Hail, Carter
- When
- April 21, 6:47 PM CST
- Where
- Carter County, Van Buren
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 37.000, -91.017
Hail in Missouri, April 21, 2004
Two separate severe thunderstorms produced large hail in and near Van Buren over a 20 to 30-minute period.
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
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Two separate severe thunderstorms produced large hail in and near Van Buren over a 20 to 30-minute period.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 21, 1:27 PM CST, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 1:27 PM CST, 5 hours 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 225 PM WED APR 21 2004 .DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERN FOR THE FORECAST CONTINUES TO BE POPS AND SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. A BAND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHEAST THIRD OF THE CWA ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORT WAVE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SLOW PROGRESS TO THE EAST. IN THE MEANTIME...NEARLY STATIONARY COLD FRONT REMAINS POISED JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE CWA. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS SKIES HAVE CLEARED OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE CWA CAUSING THE AIRMASS IN THOSE AREAS TO DESTABILIZE NICELY. LATEST LAPS DATA SHOWING LIFTED INDICES IN THE -6 TO -10 RANGE AND CAPE RANGING FROM 500 TO 1800 J/KG. LATEST SAT PIX SHOWING SOME TCU DEVELOPMENT ALREADY. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR CLOSELY. FORECAST-WISE...MODELS AGAIN NOT IN THE BEST AGREEMENT. GFS APPEARED TO AGAIN HAVE A CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK PROBLEM...SO DECIDED TO GO WITH THE ETA/MESOETA...ESPECIALLY THE MESOETA. MESOETA SAGS THE COLD FRONT INTO THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND KEEPS IT THERE. IT THEN DEVELOPS A BAND OF CONVECTION ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. BY MIDNIGHT A STRONG SHORT WAVE WILL BEGIN TO LIFT ENE ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS FEATURE...COMBINED WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY... SHOULD PRODUCE A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND MIDDAY THURSDAY. DONT EXPECT ANY FLOODING PROBLEMS WITH THIS ROUND...BUT SHOULD WET THINGS DOWN NICELY. BY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AFTER THIS ROUND OF PRECIP LIFTS TO THE NORTH...THE MESOETA DEVELOPS A BAND OF RW/TRW ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY. THE MESOETA THEN SLOWLY DROPS THE FRONT SOUTHWARD UNTIL IT CLEARS THE CWA BY LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. DURING THAT 24 HOUR TIME FRAME WITH SEVERAL SHORT WAVES PASSING OVER THE BOUNDARY COMBINED WITH COPIUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE...IT CRANKS OUT SOME SERIOUS QPF (1 TO 3 INCHES) ACROSS THE CWA. AFTER A VERY BRIEF RESPITE...SATURDAY NIGHT THE MODELS DEVELOP A WAVE ON THE FRONT IN RESPONSE TO A SHORT WAVE LIFTING NE OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. MODELS LIFT THE BULK OF THE ENERGY/MOISTURE TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF OUR CWA...BUT WE WILL PROBABLY SEE PRECIP...ESPECIALLY OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS. ON SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING THE SFC LOW...BY THEN NORTH OF THE CWA...WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA THUS PRODUCING ANOTHER ROUND OF RW/TRW. IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM...HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD KEEP THE AREA DRY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FOR TEMPS...SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAV AND FWC MOS. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. IN...NONE. KY...NONE. MO...NONE. && JAP
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 4:08 AM CST, 14 hours 39 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED DAY ONE DESIGNATOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 508 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100- 107>112-114-221000- ALEXANDER IL-BALLARD KY-BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CALDWELL KY- CALLOWAY KY-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARLISLE KY-CARTER MO-CHRISTIAN KY- CRITTENDEN KY-DAVIESS KY-EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-FULTON KY- GALLATIN IL-GIBSON IN-GRAVES KY-HAMILTON IL-HARDIN IL-HENDERSON KY- HICKMAN KY-HOPKINS KY-JACKSON IL-JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL- LIVINGSTON KY-LYON KY-MARSHALL KY-MASSAC IL-MCCRACKEN KY-MCLEAN KY- MISSISSIPPI MO-MUHLENBERG KY-NEW MADRID MO-PERRY MO-PERRY IL-PIKE IN- POPE IL-POSEY IN-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO-SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-SPENCER IN- STODDARD MO-TODD KY-TRIGG KY-UNION KY-UNION IL-VANDERBURGH IN- WABASH IL-WARRICK IN-WAYNE MO-WAYNE IL-WEBSTER KY-WHITE IL- WILLIAMSON IL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ADVANCE...ALBION...ANNA...BARDWELL... BENTON...BERNIE...BLOOMFIELD...BOONVILLE...BRECKINRIDGE CENTER... CADIZ...CAIRO...CALHOUN...CALVERT CITY...CAPE GIRARDEAU... CARBONDALE...CARMI...CARTERVILLE...CENTRAL CITY...CHAFFEE... CHANDLER...CHARLESTON...CHRISTOPHER...CLINTON...DAWSON SPRINGS... DEXTER...DONIPHAN...DU QUOIN...EAST PRAIRIE...EDDYVILLE...ELDORADO... ELKTON...EVANSVILLE...FAIRFIELD...FORT BRANCH... FORT CAMPBELL NORTH...FULTON...GREENVILLE...HARRISBURG...HENDERSON... HERRIN...HICKMAN...HOPKINSVILLE...JACKSON...JOHNSTON CITY... JONESBORO...LA CENTER...LILBOURN...LONE OAK...MADISONVILLE... MARBLE HILL...MARION...MAYFIELD...MCLEANSBORO...MELODY HILL... METROPOLIS...MINER...MORGANFIELD...MOUNT CARMEL...MOUNT VERNON... MURPHYSBORO...MURRAY...NEW MADRID...NEWBURGH...OAK GROVE... OAKLAND CITY...ORAN...OWENSBORO...PADUCAH...PERRYVILLE... PETERSBURG...PIEDMONT...PINCKNEYVILLE...POPLAR BLUFF... PORTAGEVILLE...PRINCETON...PROVIDENCE...REIDLAND...ROCKPORT... SCOTT CITY...SHAWNEETOWN...SIKESTON...STURGIS...VIENNA... WEST FRANKFORT AND WICKLIFFE 508 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM PERRYVILLE MISSOURI TO EVANSVILLE INDIANA AFTER 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON. ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL END BY 9 PM. AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE QUAD STATE THIS MORNING WILL PUSH EAST OF THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WITH PLENTIFUL CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION IN THE REGION...INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED...SO SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD ACROSS THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT SOME LOCATIONS MAY RECEIVE OVER AN INCH OF RAINFALL. MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AT A FEW POINTS ALONG THE OHIO RIVER. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH OUT OF THE QUAD STATE BY EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...BUT SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH THIS EVENT. THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THIS PERIOD. MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE AT A FEW POINTS ALONG THE OHIO RIVER INTO THE WEEKEND. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AFTER 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM PERRYVILLE MISSOURI TO EVANSVILLE INDIANA. DRS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 21, 5:12 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 612 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ILZ081-082-084>086-088>090-212345- FRANKLIN IL-HAMILTON IL-JACKSON IL-JOHNSON IL-POPE IL-SALINE IL- UNION IL-WILLIAMSON IL- 612 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTHEAST OF MARION ILLINOIS... AT 610 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN JOHNSON CITY AND PITTSBURG...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARION... MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THROUGH 645 PM...THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE PEA TO SMALL MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT AREAS AROUND...AND JUST WEST OF CORINTH. NOLES
Special weather statement, Apr 21, 5:32 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 632 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ILZ081-082-084>086-088>090-220000- FRANKLIN IL-HAMILTON IL-JACKSON IL-JOHNSON IL-POPE IL-SALINE IL- UNION IL-WILLIAMSON IL- 632 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTHEAST OF MARION ILLINOIS... AT 630 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO DETECT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN JOHNSON CITY AND PITTSBURG...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARION...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED UP TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN THE VICINITY OF PITTSBURG. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AS WELL OVER NORTH CENTRAL WILLIAMSON COUNTY. THROUGH 700 PM...THIS STORM WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PEA TO SMALL MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT AREAS AROUND...AND JUST WEST OF CORINTH...AS WELL AS THE PITTSBURG AREA. NOLES
Special weather statement, Apr 21, 5:32 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 632 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ILZ081-082-084>086-088>090-220000- FRANKLIN IL-HAMILTON IL-JACKSON IL-JOHNSON IL-POPE IL-SALINE IL- UNION IL-WILLIAMSON IL- 632 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST NORTHEAST OF MARION ILLINOIS... AT 630 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO DETECT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN JOHNSTON CITY AND PITTSBURG...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARION...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED UP TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN THE VICINITY OF PITTSBURG. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AS WELL OVER NORTH CENTRAL WILLIAMSON COUNTY. THROUGH 700 PM...THIS STORM WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PEA TO SMALL MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT AREAS AROUND...AND JUST WEST OF CORINTH...AS WELL AS THE PITTSBURG AREA. NOLES - COR FOR JOHNSTON CITY
Special weather statement, Apr 21, 5:55 PM CST, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 655 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ILZ075>078-080>089-092-093-MOZ076-086-087-100-107>111-220100- ALEXANDER IL-BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARTER MO- EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-GALLATIN IL-HAMILTON IL-JACKSON IL- JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL-PERRY IL-PERRY MO-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO- SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-STODDARD MO-UNION IL-WABASH IL-WAYNE IL-WAYNE MO- WHITE IL-WILLIAMSON IL- 655 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004 ...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS... EARLY THIS EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ALONG A LINE... FROM CARMI...TO JUST NORTH OF BOTH MARION AND MURPHYSBORO IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM NEAR PERRYVILLE TO VAN BUREN IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AS WELL. THE STRONGEST STORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...GENERALLY FROM THE DE SOTO AREA...TO JOHNSTON CITY...EAST TO NEAR CARMI...WILL LIKELY PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...PEA TO SMALL MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND PERHAPS GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...THROUGH 800 PM. THE STORMS OVER NORTHERN CARTER COUNTY...IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI WILL LIKELY RESULT IN HEAVY RAINFALL AS WELL. THE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY...GENERALLY EAST ABOUT 10 MPH. NOLES
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Carter
- When
- April 21, 7:08 PM CST
- Where
- Carter County, Van Buren
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 37.000, -91.017
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
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 21, 2004
- Lightning Strike in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, April 21 to 22, 2004
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 21 to 22, 2004
- Strong Wind in California, April 21 to 22, 2004
- Lightning Strike in South Dakota, April 21, 2004
- Hail in Kansas, April 21, 2004
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Erie, April 21, 2004
More
Every storm in Missouri in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 2004
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: 5388531, 5388530.