See
more of the story
Old Mill State Park in NW Minnesota
According to the MN DNR, Old Mill State Park in the NW corner of the state is now reporting 25%-50% color. Here's more information about the park from the MN DNR.
Where to go - The Agassiz trail is a wonderful journey from the woods to the open fields. The colors from each area change and flow as you stroll along the path.
What you'll see -Trees, grasses and other signs of fall are noticeable throughout the park. The Middle River provides an interesting glimpse into what a riparian changes from, season to season.
More tips - The day use area provides a wonderful 360 degree view of fall. Weather has been pleasant for a nice picnic or walk in the woods.
Fall Color Tracker
According to the MN DNR, much of the state is already experiencing minor changes in the fall color. Keep in mind that much of the summer was hot and dry, so some of the trees are a bit stressed and could be prematurely changing. With that being said, we are getting closer to that time of the year. See the latest update from the MN DNR HERE:
Fall Color Depends on Weather
Ever wonder why some years, fall color is so vibrant vs some years, fall color tends to be a bit more dull? Val Cervenka, Coordinator from the DNR Forest Health Program, shares how the weather can play a roll in those fall colors. Due to the hot and dry summer that most of experienced, it is likely that fall foliage could be less impressive this year with more tans, bronzes and auburns.
Typical Peak Dates For Fall Color
According to the MN DNR, fall colors typically start to peak across the northern part of the state in mid/late September. Peak color typically arrives in central and southern Minnesota late September and into early/mid October. Note that over the next several weeks, you'll notice some big changes in the landscape as we head deeper into fall.
Active Tropics Continue
Keep in mind that the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season is on September 10th and things are still quite active in the Atlantic basin now. Along with Nicholas, NOAA's NHC is tracking 2 other waves, 1 of which have a high probability of tropical formation over the next 5 days. The other area of interest will drift north of the Bahamas and should stay east of the US Mainland, but stay tuned...
Minnesota Drought Update
According to the latest drought update from the US Drought Monitor, drought continues to slightly improve across the state. From last week to this week, there were slight improvements in the D3 (extreme) and D4 (exceptional) categories. The worst of the drought still remains across the northern tier of the state with moderate to severe drought across much of the Twin Cities metro.
Precipitation Departure From Average Since Jan. 1st
Despite picking up some much needed rainfall at the end of August, many locations are still several inches below average since January 1st. Some of the biggest deficits are still across the northern half of the state, where Exceptional Drought conditions are in place. The Twin Cities is still -3.66" below average and at its 66th driest January 1st to September 13th on record.
Precipitation Potential Through Tuesday
Good new for folks across northern Minnesota that have a bigger drought concern, the extended forecast through Tuesday of next week suggests some healthy tallies of 1" to 2" or more. There appears to be several rain chances through the early part of next week, the first of which will arrive Wednesday night into Thursday.
Simulated Radar From AM Wednesday to Wednesday Next Week
Here's the simulated radar from AM Wednesday to Wednesday of next week. Weather conditions could be slightly more active over the next few days with several chances of rain and thunder. The first chance arrives PM Wednesday into Thursday with lingering showers and storms on Friday. The weekend looks quiet for the most part with another rain chance late weekend and into early next week.
Weather Outlook for Wednesday
The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Wednesday, September 15th, looks dry and quiet with plenty of sunshine. Highs in the mid 70s will be close to average for mid September.
Minneapolis Meteograms
The meteograms for Minneapolis on Wednesday shows temps warming from the lower 50s in the morning to the mid 70s by the afternoon. Much of the day with be dry and quiet with lots of sunshine. South to southwesterly winds will gust up to 15mph to 20mph.
Regional Weather Outlook for Wednesday
The weather outlook across the region on Wednesday shows temps running warming into the 70s across much of the state, which will be nearly +5F to +10F above average for many locations.
Extended Weather Outlook for Minneapolis
The extended weather outlook for Minneapolis shows near average temperatures through midweek. Showers and storms will linger across the region on Friday, which will keep temps in the lower 70s and closer to average. The weekend should be quite a bit warmer and more humid, especially on Sunday when highs warm into the mid 80s.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows warmer than average temps across much of the eastern two-thirds of the nation. Cooler than average temps will be found in the Pacific Northwest and into Alaska.
Sunny Wednesday. Increasing Rain Chances Ahead
By Todd Nelson, filling in for Douglas.
According to NOAA, the nation just experienced its warmest summer on record, a virtual tie with the summer of 1936. In Minnesota, the average temperature during the months of June, July and August was the 2nd hottest on record behind 1988. However, a few cities including Minneapolis, Duluth and Brainerd (to name a few) had their warmest climatological summer on record.
With that being said, the first half of September is running pretty close to average in terms of temps and slightly below average for precipitation. Much of the state is still in a drought after this summer's very dry stretch. In fact, places like Minneota, Embarrass and Ely saw less than 5 inches of rain, making it the driest summer on record for those locations.
I am happy to report that after a nice day Wednesday, much needed rain chances return to the state. According to NOAA's WPC, there is a chance for an additional 1 inch of rain or more across parts of central MN, including the Twin Cities, through Friday Night. Football games could be a little damp. Stay tuned.
Extended Forecast
WEDNESDAY: Bright sun. Increasing PM clouds. Winds: SSE 7-12. High: 76.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Chance of showers & storms. Winds: S 10. Low: 62.
THURSDAY: Breezy. Lingering rain & rumbles. Winds: S 10-20. High: 81.
FRIDAY: Cooler. Unsettled skies continue. Winds: NNE 5-10. Wake-up: 59. High: 70.
SATURDAY: Partly cloudy, dry and mild. Winds: SE 5-10. Wake-up: 57. High: 79.
SUNDAY: Gusty south winds. Warm & a bit humid. Winds: S 10-20. Wake-up: 67. High: 85.
MONDAY: More clouds. Increasing rain chances. Winds: WSW 8-13. Wake-up: 68. High: 83.
TUESDAY: Scattered showers and storms. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 64. High: 78.
This Day in Weather History
September 15th
1939: Minneapolis experiences a daily record high of 98.
1916: St. Paul receives their earliest recorded snowfall.
Average High/Low for Minneapolis
September 15th
Average High: 72F (Record: 98F set in 1939)
Average Low: 53F (Record: 36F set in 2011)
Record Rainfall: 2.59" set in 1992
Record Snowfall: Trace set in 1916
Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
August 15th
Sunrise: 6:52am
Sunset: 7:23pm
Hours of Daylight: ~12 hours & 31 minutes
Daylight LOST since yesterday: ~ 3 minute & 5 seconds
Daylight LOST since Summer Solstice (June 20th): ~3 Hour & 6 Minutes
Moon Phase for September 15th at Midnight
2.4 Days Since First Quarter Moon
What's in the Night Sky?
"The moon passes 4 degrees N. of Saturn on September 17, 2021, at about 3 UTC. It passes 4 degrees N. of Jupiter on September 18 at 7 UTC. On any of these evenings – September 15 to 18, 2021 – the moon can guide you to these 2 outer solar system worlds. By the way, though we show Pluto on our chart, it's about 1,000 times too faint to be viewed with the eye alone. Moon, Saturn, Jupiter - On September 2021 evenings, the moon, Saturn and Jupiter are still visible almost everywhere worldwide (except the far-northern Arctic) as night falls. Jupiter is the brighter of the two planets. And, as it's done for some months now, Jupiter follows Saturn westward across the night sky as Earth turns. Both of these worlds passed their oppositions in August. In September 2021, you'll find them already in the east after sunset. They'll set in the wee hours between midnight and dawn. The moon will sweep closest to bright Jupiter on the North American evening of September 17 (September 18 at about 7 UTC). That'll be the most spectacular evening to watch for them. But any night from September 15 to 18 will be fine for looking outside. On these evenings, the moon can guide you to Jupiter and Saturn."
Dixie Fire in Northern California
The #DixieFire is the 2nd largest fire in California's history burning nearly 960,000 acres as of September 13th. The fire is 75% contained and has burned more than 1,300 structures. The largest wildfires in the state's history was the August Complex from 2020, which burned more than 1 million acres.
Largest Wildfires in California State History
Here's a list of California's Top 20 Largest Wildfires in the state's history. Note the Dixie Fire is still ongoing and it the 2nd largest wildfire on record. The Caldor fire is nearly 219,000 acres a is currently the state's 15th largest fire in history. The Monument Fire is also currently active, burning almost 207,000 acres as is the 16th largest fire in California history.
National High Temps Wednesday
The weather outlook on Wednesday shows above average temperatures continuing across much of the nation, with the exception of the Southern and Western US
National Weather Outlook
The national weather outlook through Thursday shows Nicholas in the Southern US dumping heavy rainfall. There will also be another storm system that moves into the Upper Midwest later this week with showers and storms, some of which could be strong to severe.
Extended Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center heavier precipitation potential will be found across parts of the eastern US and especially in the south, where Nicholas moves through. There will also be some heavier amounts in the Pacific Northwest over the coming days. Also note that there could be some heavier tallies across the Upper Mississippi Valley through early next week.
Climate Stories
"Climate Change Is Forcing the Wine Industry to Get Creative"
"We're dedicating our September features to food and drink. One of our favorite parts of travel is the joy of trying a new cocktail, snagging a reservation at a great restaurant, or supporting a local wine region. Now, to celebrate the flavors that teach us about the world, we put together a collection of tasty features, including chefs' top tips for eating well on the road, how to choose an ethical food tour, the wonders of ancient indigenous cooking traditions, and a chat with Hollywood taco impresario Danny Trejo. On a summer weekend, winemaker Bertus Van Zyl drove up Highway 95 amid hazy skies, heading to California's El Dorado County to harvest chenin blanc, picpoul, and fiano grapes for Tank Garage Winery. He usually packs a refractometer, an instrument to measure the sugar in grapes, but his most important tool has nothing to do with winemaking. It's an N95 face mask to protect his lungs from smoke and ash from the Caldor wildfire that's been raging for more than three weeks not far from South Lake Tahoe."
See more from Trip Savvy HERE:
"Why a Warming Arctic Has the U.S. Coast Guard Worried About the Rest of the Country"
"One of the perks of going out on a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker in the Arctic is something called Ice Liberty. Ports are few and far between when you're north of the Arctic Circle, so instead of shore leave, Coastguardsmen and women will locate a large slab of floating ice, cordon off a safe area, put up a watch for polar bears, and throw a football around. It's cold, but worth it, says electrician master chief Mark Hulen, who, over the past two decades, has gone out for Ice Liberty on every one of his last six Arctic missions with the Coast Guard. But this year, as the Coast Guard cutter Healy —one of two ice breakers in the U.S. Fleet—traversed the Arctic from Seattle to Baltimore via the Northwest Passage, Ice Liberty wasn't an option. "We struggled with finding a good enough piece of ice to stand on," he says. "Nothing was thick enough."
"How much do energy industry jobs pay? A look at the data"
"As the U.S. economy recovers from the COVID-induced recession, the emphasis is shifting away from the simplified metric of the number of jobs, toward a focus on high-quality, high-paying jobs. As some service sectors languish with unfilled positions and shorthanded staffing, the energy industry pays premium wages. Energy workers are paid 34% more than the median U.S. wage, according to the 2020 U.S. Energy and Employment wage report. A bygone talking point of the fossil fuel era was that high-paying oil, gas, and coal jobs are irreplaceable. But the data show a more encouraging reality: Clean energy jobs pay well, are plentiful, and are poised for major growth for the foreseeable future."
See more from Yale Climate Connections HERE:
