Heavy Snow in Missouri, January 29 to 30, 2010

Name: Heavy Snow in Missouri, January 29 to 30, 2010
Start: 2010-01-29T10:00
End: 2010-01-30T06:00
Location: Missouri

January 29 to 30, 2010 · NWS PAH · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

An upper level storm system moved slowly east across the Mid-Mississippi Valley, producing widespread heavy snow. The surface low pressure center moved east across the Gulf Coast states.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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: 3
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

An upper level storm system moved slowly east across the Mid-Mississippi Valley, producing widespread heavy snow. The surface low pressure center moved east across the Gulf Coast states. Accumulations across southeast Missouri were generally from 8 to 10 inches west of a line from Dexter to Marble Hill, which includes Poplar Bluff. East of Dexter and Marble Hill, amounts were generally from 6 to 8 inches. Specific amounts included 9.5 inches at Mill Spring (Wayne County) and Bloomfield, 9 inches at Doniphan, 8 inches at Cape Girardeau, Greenville, and seven miles northwest of Poplar Bluff, 7 inches at Sikeston, Scott City, Dexter, and Marble Hill, and 6 inches at Portageville (New Madrid County). There was some blowing and drifting of the snow due to gusty winds. Drifts were reported up to two feet. Roads were snow-covered and very slippery. The city of Dexter implemented their resident notification system to advise residents not to drive unless absolutely necessary. Numerous accidents were reported, mainly vehicles sliding off roads. The Doniphan Police Department in Ripley County responded to nearly 30 minor accidents. Poplar Bluff officers responded to 14 accidents. Several minor accidents occurred in Dexter and nearby portions of Highways 25 and 60. A couple of accidents in Wayne and Cape Girardeau Counties resulted in minor injuries (indirect injuries). The accident near Crump in Cape Girardeau County occurred when a vehicle slid off the road and overturned. The accident in Wayne County occurred near Patterson when a vehicle slid off the road and overturned, injuring two people. Visibility was reduced to around one-quarter mile in the heaviest periods of snow, which accumulated up to an inch per hour.

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 Jan 28, 3:01 PM CST, 18 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 28, 3:01 PM CST, 18 hours 59 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 28, 4:17 PM CST, 17 hours 43 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, New Madrid

When: January 29, 10:00 AM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: New Madrid forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.595, -89.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ripley

When: January 29, 10:00 AM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Ripley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.653, -90.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Butler

When: January 29, 10:00 AM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.716, -90.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mississippi

When: January 29, 12:00 PM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Mississippi forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.828, -89.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stoddard

When: January 29, 1:00 PM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Stoddard forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.856, -89.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Carter

When: January 29, 2:00 PM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.941, -90.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When: January 29, 2:00 PM CST to January 30, 5:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.113, -90.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Scott

When: January 29, 2:00 PM CST to January 30, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 37.053, -89.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bollinger

When: January 29, 3:00 PM CST to January 30, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Bollinger forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.322, -90.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cape Girardeau

When: January 29, 3:00 PM CST to January 30, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Cape Girardeau forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 37.384, -89.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Perry

When: January 29, 4:00 PM CST to January 30, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.707, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Missouri in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Missouri, January 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 207852, 207853, 207855, 207850, 207856, 207857, 207861, 207864, 207862, 207863, 207866.