Though the autumn equinox is still almost two weeks away, fall has arrived in Columbia. Yesterday, after a mild morning, steady north winds developed by noon, the sky clouded over, intermittent showers occured and the temperature gradually dropped into the upper sixties. Overnight, the low reached 50 degrees and today's high should remain in the low seventies; a similar range is forecast for the rest of the week, the first cool stretch since May.
While the seasons are officially marked by the solstice and equinox dates, these are purely astronomical events. And though these events are tied to the solar cycle and are directly related to the root cause for our seasons, nature does not adhere to a strict calendar. Rather, nature's seasons are defined by gradual progressions, with many false starts and setbacks along the way. In some years, fall-like weather arrives by late August while, in others, hot, humid conditions persist into October. Though seasonal patterns may be predictable, nature keeps us guessing most of the time.
