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Winter in Cole County, Missouri

48 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

48 events · 1 deaths recorded · peak month January · county share of state 0.7%

Winter event locations in and around Cole County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

Cole County, Missouri, has 48 winter events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 20 different years.

January is the busiest month, with 16 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 23 events against 25 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.7% of the 6,559 winter events recorded in Missouri; its 12.3 per 100 square miles compares with 9.5 statewide.

NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to winter storms and snow.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with Missouri

Measure	Cole County	Missouri	US
Winter events since 1950	48	6,559	287,339
Per 100 square miles	12.3	9.5	8.1
Per 10,000 residents	6.2	10.6	8.7
Deaths recorded	1	58	2,509
Busiest month	January	January	January

By year

195019882026

Winter events recorded in Cole County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
16Feb
11Mar
4Apr
1May
0Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
3Dec
13

Winter events in Cole County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 48 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

Date	Event type	Magnitude	Property damage	Crop damage	Deaths	Injuries	Geography
1 Dec 2025	Winter Weather	—	—	—	1	1	Forecast zone
4 Jan 2025	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
22 Dec 2022	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
17 Feb 2022	Sleet	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2022	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Jan 2021	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
11 Jan 2019	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Mar 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
4 Feb 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
5 Jan 2014	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
21 Dec 2013	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
24 Mar 2013	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Feb 2013	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
21 Feb 2013	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2011	Blizzard	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Feb 2011	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
31 Jan 2011	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
19 Jan 2011	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
6 Jan 2010	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
23 Feb 2008	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
11 Feb 2008	Winter Weather	—	—	—	—	3	Forecast zone
8 Dec 2007	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
12 Jan 2007	Ice Storm	—	$34K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Dec 2006	Winter Storm	—	$244K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
29 Nov 2006	Winter Storm	—	$100K	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Dec 2005	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
24 Nov 2004	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Jan 2004	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Dec 2003	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
9 Dec 2003	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
23 Feb 2003	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
24 Dec 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
4 Dec 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Mar 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Feb 2002	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
13 Dec 2000	Heavy Snow	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
27 Jan 2000	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
1 Jan 1999	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
21 Dec 1998	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Mar 1998	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
12 Jan 1998	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Dec 1997	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
10 Apr 1997	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
27 Jan 1997	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
15 Jan 1997	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
8 Jan 1997	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
25 Nov 1996	Ice Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone
2 Jan 1996	Winter Storm	—	—	—	—	—	Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Cole County had?

48 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Cole County?

1 Dec 2025 (Winter Weather). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Cole County?

The winter storm of 1 Dec 2006, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $244K.

How does Cole County compare with Missouri for winter?

12.3 events per 100 square miles against 9.5 statewide; the county holds 48 of the state's 6,559 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.