Here's the weather outlook from AM Wednesday to AM Monday. Warm & dry weather continues through the next few days before some isolated showers and storms arrive Friday & into the weekend. Cooler temps will filter in behind the front with readings down into the 60s and 70s by the weekend.

Dry weather continues through Thursday prior to a storm system moving in on Friday. Chances of showers and storms will be possible Friday into the weekend with the heaviest rain into Wisconsin.

Here's the latest drought update across Minnesota. Thanks to a little more rain last week, severe drought has dwindled to less that 1%, but still encompasses a part of the metro. Moderate drought was at nearly 9%.

The weather outlook for Wednesday shows another warm & dry day across the region with readings warming into the 70s and 80s, which will be nearly +10F above average. Temps in the Dakotas will warm into the 90s to near 100F, which will be nearly +20F above average. Rapid City, SD could warm into the low 100s and possibly near record levels.

The weather outlook for Minneapolis on Wednesday shows temps warming into the mid 80s in the afternoon with mostly sunny skies.

Dewpoints will still be quite sticky Wednesday & Thursday before less humid weather filters in late week and into the weekend ahead. Dewpoints could dip into the 40s by Sunday, which will feel quite fall-like!

The hourly forecast for Minneapolis on Wednesday shows temperatures starting in the mid 60s and warming into the mid 80s by the afternoon. It'll be another sunny day with northerly winds around 10mph.

The extended weather outlook over the next 7 days shows warm and dry weather in place through Thursday before a storm system arrives Friday and into the weekend with chance of showers and storms. Temps by the weekend will be quite a bit cooler than it has been.

According to the NBM & ECMWF extended temperature outlook shows readings warming to well above average levels through Thursday with highs in the mid/upper 80s to near 90F. It definitely looks cooler later this week and into the weekend.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows above average temps returning to much of the nation, especially across the Central US.

According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows dry weather lingering across the Central US. More active weather will develop in the Pacific Northwest and across the Gulf Coast.

Earl developed in the Atlantic over the weekend, which is the 5th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of midday Tuesday, the storm was located north of Puerto Rico as was moving NNW. Earl is expected to become the 2nd hurricane of the season later this week as it drifts toward Bermuda. Stay tuned...

"Oh hail no!" Who among us hasn't been impacted (sorry) by hailstones. Dented cars, shattered windshields, shredded shingles? Knocks on the door from "insurance adjusters" after big "hailers" - promising a free roof! Right.

A story at the New York Times about record-setting hailstones was eye-opening. A warming climate maybe a factor, and although the number of overall hail events is decreasing, hailstone sizes are increasing. Researchers estimate an upper limit for hail size: 1 foot in diameter, weighing just over 3 pounds. Holy Hail Helmet! For the record, NOAA SPC reports 378 damaging hail reports for Minnesota so far in 2022 and 76 tornadoes. Wow.

As far as the atmosphere is concerned, today is August 7 with mid 80s and a dash of haze, humidity and wildfire smoke. We may brush 90F Thursday before a cooler front pushes a stripe of rain across the state Friday. Some half inch amounts are possible.

It'll feel like September this weekend, with highs near70F. Soak up summer warmth while you still can.

WEDNESDAY: Hazy sunshine. Winds: NE 3-8. High: 86.

THURSDAY: Sunny with a hot breeze. Winds: S 15-25. High: 89.

FRIDAY: Cooler with periods of rain. Winds: N 10-20. Wake-up: 68. High: 74.

SATURDAY: Sunny intervals, comfortable. Winds: N 7-12. Wake-up: 59. High: 71.

SUNDAY: Spectacularly sunny. Winds: N 10-15. Wake-up: 57. High: 72.

MONDAY: Blue sky - pleasant. Winds: NW 8-13. Wake-up: 56. High: 73.

September 7th

1990: Strong winds and hail up to 2 inches was reported in Swift, Douglas, Stevens, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Stearns, and Waseca Counties.

1986: A touch of winter is felt in northern MN, with lows of 20 degrees at Embarrass and 30 at Duluth.-

1922: The fifth consecutive day of 90 degrees or above occurs in the Minneapolis area.

September 7th

Average Low: 58F (Record: 40F set in 1956)

Record Rainfall: 2.16" set in 1864

Record Snowfall: None

September 7th

Sunrise: 6:42am

Hours of Daylight: ~12 hours & 56 minutes

Daylight LOST since yesterday: ~ 3 minutes & 3 seconds

Daylight LOST since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 2 hour & 41 minutes

2.1 Days Since First Quarter

"4:59 a.m. CDT - Traditionally, this designation goes to the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal (fall) equinox, which falls this year on Sept. 22. This year's Harvest Moon comes unusually early. At the peak of the harvest, farmers can work into the night by the light of this moon. Usually, the 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 now ready for gathering."

The weather outlook on Wednesday shows well above average temps across the western half of the nation, where readings will be nearly +10F to +20F above average. Scattered showers and storms will be possible in the Southern and Southeastern US with pockets of heavy rain.

Here's the weather outlook through Thursday, which shows lingering showers and storms in the Southern & Eastern US. Later this week a frontal boundary will move into the Central US where scattered showers and storms will be found

According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, areas of heavier precipitation will be found in the Southeastern US with localized flooding possible. There will also be areas of heavier rain in the Southwest and Midwest.

Researchers in California and Utah have found that dams made by beavers can help create drought and fire-resistant landscapes. With nearly half of the country experiencing drought, it's time we take a look at these magnificent creatures and how the largest rodent in North America may be able to help us.

See more from One Green Planet HERE:

See more from Bloomberg HERE:

"Why does rain make you sleepy? If recent downpours have had you canceling plans to spend the evening on the couch or heading to bed early, you're not the only one. There's no bigger sign that summer is on its way out of the door than rain. While summer rain is a welcome occurrence, the rain that comes at the beginning of fall turns the sky a gloomy shade of gray and the temperature seems to plummet down almost immediately. This might not be such great news for any upcoming social plans - but it does wonders for our sleep patterns."

See more from Woman & Home HERE: