Springfield, MO Tornado History — 142 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Springfield, MO had?
Springfield has had 142 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 7 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Springfield?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Springfield was an EF0 on April 29, 2025.
When is tornado season in Springfield?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Springfield, with 32 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Springfield
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 80 total, averaging 4.0 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Springfield since December 29, 2025
These are 4 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Springfield. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Springfield
19 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Springfield since 1950, across 9 events. 275 injuries have been reported across all events. 2003 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on May 4, 2003, which caused 7 fatalities along a 49.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Springfield
About Tornadoes in Springfield
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Severe weather season reaches Springfield, Missouri, in earnest by mid-spring, when Gulf of Mexico moisture surges north over the Ozark plateau and collides with cold fronts driven by a still-energetic jet stream. April and May supply the classic ingredients — instability, wind shear, and slow-moving boundaries — but the calendar in southwest Missouri refuses to close neatly. Autumn opens another window as sharp cold-air intrusions cross the region, and even midwinter warm surges ahead of strong storm systems have produced damaging tornadoes here.
The record maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows how that threat has touched generation after generation. An F1 brushed the area on August 8, 1950, early in the modern documentation era, and on December 15, 1971, a winter F2 tore along a 48.3-mile track, killing 1 person and injuring 22. November 30, 1991, brought an F4 that killed 2 people and injured 64, while the May 4, 2003, outbreak drove an F3 across a 49-mile path, with 7 deaths and 48 injuries. Cold-season danger returned on January 8, 2008, when an EF3 followed a 50.39-mile track and killed 3 people, and as recently as April 29, 2025, an EF0 traced a path near the city, keeping the pattern alive for a new generation.