Historical Tornado Cases for Saint Louis County Warning Area

of Eastern Missouri and SW Illinois


March 15  1938

Violent tornadoes occurred on this day just ahead of a cold front and along the warm front. The Belleville tornadic
storm was located very close to or just north of the surface warm front.  

March 30  1938

Violent tornadoes occurred on this day just ahead of a cold front and along the warm front.

May 13  1942

Violent tornadoes occurred on this day just ahead of a cold front and along the warm front. The central Missouri
tornado was just ahead of the cold front in the warm sector.

April 12  1945

The tornadoes on April 12  1945 occurred at or just south of the surface stationary front.

March 19  1948

This early morning tornado outbreak occurred well ahead of the surface cold front in the warm sector. There is a
hint of a pre-cold frontal trough in eastern Missouri. The surface winds behind this trough had a slight westerly
component while ahead of the trough there was even a slight easterly component. These tornadoes likely
moved very rapidly. Most late night and early morning tornadoes are associated with very strong wind fields
at all levels. Strong boundary layer winds are needed to keep the low levels front decoupling. 850mb winds
are typically from 50 to 70 kts in such situations with 500mb winds from 80 to 100kts.
There was an intense, progressive shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels.

May 21  1949

The violent tornadoes in eastern Missouri, eastern Illinois and southwest Indiana occurred along a warm front while
the violent tornadoes in southeast Missouri occurred in the warm sector ahead  of an advancing cold front.


December 11  1949

The tornadoes in northeast Missouri and central Illinois occurred near the warm front. But the violent tornadoes
occured in the warm sector in southeast Missouri and Arkansas ahead of a modified  pacific cold front. These
tornadic storms were likely moving very rapidly, especially the northern ones. There was a intense, progressive
shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels.

January 03  1950

These tornadoes occurred along an outflow boundary that extended wsw to ene. A cold front was approaching
from the west. An arctic cold front was moving rapidly through central Missouri.

December 02  1950  

These tornadoes occurred in the warm sector ahead of an approaching cold front.

March 25  1954

The violent tornado in southern Missouri occurred in the warm sector, well ahead of an approaching, modified pacific
cold front. The tornadoes around Saint Louis occurred along the warm front. There was an intense, progressive
shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels.

February 25  1956

These killer tornadoes occurred along a nearly stationary front and moved rapidly to the east and east northeast
at around 65 mph.  There was an intense, progressive shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels.

May 21  1957

The violent tornado just northwest of Farmington in Washington and St. Francois counties occurred along a warm
front. This front was enhanced by outflow from previous thunderstorms. Another violent tornado occurred after
and south of the initial tornado. It is possible that the outflow from the first tornadic storm served as a boundary
for the second killer storm that moved across Shannon and Carter counties. If not, then the latter storm
was in the warm sector. The 500mb winds were around 70 to 80 kts, so the storms probably moved around 40 mph.

December 18  1957

This was an unusual  December tornado outbreak that occurred out in the warm sector, ahead of a modified, pacific
cold front. There was an intense, progressive shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels. This was perhaps the
most prolific cold season tornado outbreak on record for Illinois and Missouri.


April 05  1958

These tornadoes occurred ahead of a cold front in the warm sector.


February 10  1959

These tornadoes occurred along an outflow boundary and raced east and east-northeast at 50 to 60 mph.
There was a intense, progressive shortwave trough with very strong winds at all levels.

February 09  1960

The tornadoes in eastern Missouri occurred along the warm front while the ones in Arkansas were in the warm sector ahead
of the dryline.

October 14  1966

The tornadoes in central and eastern Missouri occurred in the warm sector out ahead of a cold front.


December 08  1966

Tornadoes occurred in the warm sector just ahead of a cold front.

January 24  1967

The Saint Louis tornado occurred in the warm sector well ahead of a cold front. There was also a pre-frontal wind shift
ahead of the cold front. The tornadic storm developed along this wind shift. There was an intense, progressive shortwave
trough with very strong winds at all levels.

December 21  1967

The night tornadoes occurred out in the warm sector. The morning tornadoes occurred ahead of a cold front and along
an outflow boundary on the edge of the warm sector.

May 15  1968

There was a hint of a pre-frontal trough in eastern Missouri. The surface winds behind this trough had a slight westerly
component while ahead of the trough there was even a slight easterly component. Dewpoints ahead of the trough were
in the lower 70s.

June 22  1969

Violent tornadoes occurred along a warm front.

June 12  1970

Tornadoes occurred along a warm front in north central and eastern Missouri.

April 27  1971

The early afternoon tornado in eastern Missouri occurred along the warm front.

April 07  1980

The Missouri tornadoes occurred along a warm front. The Arkansas tornadoes occurred along a southern warm front.

April 03  1981

The Missouri tornadoes occurred in the warm sector. The Wisconsin tornadoes occurred along a warm front.

April 22  1981

Tornadoes occurred ahead of a shortwave trough and ahead of the associated cold front.

December 02  1982

Tornadoes occurred from central Arkansas into western Illinois. This was definitely not the progressive pattern that
is associated with most eastern Missouri and eastern IL tornadoes. This was an extremely amplified pattern with
deep tropical moisture. The surface dewpoint climbed to 68F in Saint Louis prior to the tornadic activity.
These tornadoes occurred along an outflow boundary.

May 01  1983

Tornadoes occurred along a warm front in central and easterm Missouri.


April 29  1984

Tornadoes occurred in the warm sector well ahead of a cold front.

November 09  1984

These tornadoes occurred in the warm sector out ahead of an approaching modified cold front.

November 15  1988

These tornadoes occurred in the warm sector out ahead of an approaching cold front.

November 27  1990

These tornadoes occurred along an outflow boundary or along the southern edge of an area of ongoing thunderstorm activity.

February 11  1999

These tornadoes occurred in the warm sector out ahead of an approaching cold front.