July 2011 is 6th hottest on record in Missouri

Last month will go down as the 6th hottest July in Missouri … and the hottest July since 1980.

Pat Guinan teaches climatology at the University of Missouri. He is also the state climatologist.

Guinan says the average temperature in July was a bit less than 83 degrees. The average is calculated by using both the high and low temperature each day.

July was unique because minimum temperatures were so high.

“That’s unusual to have several strings of days, weeklong periods of days, where the minimum temperatures stay in the 70s. In fact there have been several days in the mid- and upper- 70s … and even some locations where they had low temperatures right in the lower 80s, which is highly unusual,” Guinan said.

Guinan says the high humidity and high dew point contributed to the high minimum temperatures. Warm nights negatively impact corn and other crops.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Posted in: drought,Heat,heat wave,Pat Guinan