Ozarks entering average hottest time of year

Beginning July 20, Springfield entered its average hottest stretch of temperatures. The average high temperature in Springfield from July 20 to August 11 is 90° or more. During this period, the average high temperature reaches its peak on August 1 at 90.4°.

The average high temperature is different from the average temperature. The average temperature is the average taken between the high and low temperatures. For example, the average high temperature on July 22 is 90.1° and the average low temperature is 69.1°. This means the average temperature on July 22 is 79.6°.

Using the average temperature, we find that the hottest day in Springfield is July 28 with an average temperature of 79.7°.

West Plains, Missouri, experiences its hottest day on July 20 with an average temperature of 77.5°. Versailles' hottest day is on July 31 at 78.6°, Rolla/Vichy's hottest day of 77.9° falls on July 29, and Joplin's hottest day is July 30 at 80.4°. Harrison, Arkansas, hits an average temperature of 79.0° on July 29.

This time is sometimes called the dog days of summer. The dog days of summer are from July 3 through August 11. This period is known as the dog days of summer because this is when the star Sirius, aka the Dog Star, begins to rise.