Mild air has pushed into mid Missouri over the past few days, with afternoon highs in the upper sixties. But such warm spells in early February portend a coming change. We are now on the roller coaster toward spring, with its exhilarating climbs and chilling drops. There is still plenty of cold air in the North Country and, while approaching fronts pump warm air from the south, they also pull down Canadian air on their backside. Our next front is due tonight and tomorrow's high will be in the forties.
This undulating pattern, typical of late winter and early spring in the Midwest, is governed by the jet stream which, during this season, is inching its way back to the north. In the South, where the passing fronts create especially warm and humid conditions, it is the season of severe thunderstorms, some of which are tornadic. For those of us in the Heartland, the pattern produces dramatic change from week to week which, depending upon one's view, yields variety or frustration. For now, we'll enjoy this warm interlude before winter strikes again.
