COOLER WEATHER ARRIVES

Mother Nature finally caught up with the calender today.

After 16 consecutive days of unseasonable 90 degree heat and humidity, much cooler Arctic air from northern Canada will make its way into Southeast Missouri today.

It will end the early fall heat wave that was more typical of August than September. The cooler temperatures also usher in the first day of autumn, which arrives Monday.

In the Cape Girardeau area, daytime temperatures that were a steamy 91 degrees Sunday, will be nearly 20 degrees cooler this afternoon.

Showers and thunderstorms early today will precede the arrival of the cold front. Under cloudy and rainy skies, the high today will top out around 70. Lows tonight will dip into the 50s.

The threat of showers continues Thursday with even cooler temperatures. Highs will be in the mid-to-upper 60s definitely sweater or light jacket weather. Lows Thursday will be in the low 50s.

The extended outlook Friday through Sunday calls for the showers to end Thursday with clearing skies Friday and no rain through the remainder of the weekend.

Al Robertson of the Earth Science Department at Southeast Missouri State University says after 16 days of unseasonable heat and humidity, he's more than ready to turn off the air conditioner, open the windows, and enjoy the cooler temperatures.

Robertson said the average temperature for the first 16 days of the month was 79.8 degrees, nearly 7 degrees (6.9) above the long-term average of 72.9 degrees.

"This is very unusual to be this warm so late into September," said Robertson. "Nothing in the past five years even comes close to it. Even with the hot summer of 1988, it cooled down in September."

Robertson said the afternoon high at the airport was at or above 90 degrees, over 10 degrees above normal, on nine of the first 16 days of this month. Overnight lows remained in the warm, sultry, low to mid-70s.

He said the combination of daytime heat and high overnight humidity levels made it very unpleasant most of the time during the first half of the month. "Hopefully, the second half will be much better," he said.

One result of the unusual heat and high humidity was eight new maximum low temperature records that were set on the mornings of Sept. 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16.

"Those were the same days that had highs in the 90s," said Robertson. "With the very high humidity, the air was not able not cool off at night, so the overnight lows were at record maximums."