Hail, Dunklin
- When
- December 23, 1:58 PM CST to 2:03 PM CST
- Where
- Dunklin County, Kennett
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.230, -90.070
Hail in Missouri, December 23, 2015
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015. A very moist and unstable airmass moved into the area as a warm front lifted north through the region during the early morning hours.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 MEG wrote it up.
Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015. A very moist and unstable airmass moved into the area as a warm front lifted north through the region during the early morning hours. A potent upper level disturbance help to trigger thunderstorms along and in advance of the approaching cold front. The necessary ingredients were in place for storm to intensify to severe limits. There were a couple of reports of large hail across the Missouri Bootheel.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 11:57 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 11:57 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1157 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 .UPDATE... UPDATE FOR 18Z TAFS && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1046 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015/ DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTEND ACROSS NE AR INTO CNTRL AR WHILE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING AHEAD OF THIS LINE. WITH INCREASING INSTABILITY ACROSS NW TN...CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES IN WATCH #558 OVER NE AR...MO BOOTHEEL AND NW TN. THIS AFTERNOON...EXPECT A SHORTWAVE TO EJECT OUT OF SRN AR INTO THE MIDSOUTH INCREASING THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER MEMPHIS AND JACKSON AND AREAS SOUTH OF I-40. PLENTY OF DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT THE BEST CHANCE OF TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON FROM SUPERCELLS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO HAVE A HIGHER THREAT. THIS EVENING...THE UPPER SHORTWAVE MOVES TO THE NORTH AND 500MB HTS RISE. THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL DECREASE AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT AS THE MAIN DYNAMICS SHIFT TO THE NORTH. SWC PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 522 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015/ OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS THE MID SOUTH ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... DISCUSSION...10Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A STRONG SURFACE LOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND A DRYLINE EXTENDING SOUTH FROM THE LOW ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN TEXAS. SOUTHERLY WINDS IN ADVANCE OF THIS SURFACE LOW HAVE ALREADY ADVECTED LOWER TO MIDDLE 60 DEWPOINT AIR UP INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS MORNING. WATER VAPOR SATELLITE TRENDS INDICATE A DEEP LONGWAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS AND A LEAD SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. AT THE SURFACE A WARM FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE MID SOUTH AS OF DISCUSSION. CONSEQUENTLY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE EXPANDED IN COVERAGE ACROSS ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT. AS OF 4 AM CST...TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH ARE IN THE 60S AT MOST LOCATIONS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IS THE PREDOMINANT FOCUS IN THIS MORNING/S FORECAST ISSUANCE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER ARKANSAS AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THIS MORNING. A STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING BUT THINK THE BULK OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL OCCUR MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND A STRONG COLD FRONT ROTATE THROUGH THE MIDDLE AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS. RECORD WARMTH WITH HIGHS TODAY IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 70S COMBINED WITH FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE PRODUCED BY THE RIGHT EXIT REGION OF A 130 KT UPPER LEVEL JET...DECENT 50-80 DM 500 MB MID LEVEL HEIGHT FALLS...SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 1500-2O00 J/KG...STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 7 C/KM...0-1 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITIES AROUND 300 M2/S2...STRONGLY CURVED HODOGRAPHS...FAVORABLE LCL/S AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES IN EXCESS OF 70 KTS SUGGESTS A VERY GOOD POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE ACROSS THE MID SOUTH ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT REACH SEVERE LIMITS. A POTENTIAL ALSO EXISTS FOR SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES ACROSS MUCH OF THE MID SOUTH WITH THE I-40 CORRIDOR IN THE CENTER OF THE RISK AREA. SHORT TERM MESOSCALE TRENDS WILL CLOSELY BE MONITORED THROUGHOUT THE DAY IN CASE ANY ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED TO THE CURRENT FORECAST AND HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. RESIDENTS OF THE MID-SOUTH AND HOLIDAY TRAVELERS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO THE FORECAST TODAY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS THEIR LOCATION. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT SHOULD BEGIN TO PUSH EAST OF THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA...BRINGING AN GRADUAL END TO SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES BY CHRISTMAS EVE. HOWEVER...THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO LAST LONG AS THIS FRONT WILL STALL OUT AND RETURN BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT INTO CHRISTMAS DAY. ANOTHER CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS AND WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHED IN UPCOMING FORECASTS. LONG TERM MODELS INDICATE THE MID SOUTH WILL REMAIN IN A WARM SECTOR FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND RESULTING IN A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND MOVE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS MAY POSE YET ANOTHER POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN SUNDAY NIGHT TO MONDAY NIGHT. CONFIDENCE IS LOW AT THIS MOMENT DUE TO PERSISTENT RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY ISSUES WITH THIS PARTICULAR SYNOPTIC SYSTEM. STAY TUNED... CJC && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...SPREADING OVER THE AREA IS THE CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST CYCLE. AS THE FRONT STALLS ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI LATER TONIGHT THE RISK FOR VICINITY THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE AT TUP. BELLES && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 7:04 AM CST, 6 hours 54 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 704 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-241515- ALCORN-BENTON MS-BENTON TN-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY- COAHOMA-CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR- DUNKLIN-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD- HENDERSON-HENRY-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE- LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION- PANOLA-PEMISCOT-PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN- RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON- TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 704 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE MID SOUTH TODAY INTO TONIGHT. TORNADOES...SOME OF WHICH MAY BECOME STRONG ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT REACH SEVERE LIMITS. THE TIME OF GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BETWEEN 11 AM CST AND 11 PM CST. RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH AND TRAVELERS COMING THROUGH THE AREA FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ARE STRONGLY URGED TO REMAIN WEATHER AWARE THROUGH TONIGHT AND BE PREPARED TO QUICKLY TAKE APPROPRIATE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR LOCATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MID SOUTH ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND POSSIBLY AGAIN BETWEEN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS. CJC
In the hours before
Local storm report, Dec 23, 1:19 PM CST, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
119 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM HAIL 7 S JONESBORO 35.72N 90.69W
12/23/2015 E1.75 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
PJBLocal storm report, Dec 23, 1:20 PM CST, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
120 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM HAIL 7 S JONESBORO 35.72N 90.69W
12/23/2015 E2.50 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
&&
PJBLocal storm report, Dec 23, 1:25 PM CST, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
125 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0121 PM HAIL NEEDHAM 35.82N 90.54W
12/23/2015 E1.75 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
&&
PJBLocal storm report, Dec 23, 1:27 PM CST, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
127 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 S JONESBORO 35.72N 90.69W
12/23/2015 CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
POWER LINES DOWN
&&
PJBLocal storm report, Dec 23, 1:28 PM CST, 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
128 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0127 PM HAIL BAY 35.74N 90.56W
12/23/2015 E2.50 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
&&
JEBLocal storm report, Dec 23, 1:30 PM CST, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
130 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0127 PM HAIL VALLEY VIEW 35.78N 90.74W
12/23/2015 E2.75 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
&&
JEBThe radar
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:59 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Pemiscot
- When
- December 23, 2:15 PM CST to 2:20 PM CST
- Where
- Pemiscot County, 1.43 mi S of Wardell
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 36.349, -89.817
Golf ball size hail fell southwest of Portageville.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, December 23, 2015
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, December 23, 2015
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, December 23, 2015
- Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, December 23, 2015
- Storm Surge and Blizzard in Alaska, December 23 to 28, 2015
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 23 to 24, 2015
- Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, December 23, 2015
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Indiana, December 23, 2015
- Flash Flood and Flood in Kentucky, December 23, 2015
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, December 23, 2015
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, December 23, 2015
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Michigan, December 23, 2015
More
Every storm in Missouri in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, December 2015
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 610112, 610113.