We humans generally prefer mild, sunny weather but, after endless weeks of blazing sunshine, those of us in the Heartland appreciated the clouds that blanketed our region yesterday. Triggered by an approaching cold front that brought severe storms to the Chicago area, the clouds did not provide much cooling but kept the intense sun at bay for most of the afternoon.
The rain, what little we received, arrived overnight and, unfortunately, skies are now clearing to the west. Sunshine is forecast for the coming week though afternoon highs should remain in the nineties and morning lows will start dropping into the sixties. What we really need is a prolonged period of wet, cloudy weather to resuscitate the vegetation, refill the ponds and recharge the streams but, heading into the driest months of the year, that is not likely to occur in the near future.
A glimmer of hope is offered by Tropical Storm Ernesto, now churning westward through the Caribbean. While most forecast models take it into Mexico or Central America, there is an outside chance that it may angle northwestward through the Gulf and, just maybe, sweep its cargo of moisture across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. Perhaps it will park over Missouri for a week or so, producing gray skies and steady rain. One can dream.
