After ravaging much of Louisiana, Hurricane Gustav, now a Tropical Depression is centered over southwest Arkansas. Its counter-clockwise circulation is sweeping copious moisture into the Heartland, just in time to meet a potent cold front that is dropping through the Midwest. Combine these meteorologic events and you get continuous, flooding rains.
Here in central Missouri, light rain developed by dawn and waves of heavier precipitation have occurred throughout the day. A mild north wind (we are now behind the front) has kept the temperature in the lower sixties, quite a contrast from the summer heat of this past week. As the remnants of Gustav move northeastward along the front, our rain is expected to increase, totalling a couple of inches overnight and just as much tomorrow.
By the weekend, the cold front should be far enough east to keep us out of the rain; sunny skies and mild, dry air are forecast. Hurricane Hanna should be striking the Southeast Coast about then!
