July 29, 2023 MCS

Overview

A long-live mesoscale convective system (MCS) tracked southeast out of Nebraska and into Missouri early Saturday morning, July 29, 2023. The MCS continued its southeast track and affected sections of central Missouri just after 1 p.m. A couple of hours later, the St. Louis Metro Area and surrounding communities began to feel the brunt of the storm. The system crossed the Mississippi River into southern sections of Illinois before exiting to the southeast just before 7 p.m.

A gust front ran slightly ahead of the main line of thunderstorms with 60-70 mph winds. However, this was only the onset. Behind the initial gust front, episodic bursts of damaging winds continued to hammer the region for up to 20 minutes! St. Louis Lambert International Airport recorded a 79 mph wind speed as the gust front moved east and the line of severe thunderstorms moved overhead. There were numerous reports of downed powerlines, trees and collateral damage resulting from falling trees and wind-driven debris. Thousands of residents lost power for several hours with a few road closures resulting from downed powerlines.

Radar Loop

Satellite Loop

Wind Report Map

Photos