Hazy sunshine bathes the Front Range urban corridor this afternoon; despite the potent Colorado sun and the relatively high sun angle of late February, the surface air temperature is 8 degrees F. Significant warming must await an atmospheric change, the eastward movement of a deep atmospheric trough.
The trough, a dip in the jet stream, currently extends as far south as Northern Texas and its western edge has backed up along the Continental Divide. A thick layer of dense, Arctic air is thus emplaced along the Front Range and won't likely dislodge for at least two or three days. So far, snowfall has been minimal but some additional snow is expected.
Even those of us who enjoy winter are not generally fond of such frigid conditions. On the other hand, these extremes make us appreciate our wild neighbors even more, respecting their hardiness and admiring their ability to survive the season's many challenges.
