A few days of summer-like conditions have advanced our sputtering spring. The lawns are green, bulb plants are brightening the fence lines and the brilliant forsythias are in bloom; red maples, magnolias and hawthorns are also in flower and the redbuds are about to pop. Record highs have been set across the Midwest and a persistent south wind has kept overnight lows near 60F; despite its delayed onset, spring has taken a giant leap forward and, last evening, American toads were trilling ahead of schedule.
But our brief fling with summer will soon come to an abrupt end as a potent cold front sweeps in from the west. Clouds have increased through the morning and, during this noon hour, a dark wall stretches across the western horizon. This squall line should reach Columbia by 6PM, accompanied by heavy rain and strong thunderstorms. While the stormy weather is forecast to be short lived, chilly air will stream in behind the front and we'll drop back to more seasonal conditions for the next few days.
This spring rollercoaster will continue through April and, as daytime heating and humidity intensify, the storm fronts will become more potent. Indeed, across the American Heartland, April showers often arrive in the form of tornadic thunderstorms.
