Hail in Missouri, December 17, 2002

Name: Hail in Missouri, December 17, 2002
Start: 2002-12-17T23:32
End: 2002-12-17T23:32
Location: Missouri

December 17, 2002 · NWS SGF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 2:20 PM CST, 9 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 2:20 PM CST, 9 hours 12 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
220 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

FORECAST CONCERNS: SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL/PRECIPITATION ENDING
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

VERY ACTIVE WEATHER POTENTIAL OVERNIGHT AS 25H JET WITH 150+ MPH
WINDS AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA. CONWAY WIND
PROFILER ALREADY INDICATING 50KTS (SSW DIRECTION) AT 85H EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON WITH SURFACE AND BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS AROUND 30 TO 40 KTS
FROM THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST. SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION ALREADY TRYING TO
DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS ALONG THE MOISTURE GRADIENT AND
CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY LAYER NEAR 90H. CONVECTIVE INHIBITIONS
CONTINUE TO BE NEAR 100 J/KG AT THE SURFACE WHICH IS LIKELY KEEPING
CONVECTION FROM FIRING IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON.

LATEST BUFKIT INFORMATION HAS DEEP LAYER SHEAR CONTINUING OVERNIGHT
WITH 50-65KTS AT 90H TO 70H. GREATEST VEERING OF THE WINDS IN THE
LOWEST KM WOULD BE NEAR THE WARM FRONT WHICH IS CURRENT IN CENTRAL
MISSOURI. CAPES RISE TO NEAR 1000 J/KG THIS EVENING WITH CONVECTIVE
INHIBITIONS STILL NEAR 50 J/KG. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTIVE
INITIATION WOULD BE ALONG THE WARM FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING. UNTIL THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING FROM NORTHERN NEW
MEXICO MOVING INTO THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI LATER
TONIGHT...DO NOT EXPECT MUCH IN THE WAY OF PRECIPITATION UNTIL THEN.
AM LEANING TOWARD A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WITH LIKELY
CONDITIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT. MESO ANALYST WILL NEED TO PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO ANY SURFACE BOUNDARIES THIS EVENING AS HELICITIES RISE
TO NEAR 500 M2/S2.

MODELS DIFFER ON ENDING THE PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY/EARLY
THURSDAY AS THE ETA SLOWS DOWN THE MAIN COLD FRONT WHICH KEEPS
PRECIPITATION IN THE REGION (MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL) THROUGH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. GFS MOVES THINGS OUT FASTER WITH MOST
OF THE PRECIPITATION ENDING BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HAVE GONE WITH A
BLEND OF THE TWO MODELS KEEPING SOME PRECIPITATION INTO SOUTH
CENTRAL MISSOURI WEDNESDAY EVENING.

THICKNESS VALUES FALL BELOW 5400M ON FRIDAY...WHICH SHOULD BE THE
COLDEST DAY IN THE NEXT 7. VERY LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED RANGE
AS MOST OF THE MODELS DIVERGE FROM ANY ONE SPECIFIC SCENARIO. WILL
CONTINUE THE CHANCE OF RAIN ON SUNDAY AND INTRODUCE A CHANCE OF RAIN
ON TUESDAY AS THE LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC BRINGS
IN MORE PACIFIC MOISTURE AND STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THICKNESS
VALUES CONTINUE TO MODIFY THROUGH THIS PERIOD...SO EXPECT NEAR OR
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

ISC GRIDS ALREADY SENT.

.SGF...
MO...NONE.
KS...NONE.

JLT

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 17, 8:46 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
846 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME
SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

  WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  LARGE HAIL
  DAMAGING WINDS
  ISOLATED TORNADOES

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM NEVADA TO COLUMBUS KANSAS.
  INITIAL THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE LARGE
  HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES.

  DISCUSSION:

  A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WAS RAPIDLY TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE CENTRAL
  PLAINS STATES TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WAS MOVING OUT OF
  THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES WILL INTERACT WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
  TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS
  HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS WESTERN MISSOURI AND EXTREME
  SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THIS ACTIVITY WAS RACING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
  NEAR 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT
  AS STRONG WIND SHEAR COMBINES WITH IMPRESSIVE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
  AND AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM.

  A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

  ANOTHER CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP AGAIN TOMORROW AS THE
  MAIN COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THE GREATEST CHANCE OF
  SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM WARSAW TO CASSVILLE
  MISSOURI. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
  NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO
  MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED SOUTH AND WEST OF SPRINGFIELD
  THROUGH 1 AM. AREAS EAST OF SPRINGFIELD WILL LIKELY BE ACTIVATED
  AFTER 10 PM.

TERRY

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER
WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:03 PM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1103 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1055 PM    5 NE SLEEPER              MO   .88 INCH HAIL
12/17/02   LACLEDE                        REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:07 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1107 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1024 PM    3 NW FAIRVIEW             MO   WIND DAMAGE
12/17/02   NEWTON                         HOUSE AND BARN DAMAGED
                                          AND SEVERAL TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:11 PM CST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1111 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1103 PM    NEVADA                    MO   .75 INCH HAIL
12/17/02   VERNON                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:19 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1119 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1119 PM    4 S ASH GROVE             MO   .88 INCH HAIL
12/17/02   GREENE                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:21 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1121 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1121 PM    4 S ASH GROVE             MO   1.5 INCH HAIL
12/17/02   GREENE                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Dec 17, 11:32 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1132 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1110 PM    FT SCOTT                  KS   .75 INCH HAIL
12/17/02   BOURBON                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Vernon

When: December 17, 11:32 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, Nevada
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.833, -94.367

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, December 2002

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: 5326211.