Astronomical Fall Arrives Thursday Evening - Feeling A Lot More Like Fall

In what was likely our last 90F degree day of the year - and potentially our last 80F degree day of the year as well - we set a record high at MSP on Tuesday of 92F. That beat the record of 91F previously set three times - most recently in 1931.

_______________________________________________

Astronomical Fall arrives just after 8 PM Thursday evening, but it'll continue to feel like fall already as we head through the day! We'll wake up in the 40s for the first time since May 27th as temperatures drop to the mid-40s, with highs in the low 60s under mainly sunny skies. Highs will be a good 10F degrees below average.

50s and 60s are expected across the state on Thursday with sunny skies in place. Cloud cover will start to increase as we head into Thursday Night from west to east, which could impact aurora viewing (with a G1 watch in place for the northern lights).

_______________________________________________

Temperatures will be even cooler on Friday with showers moving in toward the midday hours and highs potentially not making it out of the 50s, which would be the first time since May 25th highs haven't made it above 60F. We'll warm to near 70F on Saturday before mid-60s settle back into the region for the second half of the weekend and early next week.

_______________________________________________

The highest rain chances from the system moving in Thursday Night into Friday will be out in western Minnesota, where some locations could see around a half an inch fall. Lesser rain amounts are expected farther east toward the metro. As rain lingers in the Arrowhead into Saturday, some locations up along the North Shore could see up to a third of an inch.

_______________________________________________

The changes on the Minnesota DNR Fall Color map are starting to accelerate, with patches of 25-50% color now at state parks in northwest (Old Mill & Lake Bronson), northeast (Cascade River), and south-central (Flandrau) Minnesota. On Tuesday, Cascade River State Park up in northeastern Minnesota said: "Our park doesn't have many of the maples you will find on the nearby maple ridges but the colors of birch and the undergrowth are turning." You can keep your eye on this map over the next several weeks from the MN DNR by clicking here.

Here's a handy map of typical peak fall colors from the MN DNR. This ranges from mid/late September in far northern Minnesota to mid-October in southern parts of the state.

_______________________________________________

Happy Astronomical Fall! Okay, it's technically not "Autumn" until just after 8 PM tonight, but if you're reading this in the morning you can start counting down the hours!

And, boy, has the weather changed on a dime just in time for Fall to arrive. After the 18th 90F degree day of the year Tuesday with a record high of 92F, a cold front came through and dropped the hammer with cooler and less humid air. Today will be in the low 60s under sunny skies. Showery, windy weather is likely Friday with highs only in the 50s. 60s return this weekend under sunnier skies. Fall has arrived, indeed - hopefully helping the fall color process!

However, it's never too early to think about winter, now is it? The earliest measurable snow at MSP occurred on September 23, 1985, when 0.4" was reported - mainly in the afternoon hours. Meanwhile, the earliest first 1"+ of snow for MSP occurred on September 26, 1942, when 1.7" fell. No snow anytime soon, but it might not be the worst idea in the world to find where you hid that snow shovel.

_______________________________________________

D.J.'s Extended Twin Cities Forecast

FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. PM showers. Wake up 47. High 59. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind SE 5-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Clouds stick around. Lingering shower? Wake up 51. High 69. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind S 5-15 mph.

SUNDAY: Sunnier with a stiff northwest breeze. Wake up 55. High 66. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-25 mph.

MONDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Isolated shower up north. Wake up 51. High 63. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: A passing cloud, but still pleasant! Wake up 46. High 62. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 5-10 mph.

_______________________________________________

Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
September 22nd

*Length Of Day: 12 hours, 10 minutes, and 6 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 3 minutes and 6 seconds

*When Do We Drop Below 12 Hours Of Daylight?: September 26th (11 hours, 57 minutes, 40 seconds)
*When Does The Sun Start Rising At/After 7:30 AM?: October 16th (7:30 AM)
*When Does The Sun Start Setting At/Before 7 PM?: September 27th (7:00 PM)

_______________________________________________

1996: A brief cold air funnel touchdown results in roof damage in Washington County.

1936: Summer-like heat continues with 101 at Ada, Beardsley and Moorhead.

_______________________________________________

On Thursday, one frontal system will exit off the East Coast but linger across portions of the Southeast, bringing shower and storm potential. A new system out in the Rockies will bring shower and storm potential, with some of that working eastward into the Plains by Friday morning.

The heaviest rain through Friday evening will be in the Four Corners region, where over 3" of rain could fall. Meanwhile, in parts of the northern Rockies, some light snow accumulation could occur - particularly Thursday Night.

Meanwhile, we're tracking three other areas of interest in the Atlantic. The one of most concern is near the Windward Islands and is expected to become a tropical depression within the next few days as it tracks into the Caribbean. There is a chance this one could end up being a threat to the United States sometime next week - but it's way too early to know what, if any, impacts it will have and where they will occur. First we need the storm to form, as models will get a better grasp on the system after that occurs.

_______________________________________________

Aurora season: Why more auroras at equinoxes?

More from EarthSky: "What's the basis for the legendary connection between auroras and equinoxes? Yes, there is an aurora season, which comes in March and October (more or less around the equinoxes) each year. This pattern in nature – auroras increasing twice a year – is one of the earliest patterns ever to be observed and recorded by scientists. We know that storms and eruptions on the sun cause disturbances in Earth's magnetic field, called geomagnetic storms. And we know the sun itself has cycles, including the famous 11-year solar cycle. That cycle is in an upswing now, by the way, which is why we're having more solar activity now than a few years ago. But an 11-year cycle is not a twice-yearly cycle. Why would geomagnetic storms increase twice a year? As it turns out, it's all about magnetism and geometry."

Bloom Energy to produce emissions-free hydrogen at Xcel Energy's Prairie Island nuclear plant

GM to sell up to 175,000 electric vehicles to Hertz through 2027

More from CNBC: "General Motors has agreed to sell up to 175,000 electric vehicles to Hertz Global over the next five years, the companies announced Tuesday. The deal calls for GM to start supplying electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV to the rental car giant starting the first quarter of next year. Those vehicles are expected to be followed by newer EV models on the company's Ultium battery technology, such as the Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Equinox and vehicles from GM's other brands. GM is expected to significantly increase its production of all-electric vehicles in the coming years, as North American output of the cars and trucks — as well as the battery cells used to power them — increases. The company plans to reach production capability of 1 million EVs in North America and China, each, by 2025."

_______________________________________________

Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

- D.J. Kayser