Highs rose to the low 80s in Springfield yesterday, and they’ll climb higher today. While warm, it won’t feel all that bad thanks to a steady west breeze and low humidity. Skies will be sunny, and a weak cold front will nose into the area tonight, bringing minimal changes for Thursday.
We finish this week with similar weather on Thursday and Friday. Highs in the mid to upper 80s, sunny skies, and light winds. Winds will be from the west today, northeast on Thursday, and back out of the south on Friday.
The light winds will help keep the wildfire risk low this week, despite it being so dry. However, the wildfire danger this fall will need to be watched closely since we are very dry, and windy days will increase the fire risk quite a lot this season.
There is some excitement in the Gulf as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season is forecast to develop on Thursday. Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to reach hurricane strength on Thursday night. The latest first Atlantic hurricane on record was October 8, 1905, 121 years ago.
Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast around Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. From there, it will travel north towards Tennessee.
Most of the rain from Isaias is expected to stay east of the Ozarks, but areas near Highway 63 may tap into some rain on Saturday night and Sunday here locally. Otherwise, most of the Ozarks will get some additional clouds this weekend, but no rain.
Next week begins warm and sunny, but a large storm and a cold front are looking likely for the middle of next week. Rain chances look decent and temperatures should cool down following this system…