August started on a Saturday with a rain along front which cleared by later in the day. This was followed by a great Sunday. But heat and humidity swelled into the area on Monday the 3rd with dew points and temperatures jumping about 16-18 in a day!
We returned to the pattern of stalled fronts to the north and east firing clusters of storms affecting portions of the Ozarks. A front did manage to keep temperatures in check around the 5th/6th. The heat returned again on the weekend with middle 90's but with a great breeze!
Another front provided rain and cooler temperatures on Monday 10th. Heavy rains fell on this day including a record 2.58" at the SGF NWS. Widespread 2-3" totals occurred in portions Greene, Polk and St. Clair Counties with isolated 4" totals. A very quiet period followed for the rest of the week and into the weekend of the 15/16th. It was a great viewing for the Perseid Meteor shower! Lots of attention on what tropical disburbances in the eastern Atlantic will do including incipent "Bill" and a forgotten "Claudette". The weekend of the 15/16th contained a fair amount of afternoon cloudiness and some rain showers especially west and north of Springfield.
Another front visited on Monday the 17th with some heavy rain totals. But the main front of this week arrived early Thursday. Out ahead of it on Wednesday evening, a tornado watch was posted; a rarity for August. A bowing segment in southeasternKansass turned into a large squall line which blew through the Ozarks. Tornado warnings were hoisted for portions of Dade, Laclede, Newton, McDonald and Barry counties. An EF1 tornado occurred north of Roby in Texas County. Numerous reports of 50-60 mph winds and some light damage. An active storm traveled from Newton and McDonald and into Barry around the midnight hour with several reports of wall clouds and funnels.
A period of much below normal weather set into the area again the following the storms including a fantastic weekend the 22/23 with cool and dry air dominating. In fact, the rest of the month featured below normal temperatures.
The record for Springfield indicates only six ninety-degree high temperatures for August compared to eight days where the high was below eighty. The low dipped into the fifties or lower a total of seven times. The coolest air culmenated with one final high pressure system which produced a tied record low of 48 on the morning of the 31st.
Not counting duplicate averages, this August ranks right around the 10th coolest on record!
Ted Keller
Senior Meteorologist
KOLR/KSFX-TV
Storm chasing and more at:
Ceaseless Wind
