Our atmosphere is a wildly chaotic and self-correcting machine. There is a purpose for much of what is described as "bad weather."
Hurricanes often relieve drought. They transport excess moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes — in essence, nature's automatic pressure relief valves. Heavy snow insulates and protects tender plants below. High winds blow seeds and spores to new fields, creating new life.
I have a tougher time rationalizing mega-floods, which are increasing nationwide because of a wetter, climate-change-fueled climate. And tornadoes? They terrorize local communities when they do form, no higher purpose than to grab the limelight and satisfy tornado chasers.
Nothing terrifying in this forecast. A stray shower Thursday gives rise to 80s this weekend (very slight chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm along a Saturday warm front). By early next week temperatures may approach 90 degrees.
A wetter pattern returns next week: Another 1 to 2 inches or more of rain are possible over the next one to two weeks. No return to drought is in sight. Yet.
