Single cell thunderstorms developed over southwest Missouri in response to the approach of an mesoscale convective vortex. Large hail, damaging winds, and a localized area of flash flooding occurred.
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.
Single cell thunderstorms developed over southwest Missouri in response to the approach of an mesoscale convective vortex. Large hail, damaging winds, and a localized area of flash flooding occurred.
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 May 25, 12:14 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
114 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008
...MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER AIR SONDE WILL BE RELEASED FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD AT NOON. CONCERNS ARE INCREASING REGARDING
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
AN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS HAS EVOLVED OVER SE KANSAS AND THE
MISSOURI OZARKS. POINT FORECAST SOUNDINGS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PLAN
VIEW RUC/LAPS 0-1 CAPE SUGGESTS VALUES BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 J/KG.
WHILE DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS QUITE MODEST...LOW LEVEL HELICITIES ARE
SURPRISINGLY HIGH. SURFACE WINDS HAVE REMAINED BACKED DUE TO THE
APPROACH OF AN MCV OVER CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. 0-1 HELICITIES ARE
FORECAST TO REMAIN AT 100M2S2 OR HIGHER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.
AS THE MCV APPROACHES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...EXPLOSIVE
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR. DUE TO HIGH NORMALIZED CAPE
WITHIN THE HAIL GROWTH LAYER...LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF
BALLS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING STRONG DOWNBURST WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. GIVEN THE LOW
LEVEL SHEARED ENVIRONMENT...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO ALSO CAN NOT
BE RULED OUT.
CRAMER
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MCV FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE CWA OVERNIGHT. WITH PWATS
APPROACHING 1.75 INCHES ON THIS MORNINGS SOUNDING...THIS FEATURE
IS GOING TO PRODUCE SOME VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVERNIGHT AS WELL.
THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WAS ISSUED TO COVER COUNTIES ALONG AND
SOUTH OF THE I-44 CORRIDOR. COLD FRONT MOVES INTO NORTHERN
MISSOURI LATE MONDAY MORNING. THE FRONT THEN SLOWLY MOVES INTO
SOUTHERN MISSOURI BY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS SHOULD SET UP A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN/SEVERE WEATHER EVENT TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITH
SB/CAPES OVER 3000 J/KG AND VERY LITTLE CONVECTIVE INHIBITION
ALONG THE FRONT...ESPECIALLY OVER OUR SOUTHWESTERN ZONES. PWATS
REMAIN HIGH WITH OVER 1.5 INCHES ON GFS MODEL SOUNDINGS. STILL
THINK WE COULD SEE A HEAVY RAIN EVENT ONCE AGAIN TUESDAY.
FRONT SLOWLY SAGS DOWN INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS TUESDAY NIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY...THEN SOUTHERN ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY EVENING. UPPER
RIDGING...SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING RETURNS FOR
THE END OF THE WEEK.
GCC
&&
.AVIATION...
FOR THE 18Z TAF PACKAGE...COMPLICATED TAF AS A MESOSCALE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST OUT OF OKLAHOMA. THIS SYSTEM WILL
LIKELY CAUSE MINOR WIND FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN SOUTHEAST AND
SOUTHWEST. AT THE SAME TIME...EXPECT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OUT
AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SCATTERED AT FIRST WITH
COVERAGE INCREASING AS WE GET INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SOME
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE. HIGHLIGHTED THE MOST LIKELY TIMES FOR
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WITH TEMPO GROUPS IN THE TAFS. WILL
PROBABLY SEE A REDUCTION IN VISIBILITIES DURING THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS AS WELL...SIMILAR TO THIS MORNINGS CONDITIONS. VISIBILITIES
MAY BE FURTHER REDUCED IF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL COMES TO FRUITION
DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS AS IT WOULD INCREASE THE
AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AS THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE BECOMES
DECOUPLED.
BARJENBRUCH
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON FOR MOZ070-071-077-079>083-088>098-101>106.
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON FOR KSZ097-101.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 123 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-261830- 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- 123 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND THE MISSOURI OZARKS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS...DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING...AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. AN AIRMASS LOADED IN GULF MOISTURE WHICH IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE REGION. MEANWHILE...AN UPPER LEVEL CIRCULATION WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM OKLAHOMA. THIS FEATURE WILL INTERACT WITH THIS UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO PRODUCE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO ABOVE NORMAL LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR VALUES...ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER LEVEL CIRCULATION WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO TRACK THROUGH THE REGION FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ALL POSSIBLE. FLOODING OF CREEKS...STREAMS...LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND RIVERS WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 2 PM AND 8 PM CDT TODAY. && 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) BARJENBRUCH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 215 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 MOZ101>104-252000- STONE MO-BARRY MO-TANEY MO-MCDONALD MO- 215 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BARRY...MCDONALD...STONE AND TANEY COUNTIES... ...ANYONE ON OR NEAR TABLE ROCK LAKE AND ROARING RIVER STATE PARK SHOULD MONITOR FOR DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS... AT 213 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NEAR FAYETTEVILLE AND SILOAM SPRINGS. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH...AND COULD EVENTUALLY IMPACT PORTIONS OF FAR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE TABLE ROCK LAKE AREA...WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. PEOPLE IN BARRY...MCDONALD...STONE AND TANEY COUNTIES...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER OCCUR. CRAMER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 301 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 MOZ101>104-252030- STONE MO-BARRY MO-TANEY MO-MCDONALD MO- 301 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BARRY...EASTERN MCDONALD...STONE AND TANEY COUNTIES... AT 257 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...MORE SPECIFICALLY ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTH OF BELLA VISTA TO NEAR FAYETTEVILLE.....MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. AS THESE STORMS TRACK INTO FAR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE. ANYONE ON OR NEAR TABLE ROCK LAKE SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR MEDIA OUTLETS OR NOAA WEATHER RADIOS FOR LATER WARNINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. ANYONE NEAR ROARING RIVER STATE PARK SHOULD ALSO MONITOR THESE INCOMING STORMS COMING IN FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. CRAMER
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:24 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed three trees and knocked over power poles.
A swath of tree and power line damage occurred from severe thunderstorm wind gusts across the Table Rock Lake area.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a large tree.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts pulled a roof off of a barn. Cattle panels were also destroyed at this location.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees and power lines.
Trees were blown over from thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of Highway N and Hancock Road.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed numerous trees.
Excessive rainfall caused several low water crossings to become impassable to motorists across much of central and southwest sections of the county.
The Roubidoux River flooded a section of Dyer Street.
Excessive rain caused several low water crossings in eastern sections of the county to become impassable to motorists.
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, May 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: 100181, 100182, 100183, 100179, 100180, 100185, 100191, 100186, 100187, 100190, 100192, 100176, 100177, 100178.