After weeks of hot, humid weather, a Canadian cold front pushed through Missouri on Sunday evening and has left cooler and much drier air in its wake. Gone are the hazy skies and billowing clouds, replaced by high, wispy cirrus strands against a bright blue background. There's nothing like a taste of early autumn after an intense and prolonged heat wave.
The front that brought this Canadian gift has now flattened out and pushed southward, stretching from northern Texas to the Carolinas. While those of us to its north are enjoying a welcome respite from tropical conditions, the Gulf Coast States remain mired in an atmospheric soup of heat and moisture. Adding fuel to the fire, Tropical Storm (soon to become Hurricane) Alex is sweeping in heavy bands of precipitation, reinforcing the thick, humid air. Storms will continue to erupt along the stationary front, as this moist, southerly flow is forced to rise above the cooler, more dense air to its north.
This scenario is forecast to persist through the week and, for those of us in the Midwest, the front should offer protection from the wrath of Alex. But July and August lie just ahead and hot, sticky weather is sure to return.
