Summer arrives early: Top 10 warmest start to May

It’s hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago, Mid-Missouri was dealing with its third Sunday snowfall in a row. Now the tables have turned, as temperatures have climbed to near-record values in the upper 80s.

Although it’s only 10 days into the month of May, the past week and a half has been one of the warmest starts to May ever recorded. The average temperature since May 1 has hovered in the lower 70s and will likely only climb as we head into the weekend. Mid-Missouri will likely hit the first 90 degree of the year, a feat that’s hard to achieve this early in the year. On average, Columbia sees it’s first 90 degree on May 31, but they have occurred earlier. The earliest 90 ever recorded was in March of 1918, with the latest being in July of 1904. While our first 90 degree last year occurred during the first week of June, we’ll see it earlier this year thanks to an upper level ridge building over the southeast.

So, why does a ridge like the one building to our south lead to warmer temperatures? It has a lot to do with the way air moves, as rising air always cools and sinking air always warms. As the upper level ridge, or high pressure builds in to our south we’ll see that air sink and compress leading to the warm conditions that we’ll see.

While a ridge pattern of this nature typically leads to sunshine, MCS tracking to our north will keep clouds in the forecast. This will help provide some relief from the heat, primarily for those along and north of I-70 into the weekend.

With the summer heat building in early this year, it may have many asking questions about plants and how the abnormally warm conditions will affect them. The warmer the temperatures, the faster a plant undergoes it’s living processes. This is usually maxed out at or above 90 degrees, of which plants can take pretty well. Anything above that is where plants go into defensive mode, which is where the summer heat can begin to damage them.

Thankfully, temperatures this weekend are only expected to top out in the upper 80s to near 90s. It’ll be hot, but plants will be okay. Just remember to give them and you a drink of water for extended periods outside and stay cool in our early taste of summer.

Stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack as we continue to track the summer pattern and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.