One of the greatest disasters to ever impact southwest Missouri, including the Springfield metro area, occurred in the form of an ice storm. Several counties, mainly along and north of the interstate 44 corridor, experienced ice accumulations up to two and a half inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS SGF wrote it up.
One of the greatest disasters to ever impact southwest Missouri, including the Springfield metro area, occurred in the form of an ice storm. Several counties, mainly along and north of the interstate 44 corridor, experienced ice accumulations up to two and a half inches. Power outages and catastrophic tree damage were the main impacts resulting from this historic event. However, for southeast Kansas, mainly sleet fell during this time which accumulated up to five inches in some spots. The sleet pack made for hazardous travel for several days while numerous reports of broken bones and other injuries occurred to individuals falling on the slippery sleet pack.
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 Jan 12, 2:58 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 258 PM CST FRI JAN 12 2007 ...MAJOR ICE STORM TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY... .DISCUSSION... ARCTIC AIR CONTINUES TO SURGE SOUTH WITH THE FREEZING LINE STRETCHING FROM JUST WEST OF SPRINGFIELD TO JUST NORTH OF ROLLA AT 20Z. FREEZING RAIN AND DRIZZLE ALREADY FALLING FROM SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI. PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN MIXED AT TIMES WITH SLEET ESPECIALLY ON THE WESTERN EDGES OF THE PRECIPITATION WHERE THE COLD COLUMN HAD DEEPENED. PRECIPITATION CONTINUED TO EXPAND FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE OZARKS IN REGION OF STRONG FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING. LIFT WAS ALSO AIDED BY A MINOR SHORTWAVE TRACKING NORTHEAST OUT OF OKLAHOMA. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)... FOLLOWED CLOSER TO THE WRF MODEL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH ITS BETTER PERFORMANCE OF THE THERMAL PROFILE. EXPECT FREEZING LINE TO REACH A SPRINGFIELD TO ROLLA LINE BY MID AFTERNOON AND FROM JUST NORTH OF BRANSON TO NEAR HOUSTON BY LATE EVENING. ARCTIC AIR WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED ACROSS REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND BUT TEMPERATURES MAY REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING IN FAR SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT. WE WILL SEE WAVES OF PRECIPITATION PUSH ACROSS THE REGION THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES TRACK NORTHEAST IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AHEAD OF A PRIMARY TROUGH ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. UPPER JET INTERACTIONS WILL ALSO ENHANCE SYNOPTIC LIFT AND PRECIPITATION RATES AT TIMES. MOISTURE IS IN ABUNDANT SUPPLY WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 1.25 ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. PERSISTENT MOISTURE TRANSPORT OVER TOP THE ARCTIC BOUNDARY WILL RESULT IN POTENTIALLY DAMAGING ICE ACCUMULATIONS. LATEST MODEL OUTPUT SUGGEST HEAVY ICE ACCUMULATIONS WITH ONE HALF TO ONE INCH ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE BY SUNDAY. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. AN ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM GALENA TO HOUSTON. BOTH THE GFS AND WRF MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT A RATHER STOUT LAYER OF WARM AIR WILL REMAIN ABOVE THIS VERY SHALLOW ARCTIC AIRMASS INTO SUNDAY. TWO THINGS WILL LEAD TO CHANGING THE FREEZING RAIN OVER TO A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOW ON SUNDAY. THE FIRST WILL BE THE CONTINUAL INTENSIFICATION OF THE COLD AIRMASS UNDERNEATH THE WARM LAYER ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH PERSISTENT COLD AIR ADVECTION WITH THE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE. THE SECOND WILL BE THE COOLING ASSOCIATED THE CORE OF THE UPPER WAVE ITSELF. AREAS IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI LOOK AS THOUGH THIS SWITCH TO SLEET AND SNOW WILL OCCUR SUNDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE ENDING SUNDAY NIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET/SNOW ARE EXPECTED AND HAVE MAINTAINED THE ASSESSMENT FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. FARTHER EAST (I.E. THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE CWFA)...IT APPEARS AS THOUGH WE WILL RELY ON THE COOLING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER WAVE TO MORPH THE TEMPERATURES ALOFT TOWARD FREEZING BEFORE A CHANGEOVER IS EXPECTED. I EXPECT MORE SLEET TO MIX IN WITH THE FREEZING RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES SUNDAY...BUT A COMPLETE CHANGEOVER ISNT LIKELY UNTIL SUNSET SUNDAY OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE OF THE FREEZING RAIN VARIETY...BUT WE WILL NEED TO KEEP A VERY CLOSE EYE ON SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND FAR WESTERN MISSOURI COUNTIES TO SEE IF THE COLD AIR NEAR THE SURFACE IS INTENSE ENOUGH TO TRANSITION THE FREEZING RAIN TO SLEET EARLIER THAN ANTICIPATED. ALSO HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE POTENTIAL OF FLOODING WILL EXIST ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI WHERE AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING COULD MATERIALIZE ACROSS FAR SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI AND POINTS TO THE EAST AND SOUTH. THE LATEST INFORMATION SUGGEST THAT THIS WILL BE A MAJOR ICE STORM. TRAVEL WILL BECOME TREACHEROUS IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY. FOSTER/GAGAN LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... MED RANGE GUIDANCE AND THE GFS ENSEMBLES GENERALLY AGREE THAT AN AMPLIFIED PATTERN WILL CONTINUE. AN ARCTIC HIGH WILL BE PARKED OVER THE REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK...SLOWLY HEADING EAST BY WEEKS END AS ANOTHER UPPER WAVE ENTERS THE NORTHERN CONUS. OVERALL AM EXPECTING AN UPPER TROUGH TO REMAIN IN PLACE FOR MOST OF THE PERIOD IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM...WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF SHORTWAVE RIDING LATE NEXT WEEK AHEAD OF THE DISTURBANCE OVER THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE. THE COLDEST PERIOD WILL BE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH TEMPS A SOLID 20F BELOW THE SEASONAL AVERAGE. HIGHS TEMPS WILL BEGIN TO MODERATE A BIT ON WED/THUR...BUT LOWS WED NIGHT WILL STILL REMAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW TEENS. GIVEN DEEP LAYER DRY AIR PROGGED BY THE MODELS...WILL KEEP THE EXTENDED PRECIP FREE. GAGAN && .AVIATION... IFR/LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES CURRENTLY BEING REPORTED ACROSS THE REGION. IN ADDITION...KJLN WENT BELOW FREEZING AROUND 16Z AND RAIN HAS NOW GONE OVER TO FREEZING RAIN. EXPECT KSGF TO GO TO FZRA AROUND 21Z...WITH KUNO AREA CONVERTING OVER AFTER 06Z. CONDITIONS WILL THEN REMAIN IFR/LIFR THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD FOR BOTH CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WITH SCATTERED TO OCCASIONAL FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...ICE STORM WARNING FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM GALENA TO HOUSTON. WINTER STORM WATCH FOR FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI. FLOOD WATCH FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-44. KS...ICE STORM WARNING FOR BOURBON...CHEROKEE...AND CRAWFORD COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS. WFO SGF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1215 PM CST FRI JAN 12 2007 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-131900- BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON- ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS- LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON- LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE- TANEY-OZARK-OREGON- 1215 PM CST FRI JAN 12 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. ...A MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A MAJOR ICE STORM WILL DEVELOP FROM SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO THE MISSOURI OZARKS THROUGH TONIGHT. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE QUARTER TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH ARE LIKELY BY SATURDAY MORNING. SEE THE LATEST WINTER STORM WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR THE LATEST DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY WITH TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH POSSIBLE. THE FREEZING RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO SLEET AND SNOW SUNDAY AS THE PRIMARY STORM SYSTEM TRACKS INTO THE REGION. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES MAY CAUSE FLOODING ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN MISSOURI. THIS WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE SURROUNDING REGION FROM OKLAHOMA NORTHEAST TO ILLINOIS. IF TRAVEL IS NECESSARY THIS WEEKEND...BE PREPARED FOR TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. HOWEVER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELAY ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF(ALL LOWERCASE) FOSTER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Three to five inches of sleet pack accumulated across the entire county.
Three to five inches of sleet pack accumulated across the entire county.
Three to five inches of sleet pack accumulated across the entire county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, January 2007
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: 13079, 13080, 13081.