Warm and dry spring leading to records for Mid-Missouri

Records were meant to be broken, but unfortunately this spring will break a record that none of Mid-Missouri wants to see broken. With only two weeks left in meteorological spring, this year will likely close out as one of the driest springs ever recorded. As of May 16th, Columbia Regional Airport has only seen 4.70 inches of rain, a far cry from the nearly 12 inches we see on average during the spring months.

It’s just one of the many records that have been tested, on what has been a wild ride for spring in Mid-Missouri. What started off as one of the coldest starts to spring, will likely end as one of the warmest springs on record. The average temperature during the first half of the month was nearly 20 degrees cooler than what Mid-Missouri is currently experiencing. Since April 16th, the average temperature has been 63.7 degrees, with nearly 60 percent of all days experiencing above average temperatures.

Thanks to the lack of rain, the higher sun angle, and the dry top soil, it’s no wonder our highs each day continue to climb well into the 80s. It’s as if we’ve skipped right over spring and landed into summer and that certainly has been the case this month. The average temperature for the month of May feels more like June and is currently ranked as the warmest May on record, if May were to end today.

Thankfully, slightly cooler conditions are expected as we head into the coming days, with decent chances for some rain in the forecast. However, we have to hold off until Saturday when the rain is expected to track into the region. This comes ahead of another cold front that will drop temperatures into the upper 70s and lower 80s by Monday of next week.

Stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack as we continue to breakdown the remainder of the spring and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.