Looking out from our heated homes, it has been beautiful in central Missouri over the past few days. Bright sunshine, clear blue skies and a snowy landscape have produced an appealing winter scene. But outside, the beauty has come with a price: cold, dry air with temperatures in the teens and single digits.
In mid winter, the sun angle is too low to provide much heat and the clear skies, devoid of cloud cover, allow what little heat is present to escape into the upper atmosphere. Of course, this process is compounded on clear, winter nights and our overnight lows have dropped below zero F.
By tomorrow, southwest winds, ahead of the next Arctic front, will bring in clouds and snow; this combination of a southerly flow and a cloud blanket should allow our afternoon temperatures to soar into the low to mid twenties. Unfortunately, the second round of polar air, due by late in the week, will bring the coldest days and nights of the season. At least the sunshine will warm our souls.
