Two rounds of thunderstorms impacted portions of the Missouri Ozarks on 3 July. The first round of storms tracked over central Missouri producing damaging wind gusts and flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Two rounds of thunderstorms impacted portions of the Missouri Ozarks on 3 July. The first round of storms tracked over central Missouri producing damaging wind gusts and flooding. The second round developed during the afternoon hours causing large hail along with additional flooding to occur.
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 Jul 2, 10:52 PM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1152 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008
...MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE DISCUSSION...
.UPDATE...
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED AT LATE EVENING FROM EAST CENTRAL
KANSAS INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI IN ADVANCE OF A SAGGING COLD FRONT.
OVERALL INTENSITY HAD DECREASED AT LATE EVENING BUT THE
CONVECTION HAD CONSOLIDATED INTO A EAST TO WEST LINE THAT HAD
SHIFTED SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70. THIS ACTIVITY HAS BECOME ORIENTED
WITHIN THE 850-700 MB THETA-E AXIS AND REGION OF UPPER LEVEL
DIVERGENCE. SOME QUESTION HOW THIS CONVECTION WILL EVOLVE TONIGHT.
HOWEVER EXPECT ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AS STRENGTHENING LOW
LEVEL JET INTERACTS WITH THIS BOUNDARY. CORFIDI VECTORS AND
DEVELOPING COLD POOL SUGGEST CONVECTION WOULD SINK SOUTHWARD
OVERNIGHT. DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE SINKING BOUNDARY WILL LEAD TO
TRAINING CELLS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. GIVEN
THIS POTENTIAL AND SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST EXCESSIVE RAINFALL
OUTLOOK THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ADJUSTED TO BEGIN SOONER.
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO
CENTRAL MISSOURI BEGINNING TONIGHT...AS AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH IF
I-44 BEGINNING NOON THURSDAY. THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS OVERNIGHT
IS LOW AND CONFINED TO CENTRAL MISSOURI.
FOSTER
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MAGNITUDE OF TSRA DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT AND SHORT RANGE MODEL
INCONSISTENCY MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES.
CAP HAS KEPT PERSISTENT BAND OF TSRA JUST NORTH OF THE FORCAST
AREA THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH MAY SEE SOME ISOLATED ACTIVITY AS
AFTERNOON HEATING PEAKS.
COLD FRONT AT 19Z EXTENDED FROM NEAR DSM TO THE NORTHWEST TIP OF
MISSOURI TO KCNK WITH PREFRONTAL ELEVATED TSRA EVIDENCE OF
LIFT/INSTABILITY. FRONT AND TSRA CHANCES TO DESCEND INTO THE
FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. CORFIDI VECTORS VEER SOUTHWARD DURING THE
NIGHT...THOUGH SOME QUESTION AS TO FORCING DESPITE FRONT AS H8
WINDS TEND TO CONVERGE AS OPPOSED TO FEED COMPLEX. STILL WITH WET
GROUNDS...LOCALIZED FLOODING ACROSS CENTRAL MO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.
WHAT TONIGHTS RAINS WILL DO IS FURTHER SATURATE SOILS...SETTING
STAGE FOR POTENTIAL HOLIDAY FLASH FLOOD EVENT. MADE NO CHANGES TO
CURRENT FFA...THOUGH MODEL INCONSISTENCIES ARE TROUBLESOME. HAVE
LARGELY THROWN OUT GFS QPF DUE TO CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ON THURSDAY
AND AGAIN FRIDAY...THOUGH BASED UPON NATIONAL GUIDANCE AM MORE APT
TO FOLLOW ITS SURFACE PATTERN OVER THE SOUTHWARD PROPAGATING WRF
SOLUTION WHICH ENDS TSRA BY EARLY FRIDAY. WITH FORECAST AREA ON
SOUTHERN FRINGE OF WESTERLIES AND H8 WINDS VEERED AROUND...DO NOT
EXPECT EXCESSIVE RAINFALL THOUGH ANY SUBSTANTIAL RAIN WILL LEAD TO
FLOODING GIVEN ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS.
RUNNELS
LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE FRONT ALONG WITH THE STRONGEST 850MB
MOISTURE TRANSPORT SHIFTS INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS. WITH ISENTROPIC
DOWNGLIDE NOTED ALONG THE 315K THETA SURFACE...PRECIPITATION CHANCES
WILL DIMINISH SATURDAY MORNING.
THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN AGREEMENT OF A GRADUAL BUILDING OF THE
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE INTO THE PLAINS AND THE OZARKS OVER THE WEEKEND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL BRING A STRETCH OF DRY WEATHER TO THE
AREA WITH THE WESTERLIES ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONUS.
THE GFS AND ECMWF DEPICT A WEAK FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A QUICK MOVING
SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS APPROACHING SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND
THE MISSOURI OZARKS EARLY NEXT WEEK. HAVE SOME DOUBT THAT THIS FRONT
WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS FAR SOUTH WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES
ALOFT DEPICTED BY BOTH MODELS ASSOCIATED WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW. THUS
HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH A DRY FORECAST THROUGH THE REST OF THE
EXTENDED.
FOR TEMPERATURES HAVE CONTINUED TO UNDERCUT GUIDANCE WITH A SLOW
WARMING TREND DUE TO THE MOIST GROUND FROM THE RECENT RAINS. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY CLIMB TO NEAR 90 WITH LOWS IN
THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S ACROSS THE OZARKS WITH LOWER 70S ALONG THE
OSAGE PLAIN.
ANGLE
&&
.AVIATION...
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AS THE NOCTURNAL LOW
LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AND
MISSOURI WILL SPREAD SOUTH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS A FRONT
SAGS SOUTHWARD. THESE STORMS MAY DRIFT INTO THE SPRINGFIELD AND
JOPLIN VICINITIES AFTER 07Z. THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY INCREASE IN
COVERAGE ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS TH FRONT
MOVES INTO SOUTHERN MISSOURI. LOCALIZED MVFR OR EVEN IFR
CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STORMS.
FOSTER
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING FOR MOZ082-090>098-101>106.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR MOZ055>058-066>071-
077>081-083-088-089.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR KSZ073-097-101.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 755 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-040100- 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- 755 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND TO 60 MPH...QUARTER SIZE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING: A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI... OR NORTH OF A NEVADA TO ROLLA LINE FROM LATE EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD TOWARD THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR OVERNIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN OVERNIGHT. DISCUSSION: THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE FROM EASTERN KANSAS INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI THIS EVENING AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY SPREAD SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...AND POSSIBLY INTO SOUTHERN MISSOURI BY MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME FOCUSED ALONG A REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI LATER TONIGHT. SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY WILL BE IN PLACE FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS LATE THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI...BUT THIS POTENTIAL WILL DECREASE DURING THE NIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL AND RESULTING FLOODING WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN OVERNIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI...OR AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM LAMAR TO ROLLA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATER THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. WITH THE GROUND SATURATED FROM EARLIER RAINS...THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING POTENTIAL... THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF THE SEVERE WEATHER...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT LIKELY THROUGH TONIGHT. && 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1222 AM CDT THU JUL 3 2008 MOZ055-067-030615- ST. CLAIR MO-BENTON MO- 1222 AM CDT THU JUL 3 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BENTON AND NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTIES UNTIL 115 AM CDT... AT 1218 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM COLE CAMP TO DEEPWATER...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES SOUTH OF SEDALIA TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLINTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 34 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... LOWRY CITY BY 1235 AM CDT. WARSAW BY 1240 AM CDT. THE TOWNS OF RACKET...CROCKERVILLE...EDMONSON...WHITAKERVILLE... ZORA...LAKEVIEW HEIGHTS...ICONIUM...HASTAIN...HARPER AND FRISTOE ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS. WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. WISE
The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:29 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees along Highway 65 between Warsaw and Lincoln.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees along Highway 65 between Warsaw and Lincoln.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few trees.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few trees.
The Big Buffalo Creek and a couple of its tributaries flooded a section of Highway WW.
Numerous county roads became flooded near the Tuscumbia area. More specifically, sections of Popular, Catfish, and Allen roads were impassable to motorists.
Railey Creek flooded sections of Highway 413 in Reeds Spring.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, July 2008
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: 115305, 115307, 115310, 115311, 115281, 115278, 115288, 115289, 115290, 115286.