Hard to believe, but Sunday, October 1st was the hottest October day on record for both Minneapolis and St. Cloud!!

MSP has now had (33) 90F days so far this year, which is tied for the 5th most number of 90F days on record. We missed another 90F day by 1F degree on Monday.

Believe it or not, we've had more 80F degree days at MSP than any other year on record. We tipped the scales on Sunday, October 1st with 99 days, but with a high of 89F on Monday, we have now had (100) 80F days so far this year. Tuesday will likely be the 101st day!

Thanks to some recent heavy rains parts of the state are now in a surplus over the last 90 days. Some of the biggest surpluses (which aren't many) are showing up in blue in pockets along and north of the Twin Cities and also just east of the metro in western Wisconsin.

Recent heavy rains have not yet been reported in the drought monitor updates. This is a look at last week's report, which still had nearly 25% of the state in an extreme drought. My guess is that this week's report will have lessened quite a bit of the those numbers. Stay tuned...

Here's a picture from the Itasca State Park in late September from the DNR Staff. There were a few hints of color a couple of weeks ago, so colors should be well on their way there.

According to the MN DNR, the fall color season is underway and happening fast. Parts of northern Minnesota are already at peak color. Fall colors will continue to rapidly change, so take a moment and enjoy the season while you can. Note that most leaves will vacate the premises in a few weeks and won't return until sometime in mid/late May...

Here's a look at the fall color report in Wisconsin. Fall colors are peaking in some areas and peak isn't far away in others.

See more from Travel Wisconsin HERE:

According to the MN DNR, typical peak color arrives across the international border mid to late September with peak color arriving near the Twin Cities late September to mid October. It won't be long now and you'll be able to find your favorite fall color in a backyard near you.

Here's a look at Tropical Storm Philippe from PM Monday, which was lingering over the eastern Caribbean Islands. Gusty winds and very heavy rainfall will continue in these areas.

According to NOAA's NHC, Philippe will continue to drift north over the next several days and will make a close encounter with Bermuda later this week as a Tropical Storm with gusty winds and elevated surf. Philippe could become a hurricane this weekend north of Bermuda.

The weather outlook on Tuesday shows high temps warming into the 70s & 80s across the state, which will be nearly +15F to +25F above average for this time of the year. Duluth and International Falls could reach record levels.

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Tuesday, October 3rd will be another very warm day with temps warming into the low/mid 80s, which will be well above average for this time of the year. Southerly winds will be breezy with gusts approaching near 30mph at times in the afternoon.

Temps in Minneapolis will start in low/mid 60s in the morning and will warm into the lower 80s by the afternoon. Skies will be mainly dry with wind gusts approaching 30mph.

The 5 day temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows high warming into the 80s for one more day on Tuesday before the bottom falls out to near normal levels at this time of the year. We'll see readings in the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday, but it'll be even colder on Friday and Saturday with highs only warming into the 50s.

The max dewpoint forecast for Minneapolis over the next few days shows readings in the lower 60s through midweek, which will still feel like summer. A cool front will push through midweek with falling temps and dewpoints.

According to NOAA's National Blend of Models, temperatures will be well above average on Tuesday with highs in the mid 80s. We'll cool down quite a bit later this week with readings dropping into the 50s by the weekend.

A storm system will move through the Midwest midweek with a little bit of rain and thunder. Interestingly, a reinforcing shot of cooler weather will dive into the Midwest on Friday and Saturday with a few more showers, but even cooler temps.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows Warmer than average temperatures across much of the nation as we approach mid month. Readings in the Midwest will most certainly remain above average average a shot of cooler weather this weekend.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, more active weather will develop across the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, drier weather will develop from the Plains to the Great Lakes and Northeast.

The trees are confused. Squirrels are dazed. I'm debating whether to rake the lawn in flip-flops or maybe take a pontoon ride? That's an easy one.

Today is the last day of 80s before the inevitable cool-down, and T-storms along the leading edge of a "reality front" may be strong tonight. I expect any heavy weather to hold off until after today's Twins Wildcard Playoff Game.

After a damp start we dry out Wednesday. A second, stronger cool front arrives Thursday. By late week highs hover in the 50s with a faint whiff of wind chill. No frost in or near the metro but keep a jacket handy. It's autumn right?

TUESDAY: Warm sun. Storms tonight. Winds: S 15-30. High: 82.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Showers & storms. Breezy. Winds: SSW 15-30. Low: 64.

WEDNESDAY: Damp start, skies brighten. Winds: W 10-20. High 70.

FRIDAY: Raw, a few windblown showers. Winds: NW 15-35. Wake-up: 49. High 55.

SATURDAY: Peeks of sun, less wind. Winds: NW 10-20. Wake-up: 45. High 54.

SUNDAY: Milder with more sunshine. Winds: W 8-13. Wake-up: 42. High: 62.

MONDAY: Plenty of sunshine, pleasant. Winds: W 8-13. Wake-up: 44. High: 65.

October 3rd

1922: A hot fall day occurs in Minnesota. Notable highs are 95 in Ada and 93 at Moorhead.

October 3rd

Average High: 65F (Record: 90F set in 1997)

Average Low: 47F (Record: 26F set in 1996)

Record Rainfall: 2.62" set in 1903

October 3rd

Sunrise: 7:13am

Sunset: 6:50pm

Hours of Daylight: ~11 hours & 37 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: 3 Minutes & 5 Seconds

2.3 Day Before Last Quarter Moon

See more from Space.com HERE:

Temperatures on Tuesday will be warmer than average across the eastern half of the country with record warmth possible from the Great Lakes to the Northeast. Cooler than average readings will be found in the Intermountain-West.

The weather outlook on Tuesday looks unsettled Across much of the Central US with scattered showers and storms, some of which could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall. There will also be areas of rain and snow across the northern rockies.

The weather outlook through Thursday shows unsettled weather across the Central US with scattered showers and storms, some of which could be strong to severe with locally heavy rainfall.

"Noctalgia (sky grief) As human population has increased, and as artificial lights have spread across Earth, the stars have been disappearing. And now astronomers have proposed a new word to describe their sadness over the loss of dark nights. The word they propose is noctalgia (sky grief), from an earlier word solastalgia, the lived experience of negatively perceived environmental change (with noct being a root word meaning night). In a late August 2023, in an open letter to the journal Science (pdf here), astronomers Aparna Venkatesan of the University of San Francisco and John C. Barentine of Dark Sky Consulting wrote: Our diminishing ability to view the nighttime sky due to rapidly rising human-made light pollution is part of the palpable keening [a loud wailing or lament] of all that is passing each day. We offer here the term noctalgia to express 'sky grief' for the accelerating loss of the home environment of our shared skies, a disappearance felt globally and deserving its own field of study of 'nyctology' [the study of night matters]."

See more from Earth Sky HERE:

"EVERY YEAR BETWEEN September and December, Lubna Dada makes clouds. Dada, an atmospheric scientist, convenes with dozens of her colleagues to run experiments in a 7,000-gallon stainless steel chamber at CERN in Switzerland. "It's like science camp," says Dada, who studies how natural emissions react with ozone to create aerosols that affect the climate. Clouds are the largest source of uncertainty in climate predictions. Depending on location, cloud cover can reflect sunlight away from land and ocean that would otherwise absorb its heat—a rare perk in the warming world. But clouds can also trap heat over Arctic and Antarctic ice. Scientists want to know more about what causes clouds to form, and if that effect is cooling or heating. And most of all, says Dada, "We want to know how we humans have changed clouds."

See more from Wired HERE:

"After the wildfires in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui last month, unsubstantiated rumors and conspiracy theories spread nearly as fast as the flames had. There was the one about the government — in some versions it was the U.S., in others a foreign government — using energy beam weapons to start the fire. Others blamed Oprah, the wealthy media mogul, and falsely claimed she was making a land grab. Still others claimed the fires were a cover-up for military malfeasance. Lahaina residents told NPR reporters on the ground that the rumors were spreading fear and confusion at a vulnerable time. On a visit to Danilo Andres' home in the burn zone — miraculously standing after the fires — Andres says there was talk that the homes left standing might be further targeted: "There's a satellite in the sky, they just pinpoint the house," he said, explaining the theory. "The rumor's in the hotel right now, so everybody's moving out."