SIKESTON — Memorial Day weather is forecast to be sunny with a temperature higher than normal.
According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., Monday will be sunny with a high near 90 and a low around 70 degrees. The normal high for Memorial Day is 81 degrees, the Weather Service.
High temperatures on Memorial Day are predominately in the 70s or 80s, encompassing 82 percent of all years on record, the Weather Service said.
Climate data has been recorded by the Weather Service at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, located 5 miles southwest of Cape Girardeau, since June 1960.
Prior to 1971, Memorial Day (Decoration Day) was observed on May 30. It was moved to the last Monday in May as a result of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which was passed in 1968 and took effect in 1971.
This means the holiday can vary from May 25 to May 31 for any given year since 1971. For climate purposes, May 30 will be used prior to 1971 and the last Monday in May used from 1971 to the present.
Cape Girardeau has seen high temperatures as warm as the 90s eight times, most recently in 2012, with a reading soaring to 96 degrees. There has also been two years where the high temperature failed to reach 70 degrees. This occurred back in 1983 and 1964.
Low temperatures nearly always fall in the 50s or 60s, which accounts for 91 percent of the years on record. There are always exceptions to the norm, of course: in 1992 the low temperature dropped to 47 degrees, which is one of two years with lows in the 40s. The warmest low temperature was observed in 2012 with 71 degrees.
Measurable precipitation has fallen 39 percent of the time, with over an inch of precipitation falling on two different occasions, most recently in 1996.
Last year’s high — as recorded by the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport — on Memorial Day was 86 degrees with a low of 58 and no precipitation. In 2016, the high was 88 degrees and low of 60 and no rainfall.