Widespread showers developed ahead and near an upper level low pressure system during the late morning along the Arkansas border and expanded northward through the afternoon and evening. While precipitation amounts averaged around one quarter of an inch, an isolated storm developed over Vernon County just north of Nevada and dropped up to five inches of rain in a 3 hour period during the late…
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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.
Widespread showers developed ahead and near an upper level low pressure system during the late morning along the Arkansas border and expanded northward through the afternoon and evening. While precipitation amounts averaged around one quarter of an inch, an isolated storm developed over Vernon County just north of Nevada and dropped up to five inches of rain in a 3 hour period during the late afternoon and early evening. Flash flooding with this event caused a car to be swept off of C Highway near the town of Walker.
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 May 2, 5:11 PM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Springfield MO 611 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday night) Issued at 305 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 Intermittent scattered showers have gradually spread northward from Arkansas into our area this afternoon. Have not seen any lightning with this activity yet. However, the potential for lightning will likely increase through the evening as the upper low gets closer to the area and destabilizes the airmass mainly over the eastern half of the forecast area. Much of the rainfall will subside by late tonight after the upper low moves northeastward from southwest AR into southeast MO. Some of the latest convective allowing models are showing storm remnants from the complex developing over eastern Colorado and western Kansas this afternoon potentially moving into southeast Kansas and southwest MO around sunrise before dissipating. So have increased precipitation chances in that area early Monday. The central Plains complex may make storm intensities a little more conditional, but overall it looks like we will destabilize enough to keep chances for strong to severe storms in the forecast from Monday afternoon through Tuesday. Expect the peak in storms Monday evening as a cold front moves through the region. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) Issued at 305 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 Storms will be ending from west to east as the upper level trough associated with Monday's cold front passage moves east of the area. An unseasonably cool airmass will spread into the region and drop temperatures into the 40s by Wednesday morning. We could see a few showers late Wednesday night into Thursday as a clipper drops southeast out of the northern Plains. Otherwise expect the cooler than normal temperatures through Thursday. Although temperatures will trend warmer as we go into Friday and Saturday, we are seeing a rather wet pattern setting up as low pressure develops over the central Plains and taps into Gulf of Mexico moisture. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Monday evening) Issued at 603 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 Some instability over western MO and southeast KS has touched off some thunderstorms near the JLN terminal. Will include VCTS at the onset, but this activity should be moving away shortly. Upper level low will be lifting northeast out of AR and into the eastern Ozarks with some shower activity possibly for SGF/BBG, but majority of rain should be east of these locations. Will see some MVFR/IFR conditions this evening/tonight. On Monday, much of the convection will likely occur after the 00z TAF expires. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...Terry LONG TERM...Terry AVIATION...Lindenberg
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Springfield MO 800 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-040100- 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- 800 PM CDT Sun May 2 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Missouri Ozarks and extreme southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Weather hazards expected... Limited lightning risk. DISCUSSION... A few thunderstorms will remain possible this evening, mainly over far southwest and west central Missouri. No severe weather is expected. Additional thunderstorms may move into the area towards morning from eastern Kansas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Strong to severe thunderstorms may occur late Monday afternoon into the evening and overnight hours with the passage of a cold front. There will be enough instability and wind shear to support the development of large hail, damaging straight line winds and isolated tornadoes mainly Monday night. Localized flooding will be possible Monday night and early Tuesday. A few storms may be possible on Thursday with the passage of another cold front and upper level disturbance. .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 Lindenberg
The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:00 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A car was swept off the road on Highway C due to runoff from heavy rainfall that flooded a low water crossing. No injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, May 2021
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: 960785.