What is the single 24-hour snowfall record in Missouri?

Missouri Meteorological Archive

Missouri Snowfall Records & Storm Archive

Historical winter storms show why having the proper snow removal equipment is not a luxury during extreme weather events. Here are Missouri's defining blizzards and the practical equipment lessons they taught.

Deep Powder BlizzardJanuary 31 – February 2, 2011

The Great Groundhog Day Blizzard of 2011

Peak Accumulation:18 to 24 inches (Columbia 18.0", KC 12-14", STL 10-12" + sleet)

Corridor Affected:Statewide corridor along and north of I-44 and I-70

A massive storm that shut down Interstate 70 across the state. Wind gusts exceeded 50 mph, whipping snow into drifts 6 to 10 feet deep in Boone, Jackson, and Callaway counties.

Equipment Lesson Learned:

Single-stage snow blowers could not physically clear 20-inch drifts. Homeowners with 24-28" two-stage machines with tall intake boxes and serrated augers were the only ones able to clear driveways without manual shoveling.

Wet Slush / HeavyJanuary 11 – 12, 2019

The Mid-Missouri January Slush Beast of 2019

Peak Accumulation:12 to 17.5 inches

Corridor Affected:Columbia, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Hermann

A low-pressure system drew immense Gulf moisture straight into below-freezing continental air over central Missouri, producing an exceptionally heavy, waterlogged snowfall with snow-to-water ratios near 7:1.

Equipment Lesson Learned:

Lightweight plastic chutes and narrow discharge openings clogged within seconds. Snow blowers with anti-clogging bypass systems (like Toro's ACS) or large 12-inch impellers outperformed wider machines with weak chute thrust.

Flash Freeze DriftFebruary 13 – 17, 2021

The Historic February 2021 Deep Freeze & Double Storm

Peak Accumulation:8 to 14 inches with -15°F ambient temperatures

Corridor Affected:Statewide (KC, St. Louis, Springfield, Joplin)

Polar vortex outbreak pushed air temperatures to -10°F in St. Louis and -15°F in Kansas City. Two back-to-back clippers deposited dry powdery snow over dense icy bases, with howling winds creating rock-hard windrows.

Equipment Lesson Learned:

Gas engines with old summer fuel or 10W-30 oil refused to crank. Electric push-button starters (120V wall plug-in) and 5W-30 synthetic oil were critical. Battery equipment performed well if batteries were warmed inside the house first.

Ice & Sleet LayeredNovember 30 – December 1, 2006

The 2006 St. Louis Ice & Heavy Snow Paralysis

Peak Accumulation:1 to 2 inches of glaze ice followed by 8 to 12 inches heavy snow

Corridor Affected:St. Louis Metro, St. Charles, Metro East

An early-season catastrophic winter storm that knocked out power to over 500,000 Ameren customers. The storm deposited a thick ice crust before dumping wet heavy snow on top.

Equipment Lesson Learned:

Shear pins broke by the thousands as augers struck frozen ice crusts. Homeowners who had spare shear pins and brass drift cutters stayed functional; those without were grounded for days.

Frequently Asked Questions

The official 24-hour state record is 24.0 inches, recorded in Steelville (Crawford County) during the epic storm of February 25, 1912.

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