Streak of days in 70s comes to rainy end

During the season of swinging between jackets and shorts, Cape Girardeau residents absorbed the last few hours of sunshine and warmth at Capaha Park before the winds and rain whipped through on Sunday.

"As long as it doesn't rain too hard, I'll stay here," said Ginger Ewing, 44, of Cape Girardeau, originally from California. Usually baby-sitting for the family, she was driven by boredom to the park.

"The weather is nice," Ewing said. "It's comfortable today."

Sunday was the end of four days of temperatures in the 70s, said meteorologist Jason Lindsey of the KFVS Heartland Storm Team. Cape Girardeau has had temperatures in the 70s this year, but they didn't last as long.

"It will cool down significantly by Wednesday," Lindsey said. The Storm Team forecasts partly cloudy skies with showers through Tuesday, and the rest of the week will have daytime highs in the 40s.

"It's kind of the typical up-and-down weather until summer," Lindsey said.

However, Accuweather.com forecasts highs in the 50s for the middle part of this week.

The Cape Girardeau normal high for March 28 is 63.8 degrees, while Sunday reached 77. The highest recorded temperature for March 28 is 83 degrees in 1985.

Lindsey said the temperature trend that is projected over the next few weeks might be "extra-jacket weather."

As long as there was no lightning, rain was not the issue for a local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a national group that re-creates the Middle Ages. Several members sparred with shields and mock swords while girded in medieval robes, armor and helmets.

"Because of the amount of physical activity, it's nice to have a breeze," said the society's marshal Michael Guard, 39, of Perryville, Mo.

Sunday was the first time in at least 15 years since Cindy Bauer, 50, of Cape Girardeau had visited Capaha Park. "I just got cabin fever, and I just wanted to get out," she said.

She spent the day walking and reminiscing around the pond with her teenage children and their two friends.

Kailey Weber, 4, of Cape Giradeau wanted to fish, and her father obliged.

"We always catch some fish," she said. "I like that."

Her father, Kevin Weber, 31, took his two children fishing, despite knowing that the they might only get to fish for half an hour. His son, Trenton, 2, caught his first fish but was more interested in flinging the pole around and touching the fish.

jmetelski@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127