The calendar says fall, but recently it’s been more like summer in the Four States. With dry gusty winds as high as 41 miles per hour and daytime temperature into the lower ‘90s and upper ‘80s. According to Doug Cramer with the National Weather Service office in Springfield, (Missouri) those high winds are bringing moisture to the Midwest out of the Gulf of Mexico. “Those strong winds that you’re observing out there that’s helping to force moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico and anytime you can pull this much moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico in the month of October and that begins to act with the vigorous storm system like the one that’s coming in that typically spells thunderstorms.” The Four State area experienced an unusually dry July and August with little rain in September. According to the latest National Drought Monitor map published last week, nearly all of the Four State area is considered Abnormally or Moderately dry.