May Weather Facts

Day1...

1983: A tornado outbreak produced 9 separate tornadoes that caused F2 and F3 damage in Osage, Warren, St. Charles and St. Louis City counties in Missouri and Greene, Jersey, Madison, and St. Clair counties in Illinois. The outbreak was responsible for 49 injuries, and over 30 million dollars in damage.

1993: The Mississippi River, still in flood from April, remained above flood stage for much of the month, finally dipping below flood stage on the 24th. The river would later rise again and not crest until August.

2002: There were six tornado touchdowns in Bond County, Illinois just east of Greenville. All at some point did F1 damage and F0 damage across the county. Over 35 structures were damaged by the tornado series, including, a nursing home, houses, barns, and machine sheds. Next, three tornado touchdowns occured in Marion County, Illinois. Tornado one was rated F0, while tornado two and three were rated F1. More information can be found in our events archives.

Day2...

2004: Lightning struck a large tree between two houses in Greenville (Bond county) causing the tree to literally explode. Branches from the tree went through the roof of a garage damaging a truck inside. Fencing between the homes and a swing set were also damaged. The damage amounted to about $25,000.

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Day3...

1976: The lowest temperature on record at St. Louis for the month of May (31 degrees) was recorded.

1958: Tornadoes touched down in Madison and Randolph counties in Illinois producing F1 and F2 damage.

2010: Severe thunderstorms moved through east and southeast Missouri and west-central and southern Illinois. Large hail up to 1.75 inches was the main threat. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day4...

1907: The lowest temperature on record at Columbia for the month of May (28 degrees) was recorded.

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Day5...

1961: In Boone and Osage counties, severe winds (57mph/50kts or greater) were produced by severe thunderstorms.

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Day6...

1971: In Moniteau county hail measuring up to 4.0 inches in diameter was produced by a severe thunderstorm.

2002: Severe weather moved through Calhoun, and Madison Counties in Illinois and St. Charles County in Missouri. There was some uprooted and snapped trees from 50 to 60 mph winds in the three Counties. There was also a microburst with winds greater than 70 mph. In Calhoun County F0 tornado damage was found. More information can be found in our events archives.

2003: In Desoto (Jefferson County), wind gusts of up to 86mph (75kts) were reported in association with a severe thunderstorm. In Franklin county, hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter was reported.

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Day7...

1973: Winds of up to 63mph (55kts) were measured in St. Louis. That same day three tornadoes touched down in the CWA causing over $30,000 in damage.

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Day8...

1927: A tornado causing F4 damage killed 6 people and injured 30 in Cole, Boone, Callaway, and Audrain counties.

1988: Severe winds (57mph/50kts) were reported throughout much of the CWA. In Callaway county, the highest wind gusts reached 76mph (66kts). Hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter was also reported in St. Francois county.

2009: A quick cluster of severe storms moved through southern Missouri and Illinois bringing damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes. Damage was done to thousands of trees, and many buildings and homes from the wind and hail. Also, 3 to 5 inches of rainfall fell causing flash flooding in Crawford County to Randolph County, Mo. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day9...

1927: The 6th highest wind occurrence for St. Louis (75mph) was recorded.

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Day10...

1966: The lowest temperature on record at Quincy for the month of May (28 degrees) was recorded.

2003: A tornado outbreak produced 4 separate tornadoes that caused F2 and F3 damage in Knox, Lewis, Monroe, Marion and Ralls counties in Missouri and Adams and Brown counties in Illinois. The outbreak was responsible for only 2 injuries, but the property damage was estimated at 5.5 million dollars.

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Day11...

2004: Wind gusts of up to 64mph (55kts) were recorded in Farmington (St. Francois county).

2005: Clusters of severe thunderstorms moved through Central and East-Central Missouri producing large hail, damaging winds, and isolated torndoes. 4.25 inch hail was reported just north of Columbia, Mo and a tornado path was also uncovered in Adams County Illinois. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day12...

1980: A tornado producing F2 damage affected parts of Moniteau, Boone, Cole, and Callaway counties. A separate tornado (also causing F2 damage) touched down in Montgomery county.

2002: Some of the worst flash flooding ever to affect Iron county caused about 5.5 million dollars in damage.

2002: A severe linear convective system moved through Washington, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve Counties in Missouri and Randolph County in Illinois. Two brief tornadoes touched down, one in Washington County and one in Randolph County in Illinois. Both were rated F0. Two tornadoes touched down in St. Francois County and appeared to merge. After merging F1 damage was found. Damaging downburst winds were also found in Ste. Genevieve County. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day13...

1967: A severe thunderstorm produced hail that measured up to 2.75 inches in diameter in St. Charles county.

2009: Multiple tornadoes were spawned off slow moving severe storms. An EF-1 did some damage in St. Francois County, Mo. An EF-0 path was found in Macoupin County, IL, and two tornadoes, both EF-0, were produced in Knox County, Mo. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day14...

1982: Severe thunderstorms produced a tornado causing F1 damage in Moniteau county as well as strong winds (greater than 57mph/50kts) in other parts of the CWA.

1961: A tornado rated as an F3 on the Fujita scale produced 2.5 million dollars in damage in Pike county in Illinois.

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Day15...

1963: A severe thunderstorm produced hail measuring up to 2 inches in diameter in Audrain county.

1990: Severe thunderstorms producing strong winds, and a few weak tornadoes as well as hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter moved through the CWA.

1968: In St. Clair county in Illinois, a tornado causing F3 damage was responsible for 4 deaths and 60 injuries.

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Day16...

1995: Between the 16th and 17th, 6.55 inches of rain fall at St. Louis. This is the 5th greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location. 5.73 inches of rain fell at Columbia making it the 6th greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location. With such a large amount of rain, flash flooding was common throughout the CWA.

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Day17...

1995: Between the 16th and 17th, 6.55 inches of rain fall at St. Louis. This is the 5th greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location. 5.73 inches of rain fell at Columbia making it the 6th greatest 24-hour total amount of precipitation for that location.

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Day18...

1995: A tornado causing F2 damage touched down near Festus, Missouri causing almost $200,000 in damage.

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Day19...

1975: In St. Louis county, hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter was produced by a severe thunderstorm. The same storm produced winds of up to 71mph (62kts).

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Day20...

1987: Winds of up to 70mph (61kts) were reported in Knox county associated with a severe thunderstorm.

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Day21...

1949: A tornado causing F4 damage killed 5 people and injured 55 in St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri and Madison county in Illinois. This tornado was part of an outbreak that produced 4 different tornadoes and was responsible for 5 deaths and 57 injuries.

1957: In Clinton county in Illinois, wind gusts of up to 75mph (65kts) were reported.

1982: In St. Charles county, winds gusts of up to 73mph (63kts) were reported.

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Day22...

1998: Severe thunderstorms produced winds of up to 62mph (71kts) in parts of the CWA.

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Day23...

1878: What was probably a family of tornadoes causing F3 damage moved NE from 7 miles S of Quincy, passing 1 miles S of "Mound Station," now called Timewell. Homes were "carried away". One person died, as did 50 head of livestock. A total of 6 people were injured.

1966: Hail measuring up to 2 inches in diameter was reported in Adams county in Illinois.

1981: In Cole, Boone, and Osage counties, severe winds (57mph/50kts or greater) were reported in association with thunderstorm activity.

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Day24...

2004: Winds of up to 63mph (55kts) were recorded throughout much of the CWA associated with severe thunderstorms.

2006: Multiple severe thunderstorms moved through much of the county warning area (CWA). Most of them produced hail. Some of the cells merged producing a few tornadoes over Montgomery County, IL, Christian County, IL, and Bond County, IL. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day25...

1989: In Jefferson county, hail measuring up to 3.5 inches in diameter was produced by a severe thunderstorm.

2004: A large severe thunderstorm moved through the St. Louis Metropolitan area dropping penny to golf ball sized hail and up to 3 inches of rain in just 30 minutes causing flooding. Severe wind gusts were also reported. More information can be found in our events archives.

2008: Severe thunderstorms moved across St. Charles County producing torrential rainfall. 3 to 4 inches per hour was recorded resulting in flooding. More information can be found in our events archives.

2011: A severe weather outbreak across north-northeast Missouri and Illinois produced very large hail, damaging winds, and two tornadoes. The two tornadoes were in Montgomery City, Mo and Fredericktown, Mo. Both were rated EF-1. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day26...

1917: A tornado causing F4 damage killed 101 people and injured 638 in Pike, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery counties in Illinois. (Note: most of the deaths and damage occurred outside of the CWA in Mattoon, IL.)

1953: The highest temperature on record at St. Louis for the month of May (98 degrees) was recorded.

2004: In Franklin county, hail measuring up to 4.0 inches in diameter was produced by a severe thunderstorm near Washington.

2008: Thunderstorms moved through the area producing even more rain adding to the previous days total. Total rainfall amounts were estimated to be as much as 9 inches in the city of Flint Hill. Overall, 15 water rescues were performed in St. Charles County. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day27...

1896: 4 separate tornadoes each causing F4 damage killed 295 and injured 1177 people in Osage and St. Louis City counties in Missouri and Washington, Madison, St. Clair, and Clinton counties in IL. These 4 tornadoes were part of an outbreak that produced 8 separate tornadoes and caused a total of 305 deaths and 1229 injuries. That same day, the 2nd highest wind occurrence for St. Louis (80mph) was recorded.

1982: Winds of up to 75mph (65kts) were reported in St. Charles county. In St. Louis county, the winds topped out at 59mph (51kts).

2004: A strong line of thunderstorms moved through the area producing several small tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and torrential rainfall. Widespread flooding across the Metro Area then occurred. Rain totals of 2 inches were recorded. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day28...

1967: A tornado rated as an F2 on the Fujita scale produced $25,000 in damage in Jefferson county.

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Day29...

1891: A tornado causing F4 damage killed 4 people and injured 35 in Boone and Audrain counties.

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Day30...

1917: A tornado causing F4 damage killed 10 and injured 100 in Crawford, Washington, St. Francois, and Jefferson counties. This tornado was part of an outbreak that produced 7 separate tornadoes and was responsible for 21 deaths and 140 injuries.

1934: The highest temperature on record at Quincy for the month of May (103 degrees) was recorded.

1974: Severe thunderstorms produced winds of 57mph/50kts or greater over much of the CWA. Hail measuring up to 2.75 inches in diameter was also reported in St. Charles county, and a tornado rated an F2 on the Fujita scale caused 2.5 million dollars in damage in Adams county in Illinois.

2004: 7 tornadoes were uncovered in eastern Madison County, IL, Clinton County, IL, and eastern Washington County in Illinois. The first and second were rated F1 in Madison County and in Clinton County. Both did minor damage to some homes and machine sheds. Five tornadoes were found in eastern Washington County. All but one were rated F1, the fifth was rated F0. Several homes, trees, and different farm buildings saw damage. More information can be found in our events archives.

2008: Several supercells and a squall line produced multiple tornadoes and downburst winds over northeast Missouri and west-central Illinois. The convective line produced an EF-1 tornado in Lewis County, Mo. The supercells produced an EF-1 and two EF-0 tornadoes in Pike County, Mo, Ralls County, Mo. More information can be found in our events archives.

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Day31...

1934: The highest temperature on record at Columbia for the month of May (100 degrees) was recorded.

2004: Isolated thunderstorms moved through the county warning area producing isolated large hail and many severe wind reports. Several trees and power lines were knocked over, with some building damage. More information can be found in our events archives.

2013: A line of severe storms moved through much of the county warning area. Nine tornadic paths were found, the largest being an EF-3 in St. Charles County. Tornadoes were also found in Montgomery and Macoupin Counties in Illinois, and Montgomery, Franklin, and Jefferson Counties in Missouri. Straightline winds of 100 mph were also a threat. More information can be found in our events archives.