Tuesday, July 23: How much longer can we avoid the 90s?

Yesterday marked our eighth straight day below 90°. At this stage, temperatures are running about 2° below normal for the month. If we keep that up, this will be the coolest July since 2014.

This trend will continue today with temperatures in the mid-80s this afternoon. Skies will be similar to Monday with partly cloudy skies and spotty rain showers throughout the day. This pattern is the result of a persistent trough in the middle of the country.

Tonight will be mild in the mid-60s with any rain ending. Wednesday will be a little warmer as the trough begins to weaken. Temperatures will reach the upper 80s, the warmest we’ve seen in a week believe it or not.

Rain chances will perk up again on Thursday as a weak front dips into the area. Look for warm and steamy conditions with widely scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms.

The Ozarks Empire Fair kicks off Thursday, and we may have to dodge some rain late in the afternoon, but this shouldn’t rain out the first evening. This is a pattern we’ll find more of over the weekend.

The middle of the country will be sandwiched between summer ridges. This weak spot in the pattern will make for a corridor of unsettled weather in the region. This won’t make for a washout any day, but it will help generate some cloud cover along with widely scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Next Monday may be the first day since July 16th with most areas hitting 90°. The pattern that follows looks to support more opportunities for hotter temperatures as we end July and head into August.

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