Springfield, MO

Weather Forecast Office

March 14, 2025 - Tornadoes and Fire Weather

Overview

On Friday, March 14, 2025 an unseasonably deep low pressure system developed and traversed across the Central Plains. The impressively dynamic system produced non-thunderstorm wind gusts upwards of 60 mph in some locations within the Springfield forecast area. Dry air in place, paired with these strong synoptic winds, produced extremely critical fire weather conditions across the area. Multiple fires were reported with some damaging property. During the peak of the event, numerous robust supercells developed across southwest Missouri and rapidly moved northeast through the afternoon and evening. These storms produced large hail and multiple tornadoes, some being strong such as the EF-3 that damaged homes in Bakersfield, Missouri. Following the storms, the strong winds brought in dust from Texas and Oklahoma.

Tornado
Hail
Fire Weather
Radar
Storm Reports

Tornadoes

Tornado - Bakersfield
Ozark/Howell County

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)	8:34pm - 8:49pm
EF Rating	EF-3
Est. Peak Winds	140 mph
Path Length	12.4 miles
Max Width	600 yards
Injuries/Deaths	1/3
Summary: Note: We are reviewing additional damage points and data. Adjustments in the track are likely. NWS storm survey and satellite data concluded that the tornado that started near Gamaliel, Arkansas touched down just west of Highway 101 tracking into the town of Gamaliel where it caused damage to the post office and fire station. It then tracked northeast along Highway 101 where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees. This continued as it tracked just west of County Road 43 where it moved into Missouri. This part of the tornado has been rated an EF1 with winds of 100 mph, but the overall rating of the tornado is EF3 based on damage that occurred in Missouri along the track of this tornado.. The tornado obtained EF-3 intensity with peak winds of 140 mph as it moved through Bakersfield resulting in three fatalities and one injury. The tornado then continued to the northeast before lifting near the intersection of County Roads 7320 and 7390 around 849 PM. The total tornado path length was 13.29 miles. The path length of the tornado in Missouri was 7.6 miles. The maximum width of the tornado was around 600 yards. The tornado destroyed several homes and damaged numerous other homes. Multiple cars were rolled 50 to 100 yards. Numerous trees were also uprooted including entire groves of trees destroyed.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


8:43 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity	8:43 PM CST Storm Relative Velocity	Picture of the Bakersfield Tornado	Significant Damage near Bakersfield

Tornado - Rolla
Phelps County

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)	7:50pm - 7:58pm
EF Rating	EF-2
Est. Peak Winds	120 mph
Path Length	8.67 miles
Max Width	175 yards
Injuries/Deaths	1/0
Summary: An EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 120 mph started 4 miles SE of Doolittle and tracked northeast through southeastern portions of Rolla. The tornado crossed I-44 before lifting just south of the Little Prairie Conservation area. The tornado damaged several homes with one person injured. Significant roof damage was noted to some homes. Multiple schools and businesses also sustained roof damage with several plate glass windows blown out.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


7:55 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity	7:55 PM CDT Velocity	Roof blown off a house near Rolla	Damage in south Rolla

Tornado - Rural Webster/Wright County
Webster/Wright County

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)	6:43pm - 7:02pm
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	100 mph
Path Length	17.27 miles
Max Width	400 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: An EF-1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 100 mph started 5 miles north of Diggins and tracked northeast into western Wright County. The maximum width of the tornado was around 400 yards. Damage included a roof torn off of a home, numerous barns destroyed, a collapsed cell phone tower, and snapped trees laying in a cyclonic pattern.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


6:45 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity	6:45 PM CDT Storm Relative Velocity	Picture of the Webster/Wright Tornado	Barns destroyed north of Seymour

Tornado - Rover to Reynolds County
Oregon-Shannon-Carter-Reynolds Counties

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)	9:16pm - 10:29pm
EF Rating	EF-3
Est. Peak Winds	165 mph
Path Length	53.96 miles
Max Width	800 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: A multi-day and joint survey between the Springfield, Paducah, and St. Louis NWS offices concluded that a long-track EF-3 tornado began south of Rover, MO and tracked northeast for 54 miles before lifting in southern Reynolds County. This tornado pushed two homes off their foundations in Oregon County and damaged a roof of another home. Thousands of trees were uprooted as it traveled from Rover into extreme southeast Shannon County. A pair of high voltage transmission line metal support poles collapsed. This tornado then continued northeast causing damage across Carter and Reynolds Counties.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


8:17 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity	8:17 PM CDT Storm Relative Velocity	Significant Home Damage near Rover	Damage near Thomasville

Tornado - Alton
Oregon County

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)	9:44pm - 10:06pm
EF Rating	EF-3
Est. Peak Winds	145 mph
Path Length	18.78 miles
Max Width	800 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: An 18-mile long tornado path was determined by a combination of NWS survey, storm reports, and satellite damage to have moved from near Culp Ford, 10 miles southwest of Alton, to 2 north of Alton before lifting 8 miles northeast of Alton. While much of the damage was to trees along with several outbuildings, the tornado damaged a few homes including a south facing ground level home off County Rd 402 where it caused EF3 damage.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


9:47 PM CDT Radar Reflectivity	9:47 PM CDT Storm Relative Velocity	Significant Home Damage north of Alton

Tornado - LOCATION
COUNTY NAME

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)
EF Rating
Est. Peak Winds
Path Length
Max Width
Injuries/Deaths
Summary: Short summary of the tornado.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


Caption	Caption	Caption	Caption

Tornado - LOCATION
COUNTY NAME

Date	March 14, 2025
Time (Local)
EF Rating
Est. Peak Winds
Path Length
Max Width
Injuries/Deaths
Summary: Short summary of the tornado.

Track Map

Downloadable KMZ File


Caption	Caption	Caption	Caption

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

Hail

Supercell thunderstorms produced large hail up to the size of golf balls across southern Missouri.


Golf Ball Size Hail near Branson West	Large Hail Damage Near Highlandville	Ping Pong Ball Size Hail at Seymour	Large Hail in Reeds Spring

Fire Weather

A very dry airmass was in place across the Ozarks region to start the day as an exceptionally strong storm system was moving across the plains. The strength of the system produced winds that gusted as much as 60mph a times with sustained winds from 35 to 45mph. This combination of dry conditions and gusty winds allowed sparks from transformers and downed power lines to enhance the fire development and movement through the late morning into the afternoon in advance of a line of severe thunderstorms that evening. As the day progressed, fuel moistures, such as dormant grasses, leaf litter and brush fell below 10%. The dry air allowed relative humidity values to fall below 20% with some locations dropping below 10%. This exceptionally dry air, warm afternoon temperatures in the 70s and the high winds all contributed to numerous fires across the Ozarks. Fires burned multiple acres with fires as large as 1200 acres or more. Multiple structures, vehicles and farm implements were reported to have burned as a result of the fires.

Radar

Storm Reports

Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged!
Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site.