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3-month outlook trending warm

By Maddie Est [email protected]

As someone who loves all things related to weather and climate, sometimes it is hard for me to admit the shortcomings of weather forecasting and patterns.

That being said, I have no issue stating the end of July was way too hot and humid, in my opinion. It was, may I frankly say, disgusting. From the many conversations I have had with people who work outdoors or just enjoy being outdoors, they mostly agree with me. It is hard to find anyone who truly enjoys the late summer heat and humidity. Aside from a few nicer days in July, most of the month was exceptionally hot. July is in the past now, however, and as we approach fall, relief is almost in sight. We just need to make it through August.

For those of us who are tired of extreme heat, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Climatic outlooks suggest August will be warmer than average here in Missouri just like July was. For reference, the mean average August temperature is in the upper 70s. While this does not necessarily mean we will be seeing more 100-degree days, it does suggest another month of warmth.

In addition to that heat, we are looking at drier than normal conditions as well. An August in Missouri usually comes with just over 4 inches of rain. Climatic predictions for this month are following that same summer-like trend where we are warmer than usual and drier. Because of this, we can expect to see less rain than usual.

These drier conditions will likely exacerbate our drought areas across the state. While some of our state saw enough rain last month to bring themselves out of drought conditions, a good portion of central and southern Missouri is still experiencing a drought.

Southwestern Missouri is experiencing an extreme drought per the United States Drought Monitor. The rest of central and southeastern Missouri are seeing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.

Hopefully Mother Nature will be a bit kinder to us in August than she was in July. If she chooses to be tough on Missouri, just know relief will be coming later in the fall.

The three-month outlook is trending still warm, but not quite as dry, so there is hope that this pattern will break. Before long, leaves will be changing, bonfires will be burning safely, and hoodies will be on. Just keep that in mind the next time you walk outside and feel like you’re swimming through the moisture in the air.

Maddie Est has worked as a broadcast meteorologist and marine meteorologist since graduating from the University of Missouri in 2021. She has worked with the Missouri Climate Center and conducted research on atmospheric blocking while at MU.

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2022-08-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-07T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.newstribune.com/article/281840057436173

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