Updraft Category Archive: Fall color

3rd warmest October so far! Growing drought covers 74% of MN!

Posted at 5:23 PM on October 7, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Drought, Fall, Fall color

Passengers soaking up October warmth aboard The Lady of the Lake on Lake Minnetonka Friday.

Welcome to "June-Tober."

We're living charmed weather lives in Minnesota these days!

Our string of consecutive 80 degree days now stands at 6....as thermometers blew past past the 80 degree mark again Friday.

That makes this the 3rd warmest start to October on record so far, according to Pete Boulay at the MN State Climate Office.

"Hi Paul,

-Pete"

With Ocotber 2011 only .4 degree off the pace...this is basically right there with the warmest October starts on record! We can't feel the difference between 67.0 and 67.4 degrees!

Temperatures Friday look more like July than October!

Temps +13 degrees vs. average so far this October!

3rd warmest start to October on record so far!
(just 0.4 degree away from 1st place)

6 consecutive days at or above 80 this October

2nd highest number of October 80s on record

8days at or above 80 in October 1953

58 years since MSP has logged this many 80 degree days in October!

43 average low temp at MSP Friday

65 actual low temp at MSP Friday

63 average high temp at MSP Friday

"Cooler Front" this weekend:

The 80s will fade this weekend as a (gentle for October) cool front slides through. Temps will still run about 10 degrees above average, with highs in the 70s south and 60s north this weekend.

There will be a few spotty showers, but overall precip looks to be on the light side, generally under .25" in most areas. We may settle some of the wind-whipped dust this weekend, but the rain won't be putting out any fires or putting a dent in the drought.

Growing Drought!

It's been another warm, windy, dry week with no rainfall in Minnesota, and the drought expanding.

A full 74% of Minnesota is now listed as "abnormally dry" or in some stage of drought on the week's U.S. Drought Monitor. That compares to only 4% of Minnesota in or near drought 3 months ago!

Rainfall deficits now exceed 4" in much of Minnesota since August 1st. The overall weather pattern looks wetter in the next two weeks, but rainfall totals will likely not be enough to end the drought in Minnesota.

Fall colors peaking this weekend!

The gusty & dusty weather pattern late last week tooka few leaves off the trees, but the colors are still spectacular and at or near the elusive "peak" this weekend in Minnesota.

Here are some fall color scenes I captured Friday from around the Huttner Weather Lab in Deephaven in the west metro. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

PH

Parkway invites

My friend Pav's Hunter sailboat & Whaler ride out gusty winds Friday.

Road sign provides a not so subtle seasonal metaphor?

Wind, waves & colors on St. Louis Bay of Lake Minnetonka.

Classic fall street scene

Leafy carpet

Is climate change affecting fall color timing?

The story from AP:

"Climate change scientists focus on fall foliage shifts

- In Vermont, state foresters studying sugar maples at the Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill found that the growing season ended later than the statistical average in seven out of the last 10 years. And then there are regular folks like 83-year-old Nancy Aldrich at Polly's Pancake Parlor in New Hampshire, who has been keeping her own records since 1975. Her numbers show that color change is a moving target, and she's not willing to go out on a limb in terms of making any declarations."

Report: Fall color show this week; Sun returns Wednesday?

Posted at 4:16 PM on September 27, 2011 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fall color

Leaf Peeper Alert: Fall colors exploding

This looks like the week (and weekend!) where fall colors are really popping in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Some areas of the state are now showing more than 50% color!

Check out the latest fall color report from the Minnesota DNR.

Unusual fall color pattern in Minnesota this year:

Look at the map above, and then take a look at the map below.

You can see "peak color" is different than the norm this year, with areas near the Minnesota River near New Ulm peaking before areas to the north.

Now look at the drought map below.

Notice how well the color shift corresponds to drought stressed areas!

Many factors affect fall color displays:

It turns out there are several variables that determine when colors change and how vibrant they are. The details from the Minnesota DNR's Jana Albers.

Nicer Wednesday & weekend ahead!

Let's just call it what it is this week in the metro. The Twin Cities and southeast Minnesota got hosed this week when it comes to sunshine and nice weather, while much of the rest of Minnesota enjoyed sunny warm days.

70s and sunshine ruled most of western & northern Minnesota this week while clouds and spotty showers hung from the metro to Rochester.

GOES 1km visible with temps overlayed. 70s and sunny west!

The pesky persistent upper low will finally give some ground Wednesday. That should be enough to bring sunshine into the metro, and boost temps well into the 70s. I'm not ready to guarantee sun all of Wednesday just yet...this upper low has been a bear to move east! Weather fingers & toes crossed!

A strong cool front will drop temps Thursday & Friday, but bring more sun. Lows may dip into the 30s Saturday morning for a potential frost threat.

Right now the first weekend of October (how did that happen?) looks spectacular with sunshine and highs in the 70s by Sunday.

PH

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Best fall colors in 10 years? Tropical trouble brewing again

Posted at 5:27 PM on September 8, 2011 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Fall color, Hurricanes

Here's some breaking news for fall color fans.

According to the Minnesota DNR this may be the best fall color display in Minnesota in 10 years!

It turns out the combination of ample summer rains, combined with our sunny days and cool nights may be just right to get the color to pop this fall.

Here's the pertainent info from MN DNR.

DNR predicts best fall color season in 10 years
(Released September 8, 2011)

Minnesotans are encouraged to keep the camera batteries charged and to not put the tent or the picnic basket away just yet, because the upcoming fall color season could be the best it has been in 10 years, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

"With adequate rain during the growing season for two consecutive years and recent weather patterns that have included the ideal combination of warm, sunny days and cool evenings, we're predicting an especially vivid display of color across the state in the weeks ahead," said Jana Albers, DNR forest health specialist.

Here's Thursday's fall color report. Some splashes of color are now beginning to show in the drought stressed regions of Minnesota.

Colors will increase over the next few weeks and typically peak in the next month.

Hurricane Season 2011: More tropical trouble ahead?

Don't look now, but the Atlantic Hurricane season of 2011 is quietly brewing into a troublesome affair.

Hurricane Irene slammed into the northeast with as much as 7 billion in damage and devastating floods.

Tropical Storm Lee snuck up through the Gulf of Mexico delivering a swath of heavy rains, (over 10" in some areas) and storm damage from Louisiana through the southeast and into Pennsylvania and New York, where mass evacuations are now underway due to flooding.

Flooded roads in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo)

Now, It looks like what will soon become Hurricane Nate may bring trouble to the Gulf of Mexico. With weak and erratic steering currents, where Nate goes may be a wild card. With divergent model track solutions the threat level is growing anywhere from the Mexican Coast to Louisiana and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Nate could sit, spin and strengthen in the Gulf for a few days and then deliver a flooding deluge somewhere along the Gulf Coast. Depending on the eventual track, there is a chance that drought stricken eastern Texas could benefit from Nate's rainfall,

The there's Maria. The system is forecast to make a close approach to the southeast USA, before rapidly turning away to the northeast just before hitting land. Unlike Nate, track models are tightly grouped and insist Maria will turn to sea before hitting the USA. But it's a little close for comfort at this point.

As we say in the weather biz...stay tuned!

Frosty start to September in northeast MN:

The details from my MPR colleague Mark Seeley.

Topic: Some early September frosts

"The lower dewpoints and milder temperatures this week have been welcomed by most Minnesota citizens. But, for some northern residents the cooler temperatures brought an end to the growing season. Over September 5-6 (Mon-Tue) this week frost occurred in a number of locations, including: Big Fork (32 F), Hibbing (32 F), Orr (32 F), International Falls (31 F), Cook (30 F), Isabella (29 F), Crane Lake (28 F), Brimson (28 F), and Embarrass (26 F)."

New MN wind speed record?

From Mark's Weather Talk newsletter.

Topic: Wrestling with a new state wind speed record

"During the early morning hours of September 1, 2011 a severe thunderstorm was passing over northwestern Minnesota. Shortly after 3 am the Road Weather Information System managed by Mn/DOT in Donaldson near the Kittson and Marshall County line registered a wind gust of 121 mph. This measurement was substantiated by damages inflicted in the surrounding landscape by such strong winds. Since that time the National Weather Service, Minnesota State Climatology Office, and National Climatic Data Center have been trying to determine if this measurement represents a new Minnesota state record for wind speed. The old state record wind speed was 117 mph from a thunderstorm near Alexandria, MN back on July 19, 1983.

There are many problems associated with determining a wind speed record. For example, it is estimated from earlier storm surveys in the state that winds stronger than 120 mph have been associated with some tornadoes in the state. But an instrumental record of the wind speed does not exist. Secondly the wind instruments (anemometers) used over time to measure wind speed have varied in placement and precision. The elevation above ground is important in the measurement of wind speed, as is the sampling interval (3 second, 5 seconds, 30 seconds, etc). The current system used by the National Weather Service is an Ice Free Wind (IFW) sensor, called a sonic anemometer (no moving parts) and measures wind in 1 second intervals, averaging every 3 seconds. The 121 mph wind at Donaldson was measured by an R.M. Young Wind Monitor (aerovane model 05103) which is a mechanical, propeller type instrument. I think it has an accuracy of plus or minus 1 percent and a measurement range up to 224 mph (though lesser wind might destroy its mast)."

PH

Fall color peak hits metro

Posted at 5:00 PM on October 5, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Fall color

These are Chamber of Commerce weather days in Minnesota.

Perfect marathon weather, Twins playoffs in town under crystal clear October skies, and fall colors busting peak in the metro. Does it get any better than this?

According to the latest fall color report form the Minnesota DNR, colors are at or near peak this week in the metro with 50% to 100% color. Colors are past peak now in much of northern Minnesota.

A tour of my favorite fall color spots near the Huttner Weather Lab in the west metro confirms peaking colors today. So I'm calling it. Peak fall color occurred at precisely 4:03pm Tuesday October 5th at the Huttner Weather Lab this year.

Here are some colorful shots from a classic fall Tuesday from the shores of Lake Minnetonka in the west metro.

Color burst along St. Louis Bay on Lake Minnetonka.
Photos by Paul Huttner (click for bigger images)

Boats ready for late season action at Deephaven Beach on Lake Minnetonka.

Vibrant sumac ablaze in the afternoon sun.

Road to the deep woods flashes color.

Blazing trees contrast a deep autumn blue sky.

Fallen leaves float on water at Robinson's Bay.

Loyal dog waits in the drivers seat for owner to return.

PH

September's finest

Posted at 5:00 PM on September 29, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Fall, Fall color

Wednesday had to be the best day of the fall for many Minnesotans...so far.

Fall color popping along Ridgewood Road in Minnetonka.
Photos by Paul Huttner. (Click for bigger images)

Plenty of sunshine graced (most of) Minnesota's skies today, with temperatures shooting up into the 70s in many areas. The exception is Minnesota's Arrowhead and North Shore, where clouds and spotty showers roll through with a cold front.

Anatomy of a cold front:

Check out this high resolution MODIS terra satellite image from the University of Wisconsin Wednesday.

You can clearly see the tail of clouds riding along with a cold front as it approaches the Twin Cities in mid-afternoon. If you look closely, you can notice the Minnesota River looks quite swollen southwest of the Twin Cities. This is the flood in action as viewed from space.

Family of fronts:

Wednesday's cool front is the first in a family of fronts that will sweep colder air into Minnesota by this weekend.

Many locations, including the Twin Cities may see our first frost of the fall by Sunday morning.

And now for your Weather Lab gratuitous sunset shot of the week.

Classic sunset over Gale Island on Lake Minnetonka Monday.

PH

Fall colors may dazzle in 2010

Posted at 8:07 AM on September 9, 2010 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fall color

Leaf peepers may be in for a treat this year.

Splashes of color are already popping up around the Huttner Weather Lab in the west metro and conditions appear just right for a potentially spectacular fall color show in 2010. This week's Minnesota DNR Fall Color Report is showing 0 to 10% color in most areas.

Here's what it takes for great fall color according to the Minnesota DNR.

Fall colors vary from year to year and place to place for several reasons.

-Weather is most critical in determining the colors displayed each fall.

-Colors are best when high quality foliage - a product of a warm, moist summer - is exposed to sunny, cool fall days.

-Light frosts may also help, but hard freezes can ruin the display.

Much of Minnesota has seen a warmer and wetter than average summer this year. There is also every reason to expect light frosts as usual in the coming month.

Here are the typical peak times for "peak" fall color around Minnesota.

Enjoy leaf watching this year!

PH

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