A southern stream storm system taking nearly the same track as a previous system on December 26-27 brought widespread rainfall amounts of over an inch from the evening of the 30th to the late morning of the 31st. Due to saturated soil conditions before this round of rain, additional flooding of low water crossings occurred, mainly north and east of Springfield.
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.
A southern stream storm system taking nearly the same track as a previous system on December 26-27 brought widespread rainfall amounts of over an inch from the evening of the 30th to the late morning of the 31st. Due to saturated soil conditions before this round of rain, additional flooding of low water crossings occurred, mainly north and east of Springfield.
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 Dec 31, 5:36 AM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Springfield MO 536 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 350 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 An upper level trough is spreading northeast across the southern Plains early this morning. Ahead of the trough lift and moisture continues to spread north into the area. As a result a widespread area of rainfall is moving across the area early this morning. This area of rain will continue to spread across the area today, and start to end from southwest to northeast later this morning into this afternoon. As the trough moves across the area a band of rain will spread across the northern portions of the forecast area this afternoon. Rainfall totals will general range from around an inch to one and one half inches. With the widespread nature of this rainfall there will be the potential for some minor flooding to across the area today. Low level moisture and clouds will remain across the area through the overnight hours. Low level lift will also spread across the area later this afternoon and evening producing drizzle. A colder air mass will start to spread into the area this evening into the overnight hours, as lows fall into the upper 20s to the 30s. As the colder temperatures start to spread into could be a window for freezing drizzle to develop this evening across portions of southeastern Kansas and west central Missouri where a glaze of ice on elevated surface may be possible. Wind chill values will fall into the upper single digits and teens tonight into Tuesday morning. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) Issued at 350 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 A colder air mass will be in place through mid week. Highs on Tuesday will range from the middle 20s across southeastern Kansas and west central Missouri to the middle 30s across south central Missouri. Lows Tuesday night will drop into the upper teens to the lower 20s, as wind chills in the single digits and teens are expected. Highs Wednesday will warm into the lower to middle 30s. An upper level close low will then track across the southern Plains Wednesday and Wednesday night then across the region Thursday into Thursday night. Some precipitation may spread into far southern Missouri Wednesday night, though the better chances for precipitation will remain to the south of the forecast area. Colder temperatures will be in place and could see some light wintry mix across far southern Missouri Wednesday night, but again the better chances will be to the south. As the low tracks across the area precipitation will spread into the area Thursday and Thursday night. The better chances will be across southern Missouri, but all the area could see some precipitation overspread the area. Colder temperatures will be in place in the mid levels and will support rain turning over to the snow Thursday evening and night as temperatures fall. Some light wet snow accumulations will be possible, but there are still questions on the exact track of this system. Warmer weather will then spread into the region for the weekend as highs in the 50s return as an upper level ridge spreads into the area. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Tuesday morning) Issued at 536 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 An area of rainfall will continue to spread across the area. MVFR to LIFR will occur within the rainfall this morning. The rain will start to end this afternoon. Low clouds will remain over the area this afternoon through tonight. Drizzle will be possible this afternoon into this evening. As colder temperatures spread into the area some freezing drizzle may be possible this evening across parts of southeastern Kansas and the western Ozarks. Gusty westerly winds will be possible this afternoon becoming more northwesterly overnight. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Wise LONG TERM...Wise AVIATION...Wise
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Springfield MO 422 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-011030- 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- 422 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Weather hazards expected... Limited flooding risk. Limited excessive cold risk. Limited ice accumulation risk. DISCUSSION... Localized flooding will be possible across the area today as widespread rainfall spreads across the region. Drizzle will develop across the area later this afternoon into this evening. Colder temperatures will start to spread into the area this evening, as this occurs freezing drizzle will be possible mainly west of Highway 65 and north of I-44. Wind chills will drop into the upper single digits to the lower teens tonight into Tuesday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Wind chills in the single digits are expected during the late night and early morning hours through Wednesday morning. Light snow may be possible Thursday, however confidence is low in the current forecast snow amounts. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. && More detailed information can be accessed at: http://www.weather.gov/sgf/sitrep This product in graphical format...along with other weather... hydrological and climate information...at http://www.weather.gov/sgf Wise
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Excessive rainfall caused a section of Highway D to flood and become impassable to motorists. This area is simply a head water depression and not a named creek.
A viewer report from a media partner showed the road closed at the Jordan Bridge on Highway P due to flooding.
Highway Z was closed near Elk Creek due to flooding.
Route Y was closed between 156th Road and South 170th Road off Route Y due to flooding.
Route H just east of Route T at the low water crossing road was closed due to heavy rainfall causing flooding.
The low water crossing on Maries Road 624 just north of Dixon was flooded and impassable.
The low water crossing at State Highway O had nearly a foot of running water over the roadway and was impassable.
Route P was closed at Four Mile Creek due to flooding.
Route BB was closed due to flooding at the low water crossing at Gabriel Creek.
The Bennetts River low water crossing on Missouri Highway 142 was closed due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, December 2018
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: 796437, 796438, 796439, 796440, 796441, 796442, 796443, 796444, 796445, 796446.