While wintertime in the South always has been an exercise in alertness, the emergence of a particular weather pattern makes it even more important to check the forecast before leaving the house each day.
Just a week ago, unseasonably mild temperatures yielded near-record daytime highs in the 70s and on Saturday, Jan. 1, but a cold front moved through the area Sunday that caused the mercury to plunge into the 30s and brought with it some light sleet and snow.
Monday's high temperature was only 36, followed by a nighttime thermal reading that plummeted to a low of 24.
The weather warmed on Tuesday, and by Wednesday the high was a very mild 60 and the low 36.
The helter-skelter winter weather reared its frosty head again Thursday, when biting cold produced a daytime high of 34 and a 10-mph northern wind made it feel about 10 degrees colder. The low Thursday night was forecast at 22.
Sunday's high is to be 64, with thunderstorms expected Sunday morning.
Experts say we are currently experiencing a La Niña climate pattern, which means an occasional but natural cooling of surface ocean waters along the tropical west coast of South America that also changes weather worldwide.
To most Southerners, it's just another winter. Or as Mark Twain once famously said, "If you don't like the weather ... now, just wait a few minutes."
