Wild spring weather ends on a record hot note

Looking at the average temperature for the spring season, one would think it was fairly seasonal. After all, the average temperature for spring is 54 degrees, with 2018 seemingly seasonal at 56 degrees. However, that doesn’t tell the true story, as this spring was anything but seasonal.

Let’s dive into the numbers here for Mid-Missouri and look at what was one of the wildest springs we’ve seen here.

MARCH:

March was the only true seasonal month this spring, as the average temperature was just one degree below seasonal values. Even by precipitation standards, the month was fairly seasonal. It was our first true taste of spring, but it didn’t stick around long.

APRIL:

April was where things began to turn interesting for Mid-Missouri, as winter made a bitter return to the region. Multiple Sunday’s in a row featured snow in Mid-Missouri, as wave after wave of cold air continued to track into the state. Although the cold air tracked into the state, plenty of dry air remained in place that ate away at most of the snowfall opportunities. It was this bitter cold that led April to being the 8th coldest on record for Columbia, with an average temperature of nearly 50 degrees. Multiple days saw the low temperature plummet below freezing, which led to continuous freezes and a late start to the growing season. It was also the driest April on record with less than half an inch of precipitation throughout the entire month. It was just one of the wild rides we’ve been on in this spring rollercoaster.

MAY:

While April dealt with bitter cold, May came in roaring like a lion and brought the earliest taste of summer we’ve ever seen. At the close of the month, the official average temperature was nearly 10 degrees above a seasonal May. At 73.9 degrees, May of 2018 officially closed as the warmest May ever recorded. This quick turn to summer from winter led to multiple plants blooming and a phenomenon called a pollen tsunami. Typically during the spring months plants bloom gradually throughout the season. As the earth continues to warm, more and more plants come to life. However, thanks to the late start to spring, all plants in Mid-Missouri seemingly came to life releasing a plethora of pollen across the state. You can read more about that here:

By the numbers here is the spring season:

Temperature Precipitation Snowfall

March: 43.4° 3.34″ 0.3″

April: 49.6° 0.45″ 0.6″

May: 73.9° 2.89″ 0.0″

The rollercoaster ride isn’t over in Mid-Missouri, as the temperatures are likely to continue to stay on the warm side. Current indications show the summer heat we’ve been seeing here in Mid-Missouri continue to build into the region, as the above average temperatures continue.

Stay with ABC 17 News as we continue to track the early summer heat and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.