Springfield, Missouri

==Geography==
[[File:Springfield mo aerial map.jpg|thumb|upright|Satellite view of Springfield]]
Springfield is on the Springfield Plateau of the [[Ozarks]] region of southwest Missouri. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|82.31|mi2|km2|abbr=off}}, of which {{convert|81.72|mi2|km2|abbr=off}} is land and {{convert|0.59|mi2|km2|abbr=off}} (0.7%) is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=July 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

The city of Springfield is mainly flat with rolling hills and cliffs surrounding its south, east, and north sections. Springfield is on the Springfield Plateau, which reaches from Northwest Arkansas to Central Missouri. Most of the plateau is characterized by forest, pastures and shrub-scrub habitats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/birdatlas/natdiv.htm |title=Missouri Breeding Bird Atlas 1986 - 1992: The Natural Divisions of Missouri |publisher=Mdc.mo.gov |access-date=October 21, 2010}}</ref> Many streams and tributaries, such as the [[James River (Missouri)|James River]], Galloway Creek and Jordan Creek, flow within or near the city. Nearby lakes include [[Table Rock Lake]], [[Stockton Lake]], [[McDaniel Lake]], [[Fellows Lake]], [[Lake Springfield (Missouri)|Lake Springfield]], and [[Pomme de Terre Lake]]. Springfield is near the [[Mean center of United States population|population center of the United States]], about {{convert|80|mi|km}} to the east.

===Climate===
[[File:Springfield, Missouri skyline, lightning.jpg|thumb|Lightning covers downtown Springfield.]]
Springfield has an average surface wind velocity comparable to that of [[Chicago]], according to information compiled at the [[National Climatic Data Center]] at [[NOAA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgwind.html|title=Wind- Average Wind Speed- (MPH)|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303052657/http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgwind.html|archive-date=March 3, 2011}}</ref> It is placed within "Power Class 3" in the Wind Energy Resource Atlas published by a branch of the [[U.S. Department of Energy]]; having an average wind speed range of 6.4 to 7.0 miles per hour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/|title=Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States|year=1986|publisher=RREDC - NREL|access-date=March 15, 2011|archive-date=March 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319024822/http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Springfield lies in the northern limits of a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa''), as defined by the [[Köppen climate classification]] system. As such, it experiences times of exceptional humidity; especially in late summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgrh.html|title=Average Relative Humidity(%)|year=2001|publisher=NCDC - NOAA|access-date=March 15, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011101082154/http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgrh.html|archive-date=November 1, 2001}}</ref> The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|34.3|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|79.2|°F|1}} in July.<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=sgf |title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = August 2, 2021}}</ref> On average, there are 40 days with high temperatures of {{convert|90|°F|0}} or greater, 2 days of {{convert|100|°F|0}} or greater, 15 days where the high temperature fails to rise above freezing, and 1.3 nights of lows at or below {{convert|0|°F|0}} per year.<ref name= NOAA/> It has an average annual precipitation of {{convert|44.71|in|sigfig=3}}, including an average {{convert|13.70|in|cm}} of snow.<ref name=NOAA/> Extremes in temperature range from {{convert|−29|°F|0}} on [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 12, 1899]] up to {{convert|113|°F|0}} on July 14, 1954.<ref name=NOAA/>

According to the 2007 ''[[Forbes]]'' list of "America's Wildest Weather Cities" and the Weather Variety Index, Springfield is the city with the most varied weather in the United States. On May 1, 2013, Springfield reached a high temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit. By the evening of May 2, snow was falling, persisting into the following day and eventually accumulating to about two inches.<ref name="forbes-wildest-weather">{{cite news |title=In Pictures: America's Wildest Weather Cities: No. 9: Most Variety (biggest variations in temperature, precipitation, wind), Springfield, Mo. |first=Tom |last=Van Riper |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/07/20/weather-storms-united-states-biz-cx_tvr_0720weather_slide_10.html?thisSpeed=15000 |date=July 20, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310074440/http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/20/weather-storms-united-states-biz-cx_tvr_0720weather_slide_10.html|archive-date=March 10, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherpages.com/variety/most.html|title=Cities with most weather variety|last=Haugland|first=Matt |year=1998|publisher=Weather Pages|access-date=March 15, 2011}}</ref> This was only the second instance of measurable May snowfall in Springfield since record keeping began in 1888.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.weather.gov/sgf/events_2013may3#:~:text=Since%20record%20keeping%20began%20in,6.1%20inches%20of%20snow%20fell | title=Historic Snowfall for the Ozarks - May 3rd, 2013 }}</ref>

{{Springfield, Missouri weatherbox}}