Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Winter Rewind

The change to daylight savings time, combined with a new Arctic blast, made it feel like January as I walked to work this morning. Darkness, lit only by a brilliant full moon in the western sky, and a temperature near 20F were in sharp contrast to the mild, sunny mornings of last week.

This return to winter will last a few days as a broad trough encompasses much of the eastern U.S. Near record lows are developing across the Upper Midwest and daily highs have dropped more than 30 degrees through much of the South. On the positive side, this low dip in the jet stream is forecast to bring significant rainfall to Texas, which has endured a prolonged drought.

Winter's temporary victory should yield to spring by this weekend and our faith in nature's cycle will be restored. Patience, not a common human trait, is often tested in March.