Here in the Heartland, thunderstorms may occur in any season but they are far more common during the warmer months of the year. This morning, they are rumbling across Central Missouri, just the latest sign that spring is gaining traction.
As the latest winter storm drops heavy snow and ice across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes Region, we remain in the system's "warm sector" where Gulf moisture is streaming northward ahead of the cold front. This heat and humidity creates instability and the front produces lift, igniting the thunderstorms.
So it's sounding like spring here this morning and the heavy rain is more than welcome. Flooded fields will attract migrant waterfowl and shorebirds and the swollen streams will alleviate low water levels in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. No doubt, winter will strike back over the coming weeks but the seasonal transition is underway.
