August starts with mild temperatures & rain chances

The weather pattern will be a mild one as we head into the month of August. The upper level ridge which brought the heat and humidity in July has retreated to the west and as a result, the upper level winds are coming in from the northwest. The northwesterly flow aloft not only carries mild air in from Canada but also sends upper level disturbances in our direction which can cause rain to develop if enough moisture is available.

Spotty showers and storms are possible Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon as weak disturbances move through. These will be very hit and miss with rain amounts under a tenth of an inch each day. However, a stronger wave of low pressure aloft will send a surface cold front through Missouri Thursday. This will bring a more organized chance of showers and t-storms along with much cooler air. Some strong storms are possible late in the day with rainfall amounts in most areas up to a quarter inch, except for locally higher amounts in stronger storms.

Another surge of cooler air moves in for the end of the week and weekend with temperatures more like mid-September. Watch ABC17 News for updates on the upcoming changes and check for updates on ABC17Stormtrack Twitter and ABC17 News Facebook.