The latest spring storm, now centered over Lake Michigan, is bringing cold, gray windy weather to the Midwest. Its massive windfield, rotating counterclockwise, extends across southern Canada, southward over the eastern Plains, eastward across the mid Mississippi Valley and northeastward over the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Plateau. It is certainly dousing our spring fever!
Such late, winter-like outbreaks are not uncommon in the Midwest and the comfort of persistent, mild weather is not assured until May. But this latest storm system has been especially powerful, raking the country with high winds from the Rockies to the Appalachians. Its leading edge produced severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from Texas to Tennessee and its massive swirl has transported a prodigious amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the American Heartland.
It is a raw, overcast day in central Missouri as we remain within the grip of this super-sized storm. Northwest winds, spitting intermittent drizzle, are keeping the windchill in the lower 30s and dashing our thoughts of spring. But the system keeps inching toward the northeast and the sun and warmth will gradually return over the next few days. Within a few weeks, we'll be complaining about the heat!
