Only in Minnesota can you be ankle-deep in mud with dust blowing in your face. Or examining frost damage to plants, while wearing shorts. Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says the last time we saw such an early blast of October (MSP highs below 61) was September 2010.
According to Climate Central the average temperature in the Twin Cities has warmed 5.2 degrees since 1970. We now routinely enjoy 70s into October. The atmosphere is chaotic; there will be more cold fronts. But if you step back and look at the trends, frost in early September is increasingly rare.
Temperatures are flip-flopping in the other direction with fairly consistent 70s into late September, maybe a few 80s later this week. The arrival of warmer, more humid air will leave our atmosphere irritated and capable of a few thunderstorms Tuesday, maybe another shower Wednesday. More storms pop Friday and Saturday, with Sunday probably the drier day of the weekend.
The probability of flooding, tornadoes and hail drops off rapidly this month. I’m OK with that.
