A strong upper level storm system moving northeastward from southern California on the 27th to the Central Plains on the 29th deepened a surface low and brought warm and moist Gulf air into the region. Strong to severe storms with heavy rainfall developed over the region during the afternoon and evening of the 28th.
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 strong upper level storm system moving northeastward from southern California on the 27th to the Central Plains on the 29th deepened a surface low and brought warm and moist Gulf air into the region. Strong to severe storms with heavy rainfall developed over the region during the afternoon and evening of the 28th. The strongest storms occurred along a squall line that moved from southeast Kansas into western and central Missouri during the evening.
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 28, 2:18 PM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Springfield MO 218 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday Night) Issued at 205 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 An upper level trough is currently pushing east into the Plains this afternoon. An associated area of surface low is located across south central Kansas ahead of the trough. The pressure gradient has tightened some ahead of the low allowing gusty southerly winds to develop. Gusts up to 35 mph will continue to occur at times across the area into this evening ahead of the approaching low. The southerly wind is pulling increased moisture north into the area. This is resulting in cloud and some patchy fog to remain in place across the area this afternoon. Despite the cloud cover, temperatures are still in the middle 50s to the lower 60s early this afternoon, which is well above normal for this time of year. Lift has begun to overspreads the area ahead of the trough, which has allowed an area of showers to develop across southeastern Kansas and western Missouri. These showers will continue to move to the east the rest of this afternoon. An isolated embedded rumble of thunder or two may be possible within the showers. A front is located from central Kansas to the south into central Texas this afternoon. The clouds and showers are limited heating and instability. However, 200 to 500 J/kg of ML Cape will still be able to develop across the area given the moisture return. Shear is on the stronger side across the area. With strong forcing along the front and the strong shear, line segments are developing along the front across central Oklahoma into south central Kansas currently. These line segments will continue to track to the northeast into the area this evening, then push east of the area during the early overnight hours. Given the strong shear that is in place the weak instability will likely still be enough to lead to the potential for the potential for some strong to severe storms this evening. A strong low level jet is in place and momentum transfer will lead to the risk of damaging wind gusts up to around 60mph. Given the weaker thermodynamics, the wind risk will not be widespread by any means with in the line segments but more scatted associated with any surges in the line segments that can develop. Strong low level shear will also be in place. The instability will likely not be strong enough to balance the up draft down draft zones within the line, so the line will be shear dominate. Where surges are able to develop and maintain themselves an isolated brief spin up tornado risk will be possible across the area this evening. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible with the line of storms, but they will be narrow in nature and should be fairly progressive which will limit the flooding risk across the area. There could be some showers that linger behind the line of storms for a few hours. The rain will end from west to east late this evening into the overnight hours. The upper level trough will move through the region Sunday into Sunday night. As the trough moves across the area rain showers will develop and spread across the area, mainly affecting areas along and east of Highway 65 Sunday afternoon into Sunday night. Highs this afternoon will be in the upper 50s to middle 60s, with lows only falling into the middle 40s to the upper 50s tonight. A cooler air mass will start to move into the area on Sunday with highs ranging from the middle 40s across southeastern Kansas to the middle 50s across the eastern Ozarks. Lows Sunday night into Monday morning will cool into the lower 30s. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 205 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 The upper level trough will move off to the east early next week leaving the area in an upper level northwest flow pattern. This will bring cooler conditions with highs in the 40s and lows in the upper 20s to the area Monday and Tuesday. This will be closer to normal for this time of year. Short wave upper level ridging then build of the area during the middle of next week allowing highs to warm into the 50s each afternoon. Another upper level trough will move through the area late next week bringing additional rain chances to the area. Highs in the 50s will continue into next weekend. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1131 AM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 A storm system is currently pushing east across the Plains this afternoon. Ahead of the system moisture is being usher into the area. IFR to LIFR ceilings will persist across the area this afternoon into this evening. Drizzle and scattered showers will also occur across the area at times this afternoon. Visibilities will also be lower at times too. Gusty southerly winds will also occur this afternoon into this evening ahead of the system. This evening a line of storms will sweep from west to east across the area. Rainfall rates will likely be heavy with the storms, but the line of storms will be narrow in nature and moving quite quickly so the heavy rain will be short lived. Lower visibilities will occur with the storms. There is a risk for a few strong to severe storms within this line. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Wise LONG TERM...Wise AVIATION...Wise
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Springfield MO 1252 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-291900- 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- 1252 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Weather hazards expected... Limited tornado risk. Limited thunderstorm wind damage risk. Limited lightning risk. Limited non thunderstorm wind risk. Elevated fog risk. DISCUSSION... Pockets of fog will persist across portions of southern Missouri this afternoon.. Showers will continue to overspread the area from west to east this afternoon. A few embedded rumbles of thunder could be possible. A line of storms will then move west to east across the area from this evening into the early overnight hours. Some of the storms could be strong to severe with damaging wind gusts to around 60 mph the main risk. Given strong wind shear an isolated brief weak tornado risk will also be possible. Gusty southerly winds up to 35 mph will occur at times through this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Gusty westerly winds will develop Sunday night into Monday. Gusts up to 30 mph will be possible at times. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. && 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
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Springfield MO
415 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019
KSZ073-097-282300-
Bourbon KS-Crawford KS-
415 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BOURBON AND NORTHERN CRAWFORD
COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CST...
At 414 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 7 miles north of Walnut to near Hepler to 7
miles west of Girard. Movement was northeast at 45 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Fort Scott... Marmaton...
Arcadia... Uniontown...
Walnut... Fulton...
Redfield... Hepler...
Mapleton... Greenbush...
Harding... Pawnee Station...
Hiattville... Petersburg...
Farlington... Hammond...
Brazilton... Devon...
Garland... Porterville...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CST for southeastern
Kansas...and west central Missouri.
LAT...LON 3770 9508 3804 9490 3804 9461 3765 9462
3742 9509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2214Z 219DEG 38KT 3771 9504 3761 9497 3750 9497
PerezSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Springfield MO 431 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 KSZ097-101-282315- Cherokee KS-Crawford KS- 431 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CHEROKEE AND CRAWFORD COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM CST... At 431 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from Parsons to Welch to Pensacola. Movement was northeast at 55 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms. Locations impacted include... Pittsburg... Baxter Springs... Frontenac... Columbus... Galena... Girard... Arma... Cherokee... Weir... Lowell... Sherman... Mulberry... Scammon... Chicopee... Mccune... Franklin... Arcadia... West Mineral... Treece... Roseland... This includes Interstate 44 near mile marker 0. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CST for southeastern Kansas. LAT...LON 3745 9508 3766 9462 3700 9462 3700 9507 TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 207DEG 47KT 3732 9526 3688 9510 3646 9513 Perez
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:08 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few large limbs were reported broken and down near town.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, December 2019
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: 868426.