Strong gusty winds and relatively dry conditions along with dormant vegetation led to high fire danger and spreading of grass fires. Numerous small grass fires were reported around the entire area.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Strong gusty winds and relatively dry conditions along with dormant vegetation led to high fire danger and spreading of grass fires. Numerous small grass fires were reported around the entire area.
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 Mar 13, 11:23 AM CST, 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1223 PM CDT Thu Mar 13 2014
...Updated Aviation Section...
.SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight)
Issued at 315 AM CDT THU MAR 13 2014
Surface high pressure will migrate to the southeast today while
the upper pattern flattens out and 500 MB heights rise.
Warmer temperatures will return as southwesterly winds increase
and 850 MB temperatures rise. I have increased highs today with
expected readings in the middle to upper 60s at most locations.
This along with a dry airmass and gusty southwesterly winds will
result in elevated to significant fire weather concerns. See the
fire weather discussion below for more details.
Temperatures will remain relatively mild tonight as southwesterly
winds persist.
.LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday)
Issued at 315 AM CDT THU MAR 13 2014
Another rather warm day can be expected Friday as the 850 MB
thermal ridge transitions across the area in advance of a weak dry
front. Wouldn't be surprised if Friday's temperatures are not
raised some more in later forecast. While surface dew points will
rise a bit, elevated fire weather concerns will continue Friday.
A shortwave trough now just off of the California coast will
track eastward and make its way into the lower Mississippi River
Valley by Saturday. Expect showers to increase primarily across
far southern Missouri Saturday and Saturday night as we will be on
the northern periphery of this system. Cannot a rule some isolated
thunder. Still expect another mild day on Saturday despite
increasing clouds.
A northern stream shortwave trough will slide southeastward across
Missouri River Valley later Saturday and Sunday as the upper
pattern undergoes amplification. This will allow Canadian high
pressure to build southward into the region Sunday in the wake of
the southern stream system passing to our south. The result will
be a return to colder weather.
Near to slightly below normal temperatures and dry weather are expected
for the early and middle portion of next week.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday Afternoon)
Issued at 1223 PM CDT THU MAR 13 2014
VFR conditions are expected for the next 24 hours and beyond.
Biggest forecast concern will continue to be gusty west southwest
winds today and Friday as well as southwesterly low level wind
shear tonight. High clouds will be on the increase tonight with a
cold front passage expected just beyond the end of this TAF cycle.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 315 AM CDT WED MAR 12 2014
Elevated to significant fire weather conditions are expected this afternoon
with elevated fire weather conditions expected again Friday afternoon.
West to southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts over 25 mph
will develop late this morning and continue into the afternoon.
Meanwhile, temperatures warming into the mid and upper 60s along
with a very dry low-level air mass will drop afternoon humidities
into the 15 to 25 percent range.
The most critical fire weather conditions will occur from southeastern
Kansas into southwestern Missouri where winds will be a little
higher. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for areas generally
west of a line from Osage Beach to Branson. A Special Weather
Statement will be issued for the remainder of the Missouri Ozarks.
Humidities will be slightly higher Friday with winds a bit stronger
out of the southwest (15 to 25 mph with gusts around 30 mph). We
are therefore looking at continued elevated fire weather
conditions. One note for Friday afternoon is that a weak cold
front will move south across the region. This front will result in
winds shifting to the north and becoming light from north to south
during the afternoon.
&&
.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...RED FLAG WARNING until 7 PM CDT this evening FOR MOZ055-056-
066>069-077>081-088>095-101>103.
KS...RED FLAG WARNING until 7 PM CDT this evening FOR KSZ073-097-101.
&&
SHORT TERM...Foster
LONG TERM...Foster
AVIATION...Gagan
FIRE WEATHER...FosterHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 1249 PM CDT THU MAR 13 2014 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-141800- 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- 1249 PM CDT THU MAR 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER RISK. DISCUSSION... GUSTY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AND A VERY DRY AIRMASS WILL LEAD TO AN ELEVATED TO SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER RISK THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. FIRES IN THESE CONDITIONS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO QUICKLY GROW AND SPREAD...ESPECIALLY IN GRASSLAND AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER RISK WILL OCCUR AGAIN FRIDAY. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED 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) GAGAN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mountain Grove Fire Department worked a large grassland fire near Mountain Grove. The fire burned approximately 600 acres of land and was about a half a mile wide and over a mile long. There was no property damage and no injuries reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, March 2014
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: 494655.