Missouri, 2023

Heat in Missouri, July 18 to 20, 2023

July 18 to 20, 2023 · NWS MEG · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

The strong upper ridge of high pressure that dominated the weather across the southwest US during the summer of 2023 pushed east into the Mid-South toward the middle of July. High temperatures combined with high humidity produced heat index values over 105 degrees.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

The strong upper ridge of high pressure that dominated the weather across the southwest US during the summer of 2023 pushed east into the Mid-South toward the middle of July. High temperatures combined with high humidity produced heat index values over 105 degrees.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 5:45 AM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 5:45 AM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Dunklin

When
July 18, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Dunklin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
36.106, -90.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached or exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Pemiscot

When
July 18, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Pemiscot forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
36.211, -89.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached or exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Dunklin

When
July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Dunklin forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
36.106, -90.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached or exceeded 105 degrees.

Heat, Pemiscot

When
July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Pemiscot forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
36.211, -89.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached or exceeded 105 degrees.

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Missouri in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, July 2023

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1127674, 1127675, 1127723, 1127724.