Hail, Dunklin
- When
- April 8, 9:00 PM CST to 9:05 PM CST
- Where
- Dunklin County, Senath
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Social Media
- Coordinates
- 36.130, -90.170
Hail in Missouri, April 8, 2020
A cold front pushed into the Mid-South during the evening hours of April 8, 2020, into the early morning hours of April 9, 2020. The front intersected an area of moderate instability and strong wind shear.
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.
A cold front pushed into the Mid-South during the evening hours of April 8, 2020, into the early morning hours of April 9, 2020. The front intersected an area of moderate instability and strong wind shear. As a result, storms developed across eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel then tracked across the Mid-South. Initially, storms were supercellular in nature with large hail and a couple of weak tornadoes. Storms eventually transitioned into clusters and line segments as they moved across the Mississippi River into West Tenessee and North Mississippi. These storms continued to produce large hail and damaging winds.
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 Apr 8, 5:28 PM CST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 5:28 PM CST, 3 hours 32 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 628 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 .UPDATE... Updated 00Z Aviation Discussion. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 336 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020/ DISCUSSION... It's been a very pleasant day so far with temperatures in the upper 70s. A few showers are developing over northern Mississippi, nothing severe at this time but the area has a modest amount of instability, steep mid-level lapse rates, and wind shear will support the potential for hail. However, the main focus will be on the overnight hours. A front will drop down from the north into the region, instability and and shear ramp up just ahead of the front. Short range models continue to support to a line of severe storms with damaging winds and large hail, with a secondary threat of tornadoes embedded within the line. Very steep mid-level lapse rates on the order of 7 C/km will be favorable for large hail. Hailstones over 2 inches in diameter are possible initially as it moves through eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. Coverage of damaging winds could increase as the storms organize into a line. Timing continues to stay on track, with the line moving into eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel by 8 PM then moving our of the area by 4 AM. The line should move through quickly and by completely out by sunrise. Mainly clear skies and much cooler northwest winds are expected Thursday and Thursday night. Highs Thursday will generally be in the low to mid 60s. By Friday, a surface high pressure will begin to build over the area, allowing for clear skies with temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s. A weak upper-level disturbance may drag some showers eastward into southeast Missouri and southern Illinois Saturday morning before completely drying up, but most of the area should remain dry Saturday. Temperatures Saturday will generally be in the mid to upper 60s. Our next weather-maker will move into the area Saturday night into Sunday night. The 12Z guidance is better agreement in lifting a surface low through the Mid-South then northward. However, the ECMWF still seems slower than other models in bringing this system eastward. Severe weather is definitely a possibility if models align properly. However, this will depend on how far the warm sector advances into the region. Guidance gets spotty after Sunday, with some guidance bringing PoPs to the area Tuesday night through Wednesday in association with an upper trough to our west. Have added a slight chance of PoPs, but we will likely remain dry through this period. Otherwise, temperatures will be below normal through the work week. With low temperatures in the lower 40s throughout the week. SGW && .AVIATION... /00Z TAFs/ Expect a semi-discrete cluster of storms to develop into a broken to solid line, racing southeast through all sites starting around 03Z and eventually moving towards TUP around 06Z. Large hail potential will be greatest around JBR, gradually decreasing as storms move southeast to MEM and MKL and eventually TUP. As large hail threat decreases, strong wind threat will increase. Skies will clear up as the front passes, around 09Z at JBR and VFR conditions will prevail through the rest of the TAF period. SGW && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 5:36 PM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 636 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-100145- 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-Lee AR-Lee MS- Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-Panola-Pemiscot- Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-Shelby-St. Francis- Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley- Yalobusha- 636 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight Severe thunderstorms are expected tonight through early Thursday morning across Northeast Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, and West Tennessee. The primary threats include large hail and damaging winds. Tornadoes and localized heavy rainfall will be secondary threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Strong to severe storms are possible across portions northeast Mississippi Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 8, 7:33 PM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
833 PM CDT WED APR 08 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0831 PM HAIL 2 NNW JONESBORO 35.85N 90.71W
04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
ARSLocal storm report, Apr 8, 7:57 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
857 PM CDT WED APR 08 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0836 PM HAIL 9 E PURYEAR 36.44N 88.17W
04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH HENRY TN SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
ARSLocal storm report, Apr 8, 8:05 PM CST, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
905 PM CDT WED APR 08 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0846 PM HAIL COTTAGE GROVE 36.38N 88.48W
04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH HENRY TN SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
ARSSpecial weather statement, Apr 8, 8:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
930 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
TNZ020-021-051-052-090300-
Carroll TN-Madison TN-Crockett TN-Gibson TN-
930 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 1000 PM CDT
FOR...
Southwestern Carroll County in western Tennessee...
Northern Madison County in western Tennessee...
Crockett County in western Tennessee...
Southern Gibson County in western Tennessee...
At 930 PM CDT...a strong thunderstorm producing pea size hail or
larger and winds at least 40 mph was located near Humboldt, moving
east at 40 mph.
People in southwestern Carroll...northern Madison...Crockett and
southern Gibson Counties should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3582 8855 3582 8858 3580 8860 3579 8860
3579 8861 3573 8861 3559 8869 3580 8931
3598 8919 3584 8854
TIME...MOT...LOC 0230Z 290DEG 35KT 3579 8896
MJLocal storm report, Apr 8, 8:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
952 PM CDT WED APR 08 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0941 PM HAIL 4 S RECTOR 36.21N 90.29W
04/08/2020 E1.00 INCH CLAY AR SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
ARSLocal storm report, Apr 8, 8:55 PM CST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
955 PM CDT WED APR 08 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0936 PM HAIL 4 N MARMADUKE 36.25N 90.39W
04/08/2020 E0.75 INCH GREENE AR SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
ARSThe radar
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:57 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Dunklin
- When
- April 8, 9:38 PM CST to 9:43 PM CST
- Where
- Dunklin County, Hornersville
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 36.050, -90.120
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
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 8 to 12, 2020
- Tornado and Hail in Indiana, April 8, 2020
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 8, 2020
- Tornadoes and Hail in Ohio, April 8 to 9, 2020
- Dense Fog in Wisconsin, April 8, 2020
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, April 8, 2020
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 8, 2020
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, April 8, 2020
- Tornado and Hail in Kentucky, April 8, 2020
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, April 8, 2020
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 8 to 9, 2020
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 8 to 9, 2020
More
Every storm in Missouri in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 2020
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: 889149, 889997.