Tracking Two Storms Impacting the Northern U.S. Through Thanksgiving and into This Weekend

Heavy lake effect snow, gusty winds, and localized blizzard conditions will persist through Thanksgiving near and downwind of the Great Lakes. Rain and mountain snow are forecast for the Pacific Northwest. Confidence is increasing for another winter storm to develop over the northern and central Rockies Friday and track across the central Plains through the Midwest and Great Lakes this weekend. Read More >

Overview

Several waves of upper level energy interacted with instability and a little bit of shear to provide the region with several rounds of showers and thunderstorms over the 19th and 20th of May 2018. The strongest storms produced 2 EF-1 tornadoes, wind damage and many large hail reports. In addition, the storms moved across many of the same locations, producing between 4 and 6 inches of rain from extreme southeast Kansas into central and south central Missouri, which led to some flooding.

Tornado
Flooding
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornadoes:

Tornado - 2 NW Pleasant Hope MO
Polk County

Date	5/19/2018
Time (Local)	6:25 PM
EF Rating	EF - 1
Est. Peak Winds	100 mph
Path Length	2.3 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0 / 0
Summary: Numerous trees uprooted and large branches broken. One house with roof damage and several outbuildings damaged.

Track Map

Tornado - 3 NNW Pleasant Hope MO
Polk County

Date	5/19/2018
Time (Local)	6:28 pm
EF Rating	EF - 1
Est. Peak Winds	100 mph
Path Length	2.0 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0 / 0
Summary: Two barns destroyed. One barn with roof damage. Numerous trees uprooted.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Flooding

Showers and thunderstorms occurred in several waves on the 19th - 20th of May, 2018. The heaviest rainfall occurred over southeast Kansas into central Missouri, extending back down into south central Missouri. Within this heavier band, 3 to 6 inches of rainfall occurred, causing flooded roadways and rivers to exceed flood stage.

Rainfall Totals Map