Springfield has been experiencing warmer days this fall with many days being in the high 70s to low 80s. Afternoon temperatures have been five to 10 degrees warmer than the normal high for this time of year, according to Springfield National Weather Service Office meteorologist Gene Hatch.
He said this year has seen an increase in rain and thunderstorms in Greene County.
"The first six months of this year across much of the Ozarks has been one of the wettest on record," Hatch said, but he added that the period from July to October has been very dry.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of Missouri is in some form of drought. As of October 16, a portion of southwest Missouri, including much of Greene County, was in extreme drought. 5.5 million Missourians are in areas of drought, up 2.8% from last week. August was the third driest on record since 1895.
This weekend, we'll see a departure from the warmer weather with rain and thunderstorms likely on Saturday. Storms could be strong to severe Saturday. The greatest risk will be along and south of I-44 during the late morning and early afternoon hours, according to the National Weather Service.
Once the rain moves out, the area will experience lower temperatures. Next week's highs are expected to be in the 60s and 70s.