. . . . . During the early morning of 04 July 1995, severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds to parts of eastern Kansas and northern Missouri. A second round of severe storms formed later that afternoon. Among these were several that produced tornadoes. One of the tornadoes (later rated F3) struck the downtown business district of Moberly, Missouri. Fortunately, because it was the July 4th holiday, few people were present when the tornado struck. Also, a tornado watch and tornado warning had been issued well in advance of the tornado occurrence. No serious injuries or deaths occurred in what could have been a devastating event.
. . . . . As is often the case, the July 4th episode was characterized by a large number of severe storms, with only a few tornadoes. At the same time, a large geographic region seemed to contain similar instability and vertical shears. In this study, the case is examined using WSR-88D radar data, GOES-8 satellite imagery, NCEP model analysis and forecast output, and conventional observations. The data provide an insightful description of the meteorological setting and evolution which led to the July 4th tornadoes. The study illustrates how a combination of several new National Weather Service modernization data sets can be used in a quickly accessible manner to provide a valuable and precise overview of a rapidly evolving meteorological event.