Tornadoes · United States · Missouri · 2008

EF1 tornado, Dawson to Bado, Missouri, January 8, 2008

From Dawson to Bado, this EF1 tornado ran 11.9 miles across Wright and Texas counties on January 8, 2008, touching down at 3:45 AM CST and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $200,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
January 8, 2008
Touchdown
3:45 AM CST (09:45 UTC)
Lifted
3:53 AM CST (09:53 UTC)
On the ground
8 minutes
Path length
11.9 miles (19.2 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$200,000
Counties
Wright and Texas counties
Touchdown point
37.190, -92.302
Lift-off point
37.262, -92.097
Record number
0801080345-01

What the Weather Service recorded

An unusual mid winter tornado outbreak occurred over southwest and central Missouri. 31 tornadoes struck the region within a 15 hour time frame on 7 January into early morning 8 January. Two tornadoes intensified to EF-3 status while five tornadoes caused EF-2 damage. All other tornadoes during this outbreak were surveyed and given EF-0 and EF-1 status. Multiple training supercells spawned most of these tornadoes that occurred along the Interstate 44 corridor. Toward the end of this episode, a broken squall line spawned numerous EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes across the southern Missouri Ozarks.

A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado tracked over rural areas north of Mountain Grove causing damage to a few barns and outbuildings.

This is an extension of the Wright County tornado. A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado tracked across rural areas of southwest Texas County. A few barns and outbuildings sustained damage from this tornado.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

34 minutes of warning. NWS SGF issued a tornado warning for this county at 09:11 UTC, 34 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 10:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 01:49 UTC and running to 11:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
01:49 UTC11:00 UTCTornado WatchSGF
01:59 UTC03:15 UTCTornado WarningSGF
02:39 UTC02:51 UTCTornado WarningSGF
03:12 UTC09:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningSGF
04:19 UTC05:30 UTCTornado WarningSGF
05:31 UTC05:53 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGF
05:55 UTC06:27 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGF
07:20 UTC08:30 UTCTornado WarningSGF
08:39 UTC14:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningSGF
09:11 UTC10:15 UTCTornado WarningSGF
13:29 UTC23:00 UTCFlood WarningSGF
13:29 UTC17:00 UTCFlood WarningSGF

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a General Thunderstorms Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 05:58 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 00:00Z

9.8 hours before the tornado, 147 km from the path. January 8, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2008-01-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 765 joules per kilogram, CIN -14, lifted condensation level 955 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2008-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 281 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 58 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
765 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Surface CAPE
725 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
955 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
281 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
338 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.7
Supercell composite
7.2
0-3 km lapse rate
6.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Springfield, MO (KSGF), 12:00Z

2.2 hours after it, 147 km from the path. January 8, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-01-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 40 joules per kilogram, CIN -49, lifted condensation level 693 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -46 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 68 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
40 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-49 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
693 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-78 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

West Plains (UNO), 47 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
07:53 UTC6456170° 13 kt231008.8
08:20 UTC64.455.4180° 16 kt231008.8
08:53 UTC6556180° 13 kt271008.1
09:04 UTC64.455.4180° 14 kt251008.1
09:44 UTC64.455.4190° 14 kt241007.8
09:53 UTC6456190° 14 kt261007.5
10:19 UTC64.455.4320° 22 kt351010.2VCTS
10:25 UTC53.648.2280° 27 kt411010.8TSRA
10:27 UTC53.648.2290° 22 kt411010.8TSRA BR
10:37 UTC51.848.2290° 13 kt261010.5-TSRA BR
10:46 UTC51.848.2280° 13 kt191010.5VCTS
10:53 UTC5248280° 12 kt191010.5-RA

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 09:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
07:27 UTCHAIL 1.75DogwoodDouglas, MO
07:29 UTCHAIL 0.757 Nnw HartvilleWright, MO
07:57 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD1 N Mountain GroveWright, MOWALL CLOUD SPOTTED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF MOUNTAIN GROVE.
08:54 UTCFLASH FLOOD4 Nnw DigginsWebster, MOWATER OVER THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS A AND FF...SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON HIGHWAY 60 BETWEEN ROGERSVILLE AND DIGGINS.
08:54 UTCFLASH FLOODHartvilleWright, MOWATER COVERING THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 5 AND 38 IN TOWN.
09:18 UTCTORNADO8 Wnw AvaDouglas, MOEF-0 TORNADO TRACKED FROM O HIGHWAY NEAR ARDEN TO JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 5 NEAR MOUNT ZION. SEVERAL BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED WITH NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. THE TORNADO PATH WAS 50 YARDS WIDE WI
09:19 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ne SeymourWebster, MOLARGE BARN DESTROYED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ALONG HIGHWAY V NORTHEAST OF SEYMOUR.
09:23 UTCTSTM WND GST 58NianguaWebster, MO58 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED
09:27 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 W HartvilleWright, MOSIGNFICANT TREE DAMAGE CAUSED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
09:28 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD3 Nnw AvaDouglas, MOPOSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR MOUNT ZION.
09:28 UTCTSTM WND GST 704 N AvaDouglas, MO70 MPH GUST IN MOUNT ZION.
09:32 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 N HartvilleWright, MOSEVERAL TREES DAMAGED OR UPROOTED NORTH OF HARTVILLE DUE TO STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
09:35 UTCTSTM WND GST 701 S AvaDouglas, MO70 MPH GUST ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF AVA WITH DEBRIS ON THE ROAD.
09:39 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ne AvaDouglas, MOWIND DRIVEN HAIL BREAKING WINDOWS.
09:40 UTCTORNADO 14 Nnw Mountain GroveWright, MOAN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR MOUNTAIN VALLEY ROAD JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 95. THE TORNADO PROCEEDED EAST NORTHEAST IN TO TEXAS COUNTY. SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED WITH DAMAGE TO ONE HOME AS WELL. PATH WIDTH WAS
09:40 UTCTORNADO4 Nnw Mountain GroveWright, MOAN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR MOUNTAIN VALLEY ROAD JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 95. THE TORNADO PROCEEDED EAST NORTHEAST IN TO TEXAS COUNTY. SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED WITH DAMAGE TO ONE HOME AS WELL. PATH WIDTH WAS
09:42 UTCTORNADO 18 Sw Mountain GroveDouglas, MOAN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR COUNTY ROAD 137 SOUTHWEST OF MOUNTAIN GROVE. THIS TORNADO CAUSED SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE AND MOVED A MOBILE HOME FROM ITS FOUNDATION. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 7
09:45 UTCTSTM WND DMG8 Ssw Mountain GroveDouglas, MORESIDENT OF FAR NORTHEASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY REPORTS APPROXIMATELY 100 TREES DOWNED...BOTH SNAPPED AND UPROOTED...LYING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. THIS DAMAGE IS NEAR FARM ROAD 137 APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE SOUTH OF HIGHW
09:47 UTCTORNADO5 Nne Mountain GroveTexas, MOTHIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE THE WRIGHT COUNTY TORNADO. AN EF-1 TORNADO CONTINUED EAST NORTHEAST IN TO TEXAS COUNTY BEFORE LIFTING 1/4 OF A MILE NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY YY AND RIDGEVIEW ROAD. SEVERAL OUTBUILD
09:48 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 N AvaDouglas, MONUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN MOUNT ZION WITH DEBRIS ACROSS ROADS.
09:48 UTCFLASH FLOODHartvilleWright, MOROADS FLOODED THROUGHOUT HARTVILLE.
09:48 UTCTSTM WND GST 60HartvilleWright, MO60 MPH WINDS WITH DEBRIS STREWN ABOUT.
09:50 UTCTSTM WND DMGHartvilleWright, MOLARGE OAK TREE DOWN. MEASURED 50 MPH WIND GUST.
09:52 UTCTSTM WND DMG7 N Mountain GroveWright, MOPOSSIBLE TORNADO...GARAGE AND SILO DESTROYED ON GIRLSTOWN ROAD.
09:59 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 S HoustonTexas, MOSEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN IN THE AREA.
10:00 UTCTSTM WND GST 70CaboolTexas, MOSEVERAL TREES AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN IN THE AREA. SHINGLES BLOWN OFF SOME ROOFS. MINOR BARN DAMAGE.
10:10 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 W SummersvilleTexas, MOWIDESPREAD WIND DAMGE IN A SIX MILE SWATH FROM 3 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF SUMMERSVILLE TO AREAS SOUTH OF SUMMERSVILLE. ONE ROOF DAMAGED IN TOWN. ONE TRAILER HOME DAMAGED OR DESTROYED OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
10:20 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 S SummersvilleShannon, MOA BARN WAS DESTROYED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS SOUTH OF SUMMERSVILLE.
10:20 UTCTSTM WND GST 47PomonaHowell, MO47 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE WEST PLAINS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
10:20 UTCTORNADO 06 W West PlainsHowell, MOBRIEF EF0 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN 6 MILES WEST OF WEST PLAINS 1 MILE NORTH OF HIGHWAY CC ON CR 5090.
10:24 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 E SummersvilleShannon, MONUMEROUS TREES DOWNED ALONG HIGHWAY 106 FOR A SIX TO EIGHT MILE STRETCH NEAR HIGHWAY 106 BETWEEN SUMMERSVILLE AND ALLEY SPRING.
10:30 UTCTORNADO 19 Wsw EminenceShannon, MOAN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 106 WEST OF EMINENCE. THE TORNADO UPROOTED AND SNAPPED OFF NUMEROUS TREES. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES AND THE PATH WIDTH WAS 200 YARDS AT ITS WIDEST POINT.
10:33 UTCTSTM WND GST 504 Nne Peace ValleyHowell, MO50 MPH WIND GUSTS...PEA SIZED HAIL AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
10:33 UTCTSTM WND GST 504 Nne Peace ValleyHowell, MO50 MPH WIND GUSTS...PEA SIZED HAIL AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL
10:34 UTCTSTM WND DMGAlley SpringShannon, MOSIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE IN THE ALLEY SPRING AREA DUE TO INTENSE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in MissouriEvery tornado in Missouri since 1950Warnings in force in Missouri nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of January 8, 2008

22 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 82:22 AM CSTEF1Barry, MO4.8100$300,000
January 82:31 AM CSTEF1Barry, MO12.1200$2.0 million
January 82:37 AM CSTEF1Greene, MO1.150$50,000
January 82:50 AM CSTEF1Christian, MO5.0100$250,000
January 83:01 AM CSTEF0Taney, MO2.920$75,000
January 83:16 AM CSTEF0Webster, MO7.250$15,000
January 83:17 AM CSTEF0Douglas, MO9.750$75,000
January 83:18 AM CSTEF0Webster, MO4.7150$750,000
January 83:43 AM CSTEF1Douglas, MO2.275$125,000
January 84:20 AM CSTEF0Howell, MO0.420$1,000
January 84:27 AM CSTEF1Shannon, MO2.3200
January 84:38 AM CSTEF1Shannon, MO9.8200$75,000
January 84:59 AM CSTEF0Oregon, MO1.150$1,000
January 88:26 AM CSTEF2Pope, AR20.544012$5.3 million
January 812:40 PM CSTEF1Stoddard, MO4.8120$250,000
January 81:26 PM CSTEF0Cross, AR10.6150$25,000
January 81:52 PM CSTEF1Poinsett, AR0.125$50,000
January 82:20 PM CSTEF1Mississippi, AR3.575$100,000
January 82:58 PM CSTEF1Dyer, TN7.825$270,000
January 83:30 PM CSTEF0Jefferson, MS4.950
January 85:37 PM CSTEF1Simpson, MS19.4125$400,000
January 86:11 PM CSTEF0Rankin, MS0.450$12,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.