A trough (a dip in the jet stream) has been pushing into the Midwest over the past few days and will continue to deepen through the coming weekend. Preceded by bands of thunderstorms, this wave of cooler, drier air is pushing our hot, muggy summer to the south and bringing a taste of fall to the Heartland. While the temperatures will be about 10-15 degrees (F) cooler than in recent weeks, it will be the lower humidity that makes all the difference.
On my walk to work this morning, it was clear that the mild conditions had reinvigorated the neighborhood wildlife. Squirrels and cottontails were more active and birdsong had a renewed intensity. Then again, it may have been an illusion, the result of my own increased awareness in the pleasant, autumn-like air.
Of course, this respite from summer will be all-too-brief. The trough will shift east and flatten northward within a few days and hot, humid air will drift back from the south. Until then, we'll emerge from our air-conditioned bunkers and enjoy the fall preview!
