According to the MN DNR, much of the state is already experiencing minor changes in the fall color. Keep in mind that much of the summer was hot and dry, so some of the trees are a bit stressed and could be prematurely changing. With that being said, we are getting closer to that time of the year. See the latest update from the MN DNR HERE:

Ever wonder why some years, fall color is so vibrant vs some years, fall color tends to be a bit more dull? Val Cervenka, Coordinator from the DNR Forest Health Program, shares how the weather can play a roll in those fall colors. Due to the hot and dry summer that most of experienced, it is likely that fall foliage could be less impressive this year with more tans, bronzes and auburns.

According to the MN DNR, fall colors typically start to peak across the northern part of the state in mid/late September. Peak color typically arrives in central and southern Minnesota late September and into early/mid October. Note that over the next several weeks, you'll notice some big changes in the landscape as we head deeper into fall.

Keep in mind that the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane season is on September 10th and things are still quite active in the Atlantic basin now. Along with Odette, NOAA's NHC is tracking 2 other waves, 1 of which have a high probability of tropical formation over the next 2 days.

According to the latest drought update from the US Drought Monitor, drought continues to slightly improve across the state. From last week to this week, there were slight improvements in the D3 (extreme) and D4 (exceptional) categories. The worst of the drought still remains across the northern tier of the state with moderate to severe drought across much of the Twin Cities metro.

Despite picking up some much needed rainfall at the end of August and into early September, many locations are still several inches below average since January 1st. Some of the biggest deficits are still across the northern half of the state, where Exceptional Drought conditions are in place. The Twin Cities is still -3.80" below average and at its 63rd driest January 1st to September 17th on record. International Falls is nearly -7.50" below average and at its 11th driest start to any year on record.

Good new for folks across northern Minnesota that have a bigger drought concern, the extended forecast through Tuesday of next week suggests some healthy tallies of 1" to 2" or more.

The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Sunday, September 19th, looks warm, dry and windy much of the day with lots of sunshine.

The meteograms for Minneapolis on Sunday shows temps warming from the mid/upper 60s in the morning to the mid/upper 80s by the afternoon. Much of the day with be dry and quiet with lots of sunshine. South to southerly winds will gust up to 30mph.

The weather outlook across the region on Sunday shows temps running warming into the 80s across much of the state, which will be nearly +15F to +20F above average for many locations.

The extended weather outlook for Minneapolis shows near average temperatures through the week ahead. Temps on Sunday will be well above average with highs approaching 90F. Monday will be wet with scattered showers and storms. Tuesday and Wednesday temps will fall to below average levels with highs only in the 60s

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows warmer than average temps across the western half of the nation. Cooler than average temps will be found along and east of the Mississippi River.

The severe weather that developed this week was just one of a few events this year. Interestingly, the number of severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the NWS Twin Cities is nearly 100 below average. In fact, much of the central and southern US was well below average in terms of severe weather events. It really was a hot, dry and quiet summer.

A large area of low pressure responsible for heavy snow in the Canadian Rockies and across parts of the Pacific Northwest will slowly approach the Upper Midwest today. The result will be warm and windy weather across much of the state. High temps will approach 90 degrees in spots, which will be nearly 20F above average for mid September. That storm moves in tomorrow with widespread showers & storms, some of which could be strong with locally heavy rainfall. Highs fall to the 60s by midweek. Brrr

SUNDAY: Windy and warm. Winds: SSW 15-25. High: 87.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Chance of showers & storms. Winds: S 10-20. Low: 69.

MONDAY: Scattered showers & storms. Winds: NW 10-20. High: 75.

WEDNESDAY: Bright sunshine returns. Winds: S 8-13. Wake-up: 47. High: 64.

THURSDAY: Breezy, sunny and a touch warmer. Winds: SE 10-15. Wake-up: 48. High: 70.

FRIDAY: Unsettled. Increasing rain chance. Winds: WNW 8-13. Wake-up: 55. High: 71.

SATURDAY: Lingering clouds and showers. Winds: NNW 5-10. Wake-up: 55. High: 70.

September 19th

1980: Golfball to baseball sized hail hits St. Paul. One company has 75 to 95 percent of the glass in their greenhouses smashed.

September 19th

Average High: 70F (Record: 94F set in 1895)

Average Low: 51F (Record: 33F set in 1991)

Record Rainfall: 2.98" set in 1907

August 15th

Sunrise: 6:57am

Sunset: 7:16pm

Hours of Daylight: ~12 hours & 19 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: ~ 3 minute & 6 seconds

0.7 Days Before The Full Harvest Moon

"6:55 p.m. CDT - Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal (fall) equinox — which is most often in September. On average, October Harvest Moons come at three-year intervals, although the time frame can be quite variable, and there can be situations where as many as eight years can elapse (the next such example will come between 2020 and 2028). At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon. Usually, the full Moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the U.S., and only 10 to 20 minutes later for much of Canada and Europe. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice — indigenous staples in North America — are ready for gathering."

"The moon passes 4 degrees N. of Saturn on September 17, 2021, at about 3 UTC. It passes 4 degrees N. of Jupiter on September 18 at 7 UTC. On any of these evenings – September 15 to 18, 2021 – the moon can guide you to these 2 outer solar system worlds. By the way, though we show Pluto on our chart, it's about 1,000 times too faint to be viewed with the eye alone. Moon, Saturn, Jupiter - On September 2021 evenings, the moon, Saturn and Jupiter are still visible almost everywhere worldwide (except the far-northern Arctic) as night falls. Jupiter is the brighter of the two planets. And, as it's done for some months now, Jupiter follows Saturn westward across the night sky as Earth turns. Both of these worlds passed their oppositions in August. In September 2021, you'll find them already in the east after sunset. They'll set in the wee hours between midnight and dawn. The moon will sweep closest to bright Jupiter on the North American evening of September 17 (September 18 at about 7 UTC). That'll be the most spectacular evening to watch for them. But any night from September 15 to 18 will be fine for looking outside. On these evenings, the moon can guide you to Jupiter and Saturn."

See more from Earth Sky HERE:

The #DixieFire is the 2nd largest fire in California's history burning nearly 960,000 acres as of September 18th. The fire is 88% contained and has burned more than 1,300 structures. The largest wildfires in the state's history was the August Complex from 2020, which burned more than 1 million acres.

Here's a list of California's Top 20 Largest Wildfires in the state's history. Note the Dixie Fire is still ongoing and it the 2nd largest wildfire on record. The Caldor fire is nearly 219,000 acres a is currently the state's 15th largest fire in history. The Monument Fire is also currently active, burning almost 217,000 acres as is the 16th largest fire in California history.

The weather outlook on Sunday shows above average temperatures continuing across the eastern two-thirds of the nation. Meanwhile, folks in the Northwest will be below average with highs only warming into the 60s.

The national weather outlook through early next week shows ongoing showers and storms in the southeastern US with locally heavy rainfall. There will also be an area of heavy rain & mountain snow across the Northwest. This storm system will slide into the Midwest with scattered showers and storm on Monday.

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center heavier precipitation potential will be found across parts of the eastern US with localized flooding possible.

It seems like every week, another rocket is launched into space carrying rovers to Mars, tourists or, most commonly, satellites. The idea that "space is getting crowded" has been around for a few years now, but just how crowded is it? And how crowded is it going to get? I am a professor of physics and director of the Center for Space Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Many satellites that were put into orbit have gone dead and burned up in the atmosphere, but thousands remain. Groups that track satellite launches don't always report the same exact numbers, but the overall trend is clear – and astounding. Since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik – the first human-made satellite – in 1957, humanity has steadily been putting more and more objects into orbit every year. Over the the second half of the 20th century, there was a slow but steady growth, with roughly 60 to 100 satellites launched yearly until the early 2010s. But since then, the pace has been increasing dramatically.

"The United States has faced nearly 44,000 wildfires this year alone, and altogether they have burned an area the size of New Jersey. Every one of these fires kicks up tiny particles of liquids and solids, each a fraction of the diameter of a single human hair. These particles can travel for thousands of miles and remain suspended in the air for weeks. Fires in California have polluted the skies as far away as New York City. Microscopic particles in the air, whether from wildfire smoke or other sources of air pollution such as industrial and automobile exhaust, are dangerous: Their size allows them to penetrate deep into the body, even entering the lungs and bloodstream. "It triggers some inflammation in the body that can do everything from destabilize plaques in our blood vessels and cause heart attacks, or even cause inflammation in our neurons," said Aaron Bernstein, a pediatrician who leads the climate center at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The more we look, the more we realize that pretty much no part of our body is spared from this exposure to air pollution."

See more from Vox HERE:

"There's no denying the fact that climate change is real. The sea levels are rising and the global temperature is increasing at an alarming rate. More than 200 medical journals have published a statement underscoring that the results of an increase in global temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius will be catastrophic. A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change warned that extreme sea levels will become more common by the end of the century around the world and the rise will be 1-2 meters by 2100. NASA predicts that high tide floods will also cause severe flooding in the U.S.'s coastal areas. The findings aren't mere predictions; the U.S. has fought back-to-back extreme weather crises this year. The Maldives—the world's lowest-lying country—is at risk of disappearing, so it's planning a floating city as a means of survival. But there are many other cities around the world that are facing this threat due to rising sea levels and subsidence (over-extraction of groundwater that makes the land sink). Here's a round-up of what the world is facing losing by 2100 if things don't change."

See more from Fodor's Travel HERE: