The (astronomical) summer is coming to an end on Saturday, September 23. While the Ozarks saw dry and hot conditions much of the summer, there were a few record-breaking events.

June

Drought conditions grew across the Ozarks for much of June. Over the final ten days of June, only a trace amount of rain was registered at the National Weather Service office near the airport. Overall, June was nearly 2.5″ inches behind in rainfall in Springfield, with a bigger deficit for our northern counties.

July

While July started off dry across the area, on July 7, 2023 parts of Springfield got pounded by rain. South Springfield picked up over 5″ of rain in a matter of two hours. Roads near Battlefield and Glenstone were closed as parking lots and roadways were overtaken by water.

August

Heat and humidity took over in the month of August. The humidity was one for the record books. On August 21, 2023, temperatures topped out at 97°, which did not break any records. The dewpoints made it to the 80s, making the heat index 122°. This was the warmest real feel on record for Springfield.

The astronomical fall season will begin on Saturday, September 23 at 2:50 a.m.