Though it is the spring equinox, a swath of winter stretches from Texas to the Great Lakes. The latest Pacific storm, which brought upslope snow to the Front Range earlier in the week, has pushed into the Southern Plains and, this morning, is centered over northeast Oklahoma. Along it cold front, a mix of cold rain and wet snow is putting a damper on spring through the center of the country; within the past few hours, heavy, wet snow has rapidly accumulated in central Missouri.
Meanwhile, the eastern and western sections of the U.S. are enjoying mild, spring weather, with afternoon highs near or above 70 F. As is typical in March and April, dramatic changes in weather conditions occur over short distances, creating the image of a winter sandwich, with chilly, moist ingredients trapped between warm, fragrant loaves of spring.
Of course, this weather sandwich is not static and, as it pushes eastward, Gulf moisture will sweep across the Eastern States. Fortunately, the higher sun and longer days will rapidly moderate the Canadian air behind the front, the wet snow will melt into the soggy ground and spring will return to the Heartland...at least until the next storm system pulls out of the Rockies.
