Jarman's Weekly Agronomy News

January 2000

Talk About the Weather ... Highs and Lows of the 20th Century in Missouri

In this century, Missouri racked up some amazing record-setting weather, including one world-record rainfall. Delving into weather records since 1900, three members of the MU Atmospheric Science Department have listed interesting records to talk about, decade by decade.

Most Missourians remember the decade of the `90s for the record-setting floods on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in 1993 and 1995. But, they might not know that the largest monthly precipitation, 25.71 inches, fell in Maryville, Missouri, in July 1993. The wettest month of the century was September 1993, with a state average precipitation of 11.72. That helped make 1993 the wettest year of the century. While the early part of this decade was wet, this year ends dry, ranking the 13th driest fall on record.

Those are just starters in 10 decades of gee whiz weather statistics compiled by Adnan Akyuz, Missouri State Climatologist; Patrick Guinan, Extension Associate; and Wayne L. Decker, Professor Emeritus.

That world record rainfall was for the 12 inches that fell in just 42 minutes on June 22, 1947 in Holt, Missouri, just north of St. Joseph, Missouri. As for state records, Warsaw, Missouri, in Benton County, holds two for the 20th Century. On February.13, 1905, the coldest temperature of -40øF was recorded there. Almost a half-century later, the temperature hit a state record high for the century at 118øF on July 14, 1954. That record was also tied at Union, Missouri, in Franklin County the same day. The years 1953 to 1957 were hot and dry throughout the state, with 1953 being the driest of the century.

The first decade, starting in 1900, was noted for heat and drought when 1901 was noted for its hot, dry summer. November 1904 went into the books as the driest month of the century, still unbeaten with less than a quarter of inch of precipitation. Another record that winter was the coldest temperature of the century of -40øF. on February 13, 1905 at Warsaw, Missouri.

Then during 1910-1919, the largest daily temperature range for the century was on November 11, 1911. Many locations around the state recorded maximum temperatures in the low 80's and minimum temperatures in the low teens within a 12-hour period after a strong cold front moved through. Summer heat was the news of 1913. The largest one-day tornado outbreak of the century was 14 tornadoes reported on May 30, 1917.

From 1920-1929 the records include the ice storm on December 16-19, 1924. It covered three-fourths of Missouri with ice 1 to 6 inches thick. Then the "Tri-State Tornado" in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana killed 695 people on March 18, 1925. Another killer tornado in Poplar Bluff, Missouri on May 9, 1927 caused 98 deaths followed by one in St. Louis on September 29, 1927, that killed 79 people.

During 1930 to 1939 the "Dust Bowl" was the most often thought of weather related occurrence. The summer heat and drought of 1934 gave us the hottest month of century on July 1934 when the State averaged a temperature of 86.1øF. Also, the hottest summer of century was 1934 when State average temperatures were 81.9øF. This decade also included the heat and especially drought since the driest summer of century was 1936 when the State average rainfall was a mere 3.78 inches.

This decade, 1940 to 1949 began with the coldest month of century during January 1940 when the State average temperature dropped to 15.3øF. The world record rainfall of 12 inches in 42 minutes fell on June 22, 1947 at Holt, Missouri in Holt County.

Weather during 1950-1959 varied form the flood of 1951 on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to a period of droughts from 1953 to 1957. During the summer heat and drought of 1953 and 1954, the driest year of the century was 1953 with a State average precipitation of 25.35 inches. And the hottest temperature of the century was 118øF on July 14, 1954 at Warsaw, Benton County and Union, Missouri, Franklin County. On May 20, 1957 Ruskin Heights endured a tornado that caused 44 deaths. The highest annual precipitation for the century was 92.77 inches in 1957 at Portageville, Missouri.

1960 to 1969 began with the coldest and snowiest March of the century. During 1960 some parts of northern Missouri had 3 feet of snow on the ground.

From 1970 to 1979 there was the flood of 1973 on the Mississippi River. Also, three consecutive frigid winters beginning with the winter of 1976-77. A flash flood in Kansas City on September 12-13, 1977 caused 25 deaths. The coldest winter of the century was 1978 to 1979 with a state average temperature of 24.1øF.

The 1980s began with the summer heat and drought of 1980. The coldest December of century was 1983 with a Stage average temperature of 18.4øF. In 1986 the Missouri River flooded and the summer of 1988 endured a drought with lowest annual precipitation for the century of only 14.97 inches fell at La Belle, Missouri in Lewis County.

During the most current decade, 1990 to 1999, the Flood of 1993 on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers also included the highest monthly precipitation of the century during July 1993 of 25.71 inches in Maryville, Nodaway County. The wettest month and year of the century also occurred that year during September with an average rainfall of 11.72 inches and a State annual precipitation of 56.90 inches. Just two years later there was the flood of 1995 on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The 90s have been characteristic of mild winters with seven out of 10 winters being at or above normal temperatures compared to the 100-year temperature normals. The autumn of 1999 ranks as just the 13th driest of the century for the state.

Source: Pat Guinan (573) 882-5908 Wayne Decker 882-6592 Adnan Akyuz 882-8599