By Todd Nelson, filling in for Douglas:
Fall in Minnesota is a great time of the year, when it cooperates. Crisp mornings, comfortable afternoons, and a splash of brilliant color displayed across the landscape. Yes please!
I’m not convinced fall has completely set in yet, but it’s close. The temperature in the Twin Cities is running nearly nine degrees above average through the first two weeks of the month. Good enough for the fifth-warmest start to any October in the metro. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the extended warmth, but it’s having an impact on those fall colors that we’ve come to appreciate at this time of the year. Locally, peak color has been delayed a bit due to the lack of chilly weather, but it’s coming soon and may be a bit more dull than normal. Don’t blink!
One sign of fall is the more active pattern that has arrived. A southerly jog in the jet stream sets us up in a more favorable position for several more rain chances through the end of the month. Note that our average first measurable snow is Nov. 5. Last year it snowed on Halloween. Spooky!
