While the calendar and waxing daylight indicate that we have just passed from winter into spring, the weather suggests otherwise. Following two warm days, with afternoon highs in the 70s (F), a cold front approached last evening, igniting thunderstorms in central Missouri just before 11 PM.
Behind the front, temperatures have cooled dramatically; today, the afternoon high is forecast to be in the forties. Though we escaped the snow that fell in a swath from Colorado to Ontario, we can expect a gray overcast with scattered showers and gusty winds as the storm pushes off to the northeast. From a weather point of view, we have gone from late spring to late winter.
Of course, such episodes are not unusual in the course of a Midwestern spring. A restless jet stream keeps weather patterns unsettled and the higher sun fuels powerful storms, especially as we move into April. This rapid cool off will be followed by a less abrupt but steady warm up; tomorrow's high is expected to reach the sixties. Then we wait for the next Pacific storm.
