March arrived in the middle of December this morning. A steady rain was suddenly joined by strong, southerly winds, raking the barren trees and swirling dead leaves that covered the ground. The air was relatively warm and low, gray clouds darkened the sky. An occasional rumble of thunder attested to the atmospheric instability and augmented the feel of an early spring day.
The culprit of this deception was the latest Pacific storm system, then crossing the Northern Plains. Ahead of its trailing cold front, Gulf of Mexico moisture streamed up from the south while, north of the central low, snow was falling across Southern Canada and the northernmost sections of North Dakota and Minnesota.
By late morning, the front had moved off to the east and a light, northerly wind brought back the feel of a raw, March day. Chilly air will drop southward behind the storm and December will soon return to the Heartland.
