Missouri, 2000

Extreme Cold in Missouri, December 12 to 31, 2000

December 12 to 31, 2000 · NWS PAH · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

An invasion of arctic air occurred on December 12. The arctic air became permanently entrenched over the region for the remainder of the month, resulting in the coldest December on record at Paducah, KY.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 PAH wrote it up.

An invasion of arctic air occurred on December 12. The arctic air became permanently entrenched over the region for the remainder of the month, resulting in the coldest December on record at Paducah, KY. The average monthly temperature of 25.9 degrees was 11.4 below normal. On the coldest day of the month, the 17th, the high was 17 and the low was 6. Unusually high energy prices, combined with the record cold, caused homeless shelters to fill to capacity. The usual problems associated with frigid temperatures, such as frozen pipes and water main breaks, were common during the latter half of the month. A combination of heavy ice and low water conditions on the Mississippi River prompted the Coast Guard to restrict barge traffic north of Cairo, IL. Low water led to the grounding of 15 loaded coal barges about 10 miles north of Cape Girardeau.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Bollinger

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bollinger forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.322, -90.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Butler

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.716, -90.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cape Girardeau

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cape Girardeau forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.384, -89.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Carter

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Carter forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.941, -90.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Mississippi

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Mississippi forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.828, -89.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, New Madrid

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
New Madrid forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.595, -89.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Perry

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Perry forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.707, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ripley

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ripley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.653, -90.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Scott

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.053, -89.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Stoddard

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Stoddard forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.856, -89.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne

When
December 12, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
37.113, -90.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Missouri in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, December 2000

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: 5165888, 5165889, 5165890, 5165891, 5165892, 5165893, 5165894, 5165895, 5165896, 5166229, 5166230.