St. Louis (C) County, St Louis
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Injuries
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- BROADCAST MEDIA
- Coordinates
- 38.650, -90.250
Thunderstorm Wind, St. Louis (C)
- When
- July 3, 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- St. Louis (C) County, St Louis
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 38.650, -90.250
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood in Alabama, July 3, 1998
- Heat in Texas, July 3, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Wildfire in Washington, July 3 to 31, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 3 to 19, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Montana, July 3, 1998
- Tornado in Montana, July 3, 1998
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Indiana, July 3 to 4, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Texas, July 3 to 4, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Florida, July 3, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Florida, July 3, 1998
- Lightning Strike in Kentucky, July 3, 1998
- Flash Flood in South Dakota, July 3, 1998
More
Every storm in Missouri in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, July 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: 5663122, 5663123, 5663124, 5663125.