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The National Weather Service announced today that 2012 was the warmest year on record for Joplin, and second warmest in Springfield. As KSMU’s Samuel Crowe reports, that trend might continue into the New Year.
The average temperature in Joplin last year was 61.6 degrees, which matched an all-time record set in 1946.
Springfield’s average temperature in 2012 was 59.5 degrees, three degrees above a normal average. It ranks second all-time behind the 59.6 degree average in 1936.
Steve Reynolds is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield. He says we can expect the hot and dry conditions to continue on into 2013.
“Ultimately we finished the year pretty warm and certainly very, very dry compared to normal, and those conditions are looking to extend on into 2013. I wish I could tell you that we’re going to be seeing a lot of rain. We will see a little bit mid- week and into this weekend, but ultimately will we catch up on that 14 to 15 inches that 2012 left us without? Probably not anytime soon,” Reynolds said.
The National Weather Service announced that both Saint Louis and Columbia, Missouri recorded record high average temperatures as well.
For KSMU News, I’m Samuel Crowe.