By September, the longer nights bring chilly mornings to the Front Range cities and, in most years, afternoon highs drop into the 70s F. In fact, the first snow of the season often dusts the urban corridor before September ends. This year, however, summer heat is slow to abate.
A ridge of high pressure, the same that blocked Harvey from moving inland, remains in place over the American West. Deflecting Pacific fronts across the Northern States and blocking the Southwest Monsoon that usually brings rain in August and September, this atmospheric dome is prolonging the summer season and putting the cool, crisp days of autumn on hold.
For those of us who relish the invigoration that autumn brings, this static pattern is less than welcome and may portend a seasonal change that global warming will bring. Until the jet stream dips across our region, we'll have to rely on migrant songbirds to provide reassurance that the seasons are changing; as in recent years, the waterfowl will likely be in no hurry to come south. We can only hope that chilly air will arrive in time to spark the glorious colors of October.
A ridge of high pressure, the same that blocked Harvey from moving inland, remains in place over the American West. Deflecting Pacific fronts across the Northern States and blocking the Southwest Monsoon that usually brings rain in August and September, this atmospheric dome is prolonging the summer season and putting the cool, crisp days of autumn on hold.
For those of us who relish the invigoration that autumn brings, this static pattern is less than welcome and may portend a seasonal change that global warming will bring. Until the jet stream dips across our region, we'll have to rely on migrant songbirds to provide reassurance that the seasons are changing; as in recent years, the waterfowl will likely be in no hurry to come south. We can only hope that chilly air will arrive in time to spark the glorious colors of October.
