For the past 24 hours, a stationary front has stretched from the Southern Plains to the Great Lakes, separating cool, drier air to its northwest from warm, humid air to its southeast. Bisecting Missouri from southwest to northeast, it passes across the Columbia area, bringing intermittent heavy rain and thunderstorms as pulses of atmospheric instability have moved along the front.
Since the front is not connected to a potent storm system, tornadoes are unlikely but intense lightening, hail and periods of torrential rain have occurred and are expected to persist through the day. Of course, when these thunderstorms train along a stationary front, flooding often develops beneath their path and our creeks will soon be bank-full if the storm track does not bow northward or shift to the south and east.
On the positive side, the copious precipitation will nourish the verdant tide of spring, triggering an explosion of insects for the warbler wave and our returning summer residents. With hot, humid weather expected for the coming week, this steady dose of rain will also fuel the seasonal intensity of plant growth, insuring a healthy start for our woodlands and plenty of yardwork for suburbanites.
