In advance of the latest cold front, strong southerly winds brought warm, humid air into the Heartland over the past 24 hours; at dawn, it was 68 degrees F in central Missouri (five degrees warmer than it was in Tampa, Florida). But, by mid morning, distant thunder warned of a coming change.
The line of thunderstorms arrived at 9:30 AM, accompanied by torrential rain and gusty winds; a doppler-indicated tornado, northeast of Columbia, triggered the warning sirens, which blared across the city for ten minutes or so. The downpour has diminished over the past hour but a second round of storms, attached to the cold front, is now approaching from the northwest and more heavy rain is expected. Since the ground remains frozen from our recent Arctic weather, runoff will be significant and a flash flood watch has been issued for most of the region.
Behind the front, temperatures will fall through the day, bringing a mix of sleet and snow by this evening; the overnight low is forecast to be in the mid 20s. After a brief taste of spring, more seasonable conditions should prevail throughout the coming week.
