September 2009? Warm, dry in a record book way

Marlin Levison, Star Tribune

Definitely no diving at this beach in Snail Lake Regional Park in Shoreview.

Weather that was almost like a gift of extended summer translates into low water in lakes and rivers and stressed trees.

By BILL McAULIFFE, Star Tribune

Last update: October 1, 2009 - 7:21 AM

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To find fall color Minnesota fall color information is available at www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html. For Wisconsin, go to www.travelwisconsin.com/fallcolor_report.aspx.

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A model of pleasant consistency, September 2009 will go into the record books with a rare two top 10 rankings: third driest and ninth warmest in the Twin Cities.

The warmth -- not a day with a high below 70 until Monday-- was regarded mostly as a gift, prolonging a sense of summer and keeping furnaces idle. But the dryness, which followed yet another very dry summer, has raised concerns for trees, lakes and rivers. In the short term, the dryness could also mean a less-than-spectacular fall color display.

"People are noticing that on some trees that usually have good fall color, leaves are falling without color," said John Lloyd, director of research and science for Rainbow Treecare. "The trees are very stressed."

University of Minnesota forest health specialist Jana Albers, who is based in Grand Rapids, said grasses and leaves in north-central Minnesota are still green, the color change apparently delayed by the warm September.

"Normally the show is over by this time," she said. "It's been a really late fall."

Her prediction for fall color: less, with an emphasis on darker browns, burgundies and yellows. "It'll be subtle, but beautiful," she said.

The heart of the Twin Cities has received only about 60 percent of its normal precipitation since April 1, and the northeast corner of the metro area remains under an extreme drought designation by the National Integrated Drought Information System. The cool summer that preceded September protected crops, gardens and lawns from drought's full destructive potential, but the warm-season dryness that's been entrenched for two seasons is taking a toll on the permanent features of the landscape.

White Bear Lake is within three inches of its historic low and Prior Lake has dipped into similar territory. North of the metro area, the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers are running at about 40 percent or less than average for this time of year.

To the south, soil moisture at the University of Minnesota's Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca is the lowest it has been in 25 years, although the cool summer has apparently set up a healthy corn harvest, said soils professor Gyles Randall.

October and November are the perfect months for soils to recover, because most rain that falls before winter's freeze will simply soak in without being used by growing plants. They are not particularly rainy months, on average, but the short-term forecast is calling for rain through Tuesday. The National Climate Prediction Center indicates a good chance of above-normal rainfall for Minnesota for the month.

"If we have a normal October, it would be nice, but it certainly won't chip away at those deficits very quickly, " said assistant state climatologist Greg Spoden.

Bill McAuliffe • 612-673-7646

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