As of this morning, a potent winter storm was spinning over the Great Basin and its associated cold front stretched from San Francisco to Maine. Pulling in moisture from the Pacific Ocean, the storm is expected to drop heavy snow from the Sierra Nevada to the Rocky Mountains.
North of the front, frigid air is pouring into Montana and the Dakotas, the vanguard of winter's sweep through the country. Here in Missouri, the temperature will push into the sixties over the next few days, as southerly winds develop ahead of the front; by Tuesday, winter should arrive.
Summer's feeble jabs are weakening and, like a light-weight contender facing the heavy-weight champion, it is at risk of a knock-out blow. Winter is gaining strength with each shortening day and its grip will tighten as summer retreats to the south. For all practical purposes, the battle has been won.
