It felt (and sounded) more like June than October this morning as thunderstorms rumbled across Missouri in the predawn hours. Igniting ahead of a cold front, these storms were racing off to the northeast as our recent, fair weather high slipped toward the mid Atlantic coast. The front itself was back in Kansas, its central low pumping humid air up through the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley.
Tightly wound, the storm system should cross Missouri this evening and our southerly flow will give way to northwesterly winds, ushering in the cooler and drier air that we associate with October. Backside, "wrap-around" showers may persist tomorrow but the coming week promises sunny weather, with highs in the sixties (F) and lows in the forties.
This is, after all, the best month for outdoor exploration across America's Heartland. Mild, sunny days, colorful foliage, waves of waterfowl and energized mammals draw hikers, bird watchers and naturalists into the country. It's the season for adventure, with all its expected sights and unexpected discoveries.
