After a cool, wet spring, we have gone directly from April to July here in central Missouri. That dreaded summer forecast for hazy, hot and humid weather is blaring from the TV and we expect highs in the nineties (F) for most of the coming week.
The heat has driven the periodical cicadas into a frenzy and, by mid afternoon, they are everywhere, zooming through the air, buzzing from the trees and covering every exposed structure. Due to chilly, wet weather through much of May, they are two weeks behind schedule and should plague our area well into June. While their noisy din is annoying for humans, their massive numbers provide a bonanza of nutrition for birds and other predators and one can only begin to imagine the wealth of nutrients that their decomposing bodies return to the soil and plants.
Never a fan of hot, humid weather, I am already looking forward to the invigorating air of fall; more than two weeks before the summer solstice, it's not a good sign that heat advisories blanket much of the country. We can only hope that cool, Canadian fronts provide frequent respites over the next several months; otherwise, this season of heat and humidity will be especially long and oppressive.
