Now that was a surprise

I was skeptical that Winter Storm "Def Leppard" would drop two inches like the National Weather Service predicted yesterday morning. Cape Girardeau received about an inch, a bit more than I realistically expected, but less than the two inch forecast.

The real surprise, however, is the number of school closings. Almost everybody called off classes, including Cape schools. But Jackson is open. Who could have possibly predicted that outcome? I don't know if anybody keeps records on these things, but this might be an unprecedented situation.

I'm not going to argue with the decisions made by Jackson and Cape schools -- there's plenty of opportunity for that already -- but the whole thing is a bit puzzling.

The forecast

Thanks to the new snow cover, especially the higher amounts to the northwest, we should enjoy a nice cold snap for the rest of the week. The temperature Wednesday night is expected to drop into the single dights. You don't want to know what the wind chill factor will be.

Temperatures will moderate for the weekend, just in time for the next system. The computer models are struggling with the next system, unable to reach a consensus on whether it will bring all snow, a wintry mix, or just plain rain. At this stage it looks more like a "POUR" system (Plain Old Uneventful Rain), but we'll have to see.

The 6-10 day forecast for next week suggests below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation, hinting that Old Man Winter might have something nasty in store.