The heat and humidity have been hanging heavy across the Ozarks this summer. After coming out of a two-week heat wave, the question you may be asking is; ‘Was July record-setting for the Ozarks?’

Worldwide, July 2023 was declared the hottest month on record. According to a press release by the World Meteorological Organization, the July heatwaves in North America, Asia and Europe led to a new record.

For Springfield, 2023 didn’t make it into the top 10 hottest Julys on record. July 2023 ended up being the 28th warmest on record in Springfield. Measuring in at +0.7° above average. No weather-related records were broken in the month of July at all of our reporting sites. Springfield has only made it to the triple digits once this summer, heating up to 100° on July 29, 2023.

While Springfield was on the warmer side, it was also on the drier side picking up 3.67″ of rain. July was -0.18 behind average. The small deficit left July 2023 in Springfield as the 59th wettest on record. The last two days of July did help out with rainfall totals greatly, picking up a little over 1.22″ on the final days of the month.

The hottest July on record in Springfield was in 1934, during the start of the Dust Bowl. Rounding out the top four hottest Julys on record is 1954, 2011 and 2012.