Heat in Missouri, July 20 to 22, 2002

Name: Heat in Missouri, July 20 to 22, 2002
Start: 2002-07-20T11:00
End: 2002-07-22T23:00
Location: Missouri

July 20 to 22, 2002 · NWS LSX · 29 events in 29 counties and zones

High temperatures climbed into the middle to upper 90's with the Heat Indices from 105 to near 115 degrees. St.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 29 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: 47
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 29

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.

High temperatures climbed into the middle to upper 90's with the Heat Indices from 105 to near 115 degrees. St. Louis hit 100 degrees on July 22.

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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 2:50 AM CST, 8 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 2:50 AM CST, 8 hours 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
350 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2002

PROBLEM OF DAY...SUMMER HEAT...

WAS DISAPPOINTED IN TSTM OUTPUT YDA AFTN AND OVERNIGHT. WITH FRONT
IN VICINITY THOUGHT THEY WOULD FORM OVR SRN IA AND DRFT SWD ACRS
CWA. APPARENTLY RISING HGTS OFFSET CONVECTION.

CDFNT STILL BACKING SLOWLY INTO AREA FM KSPI-TO KMKC TO DPNG LOW OVR
SOUTH DAKOTA. WK SWLY LLJ BANGING INTO FNT ACRS IA. CONVECTION COULD
STILL DVLP. NOTICE INCR MID LVL WAA CLDNS FORMING OVR NRN MO AGAIN
SO STILL NOT OUT OF QUESTION.

NEXT 36 HR LOW LVL SWLY FLOW FCST TO STRENGTHEN A LTL ESP ON SUNDAY.
THIS SHUD BRING WAA INTO OUR AREA TMW AS PRES GRADIENT STRENGTHENS.
LOOK FOR WRMEST TEMPS TO BE IN NRN PTN CWA WHERE FLOW IS STRONGEST
AND 850MB TEMPS WARM TO PLUS 24-25. DWPTS ALSO FCST TO DCR IN AREAS
OF STRONGEST WAA BUT WILL MENT HEAT INDICES NR 105. WILL KEEP HEAT
ADVISORY GOING FOR CITY OF ST LOUIS. OTHERWISE LITTLE CHANGE.

.STL...HEAT ADVISORY FOR ST LOUIS CITY THRU SUNDAY.

PEDIGO

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:00 AM CST, 6 hours before

ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027-
034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-191800-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
600 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2002

HAZARDS THROUGH TONIGHT...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA
HOWEVER THE THREAT SEEMS LESS THAN YESTERDAY AND THE LIKLIHOOD
OF SEVERE WEATHER FOR THIS EVENT IS MINIMAL.

HEAT IS THE STORY OF THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REACH
THE LOWER 90S TODAY AND THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S SUNDAY WITH SLIGHTLY
HIGHER HUMIDITIES. THIS MEANS HEAT INDICES WILL POSSIBLY TOP 100
TODAY AND PERHAPS 105 ON SUNDAY.  A HEAT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED
FOR THE CITY OF ST LOUIS TODAY AND SUNDAY.

THE OUTLOOK FOR SUNDAY...

HOT WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY BUT NO SEVERE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

&&

THIS PRODUCT WILL BE ISSUED BETWEEN 6 AND 8 AM DAILY...AND WILL BE
UPDATED AS NEEDED.  FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR
HAZARD...MAKE SURE TO REFER TO THE ZONE FORECASTS AND THE ACTUAL
WATCH...WARNING OR ADVISORY PRODUCT.

PEDIGO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

29 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Audrain

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Audrain forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.216, -91.842 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Boone

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.991, -92.310 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Callaway

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Callaway forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.836, -91.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cole

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Cole forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.505, -92.282 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Crawford

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.976, -91.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Franklin

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.411, -91.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Gasconade

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Gasconade forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.441, -91.508 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Iron

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Iron forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.504, -90.690 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jefferson

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.261, -90.538 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Knox

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.128, -92.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lewis

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lewis forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.097, -91.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lincoln

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.058, -90.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Madison

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.478, -90.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Marion

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.806, -91.622 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Moniteau

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Moniteau forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.633, -92.583 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Monroe

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.496, -92.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Montgomery

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.942, -91.470 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Osage

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Osage forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.460, -91.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Pike

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Pike forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.344, -91.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Ralls

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Ralls forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.528, -91.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Reynolds

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Reynolds forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.362, -90.969 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Shelby

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.798, -92.077 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, St. Charles

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: St. Charles forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.782, -90.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, St. Francois

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: St. Francois forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.810, -90.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, St. Louis

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: St. Louis forecast zone
Injuries: 30 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.641, -90.443 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, St. Louis (C)

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: St. Louis (C) forecast zone
Injuries: 17 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.627, -90.198 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Ste. Genevieve

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Ste. Genevieve forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.894, -90.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Warren

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.765, -91.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Washington

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.962, -90.877 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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, July 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: 5303325, 5303326, 5303327, 5303328, 5303329, 5303330, 5303331, 5303332, 5303333, 5303334, 5303335, 5303336, 5304424, 5304425, 5304426, 5304427, 5304428, 5304429, 5304430, 5304431, 5304432, 5304433, 5304434, 5304435, 5304436, 5304437, 5304438, 5304439, 5304440.