Missouri, Kansas log warmest December temperatures on record

Kansas and Missouri hit their warmest average December temperatures last month, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with Kansas surpassing 40 degrees for the first time ever.

Data shows Kansas recorded an average temperature of 41.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which broke its previous record by nearly 2.9 degrees, 38.5 degrees Fahrenheit in December 1957. In Missouri, temperatures reached an average of 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit, challenging its previous record of an average of 42.4 degrees Fahrenheit in December 2015.

“Warmer winters overall are bringing a reduction in the snows, and especially an increase in the overnight temperatures,” FOX4’s Joe Lauria, evening news meteorologist, said in an email. “They are signaling less extreme cold temperatures, an increase in early season green-ups, leading to more insect issues, as well as an increase in allergies with an even earlier start to the allergy season.” The rest of the story is on ozarksfirst.com.