04/30/2026
RECORD HAIL | There's been a lot said about Tuesday's hailstorm in terms of its historical significance. The facts are fascinating, so if you want to know more, read on.
Storms on Tuesday were what we call elevated thunderstorms. Elevated storms form when warm, unstable air lifts over a cool and dense air mass, such as behind a cold front or north of a warm front. Springfield was located directly north of a warm front on Tuesday, and you may remember that temperatures weren't all that warm for typical severe weather. Tuesday was 64, while Monday was 85. Elevated storms rarely, if ever, produce tornadoes, but they can be major hail producers. Tuesday's storm was also a split from another storm as it came from Bentonville, AR. It was a left split supercell, which broke off from a cluster of storms in Northwest Arkansas and started tracking northeast towards Springfield as the rest of the storms went straight east. Left splits are known for producing large hail, while right splits more often produce wind and tornadoes. The strongest part of the storm's updraft in Tuesday's elevated-base storm was in the hail growth zone (HGZ) of the thunderstorm, hence why the hail was so large.
Hail records have been kept since 1950, and Springfield has never reported larger than 3" hail since then. The picture below is from Penny Lane in West Springfield. It's a little out of focus, but the tape measure in the background is just shy of 5" and has officially been measured at 4.75". That's roughly the size of a CD or DVD (5"). Tuesday's hailstorm produced the largest hail ever reported in Springfield and Greene County. The largest hail in the state was 6" in Linn County (northeast of the KC area) on May 24, 2004.
This storm was also timed perfectly for maximum hail damage. It was during the day on a workday. People were on their lunch break when the storm hit Springfield around noon. Hail damage to cars was reported from Aurora to north of Springfield. This will easily be the costliest hailstorm in Springfield/Greene County history. The current most expensive hailstorm in Greene County was $4 million in Republic on April 15, 2023. Since 1950, Greene County has accumulated $8,056,000 in hail damage. Tuesday's storm could exceed that figure.
In the wake of this destructive storm, be careful who you trust to repair your roof, as there will be multiple out-of-state companies and scammers descending on the area in the coming days and weeks. Please help anyone who has been impacted by the storm in any way you can. Offer them a ride to work or school, or offer any supplies you can let them borrow while they recover.
The good news is that the storms are gone, and the next 5 days are quiet and calm. Our next chance for rain and a few thunderstorms isn't until the middle of next week.
