Strong storm system moved through region triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms became severe producing damaging winds and large hail.
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 LSX wrote it up.
Strong storm system moved through region triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms became severe producing damaging winds and large hail.
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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 6:32 AM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED AVIATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO 632 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 .SHORT TERM: (Through Tonight) Issued at 344 AM CST Wed Dec 23 2015 Showers and thunderstorms will be on the increase this morning as surface low and associated upper level trof continue to lift north northeast from TX panhandle towards the western Great Lakes region by early this evening. Forecast area to remain on warm side of system through midday before strong cold front slides through region. Main question is will this initial round of activity muddy the waters for any severe convection with frontal boundary this afternoon. Think there will be enough of break in precipitation and clouds to see atmosphere become unstable with CAPES between 500 and 1200 J/kg as strong low level jet advects dewpts in the upper 50s to low 60s into the region by this afternoon. Forecast soundings continue to indicate deep layer shear, curved hodographs and this combined with decent instability, supercell development is expected with the main threats being tornadoes and damaging winds, though some large hail is possible as well. The best area to see this would be southeast MO and southwestern IL. However, latest HRRR run is indicating some supercell development further north closer to deepening surface low over northeast MO and west central IL. Will have to keep an eye out on these changing conditions. Otherwise, will see temperatures rising through midday on gusty south winds, into the 60s, then remain steady or slowly fall as frontal boundary slides through. Could see gusts between 35 and 40 mph at times outside of storms. Storms to taper off by early this evening with winds veering to the west on back side of system and diminishing. Byrd .LONG TERM: (Thursday through Tuesday) Issued at 344 AM CST Wed Dec 23 2015 (Thursday through Christmas Day) Dry weather expected for most of the area through Christmas Day with temperatures remaining above normal, in the upper 40s to low 60s. With stalled frontal boundary just south of forecast area, could see some light rain for far southern portions of forecast area Christmas Day. (Christmas Night through Tuesday) Frontal boundary that is stalled south of the forecast area will move back northward Christmas night and Saturday. Will see numerous rounds of showers and embedded thunderstorms across the region through Monday before tapering off Monday night as associated surface low lifts northeastward through region and into the Great Lakes region by Monday night. At this time, models are indicating between 3 and 6 inches of rain with locally higher amounts possible. The axis of heaviest rain will extend from southwestern MO through the St. Louis metro area and into central Illinois. This will affect area rivers and streams, leading to additional flooding. For more details, please see the hydrologic outlook (ESF). Byrd && .AVIATION: (For the 12z TAFs through 12z Thursday Morning) Issued at 631 AM CST Wed Dec 23 2015 Thunderstorms will move through the terminals through 15-17Z. They will produce low MVFR or even IFR conditions at times with the strongest cells capable of producing small hail and wind gusts in excess of 30kts. These storms will clear out of the area by late in the morning with VFR conditions by afternoon. Scattered thunderstorms will likely develop along a cold front that will move west to east during the afternoon hours. A few of these storms could become severe, capable of producing some hail and gusty winds along with brief MVFR/IFR conditions. Winds will veer westerly behind the front with wind gusts diminishing this evening. Specifics for KSTL: Thunderstorms will move through the terminal through 16Z with low MVFR or even IFR conditions at times with the strongest cells capable of producing small hail and wind gusts in excess of 30kts. Then expect VFR conditions to develop by late this morning and this afternoon before scattered thunderstorms will be in the vicinity mid-late afternoon as a cold front moves across the area. Winds will veer westerly behind the front with wind gusts diminishing this evening. Britt && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS: Saint Louis 68 43 56 38 / 90 30 5 10 Quincy 64 37 47 33 / 90 30 10 5 Columbia 67 38 53 35 / 90 10 5 5 Jefferson City 69 38 55 36 / 90 10 5 10 Salem 67 45 57 40 / 100 60 5 10 Farmington 67 42 59 39 / 90 20 5 10 && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES: MO...NONE. IL...NONE. && WFO LSX
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO 420 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027- 034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-241030- GREENE IL-MACOUPIN IL-MONTGOMERY IL-BOND IL-FAYETTE IL-CLINTON IL- MARION IL-WASHINGTON IL-RANDOLPH IL-ADAMS IL-BROWN IL-PIKE IL- CALHOUN IL-JERSEY IL-MADISON IL-ST. CLAIR IL-MONROE IL-KNOX MO- LEWIS MO-SHELBY MO-MARION MO-MONROE MO-RALLS MO-PIKE MO-BOONE MO- AUDRAIN MO-MONITEAU MO-COLE MO-OSAGE MO-CALLAWAY MO-MONTGOMERY MO- LINCOLN MO-GASCONADE MO-WARREN MO-ST. CHARLES MO-FRANKLIN MO- ST. LOUIS MO-ST. LOUIS CITY MO-JEFFERSON MO-CRAWFORD MO- WASHINGTON MO-ST. FRANCOIS MO-STE. GENEVIEVE MO-IRON MO- MADISON MO-REYNOLDS MO- 420 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI AS WELL AS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A PROLONGED PERIOD OF RAINFALL...INCLUDING SOME THUNDERSTORMS... IS LIKELY STARTING CHRISTMAS NIGHT AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IS POSSIBLE. THIS COULD CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING ALONG AREA STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE RAINFALL LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. BYRD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
529 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0525 AM HAIL WELDON SPRING 38.72N 90.65W
12/23/2015 E0.25 INCH ST. CHARLES MO OFFICIAL NWS OBS
&&
BYRDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
555 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
ILZ079-102-MOZ065-074-075-231245-
RANDOLPH IL-MONROE IL-JEFFERSON MO-STE. GENEVIEVE MO-ST. FRANCOIS MO-
555 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN RANDOLPH...MONROE...
EASTERN ST. FRANCOIS...STE. GENEVIEVE AND EASTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES
UNTIL 645 AM CST...
AT 554 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR HOUSE SPRINGS TO OLYMPIAN VILLAGE
TO NEAR ROSELLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARNOLD...FARMINGTON...FESTUS...WATERLOO...PEVELY...DESLOGE...CRYSTAL
CITY...STE. GENEVIEVE...RED BUD...HERCULANEUM...BYRNES MILL...
ANTONIA...BARNHART...HIGH RIDGE...OAKVILLE...PARK HILLS...VALMEYER...
OLYMPIAN VILLAGE...EVANSVILLE AND BLOOMSDALE.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 55 IN MISSOURI BETWEEN EXITS 141 AND 190.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3811 9048 3845 9056 3843 9035 3839 9034
3843 9029 3842 9014 3803 8986 3767 9011
3764 9015 3764 9052
TIME...MOT...LOC 1154Z 276DEG 24KT 3838 9054 3812 9047 3765 9051
BYRDThe St Louis radar (KLSX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:25 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees on the east side of town.
Thunderstorm winds caused some moderate damage to fencing in town.
A wide swath of one to one and a half inch hail fell across Quincy.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, December 2015
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: 609002, 609006, 609012, 609032, 609033.