"Visible planets and night sky for September and October"
"September 26 and 27 evenings: Moon visits Saturn. The bright waxing gibbous moon will sweep past the planet Saturn on the evenings of of September 26 and 27. And Saturn is now just one month past its yearly opposition to the sun in our sky. So it's still in a great place to view. You need a telescope to see Saturn's rings, but you can notice with the eye alone that the planet shines with a steady light and golden color. Photos here of Saturn at its best for 2023. September 28 and 29, all night: Super Harvest Moon The instant of September's full moon – the last of four full supermoons of 2023 – falls at 9:57 UTC (4:57 a.m. CDT) on on September 29. For us in North America, the night of September 28-29 is our best for full-moon watching. But – as the closest full moon to the equinox – September 2023's full moon also carries the name Harvest Moon. Read about the Harvest Moon, and/ or watch the video below."

Much Needed Rain Last Weekend
It has been a pretty soggy over the last few days with as much as 4" to 6" of rain falling in some locations. 3.4"0 of rain has fallen at the MSP Airport since Saturday, which is the most 3 day rainfall we've seen since June of 2020!

Wettest 3 Day Period Since June 2020
Here's a list of the wettest 3 days on record at MSP since 2000. Note that this was the 15th wettest such period since then and the wettest 3 day period since June 2020. The wettest was 4.89" in October of 2005.

90 Day Precipitation Anomaly
On average, the wettest time of the year is in the summer, with the months of June, July and August seeing nearly 13" of rain at the MSP Airport. If we take a look at the 90 day precipitation anomaly, which dates back to late June, some locations are still nearly -3.00" to nearly -7.00" below average (in red/pink).

Drought Update
Drought continues and expanded across the State. We now have a more expanded Extreme Drought from parts of central Minnesota to southeastern Minnesota. Much of the Twin Cities Metro is now in the Extreme drought as well. Note that nearly 97% of the state is considered to be in drought conditions.

Fall Color Update
Here's a picture from the Cascade River State Park along Minnesota's North Shore. There are lots of color showing up from sugar maples, especially for the inland locations. Peak color isn't far away - book those fall peeping plans now.

Fall Color Update
According to the MN DNR, the fall color season is underway and happening fast. Parts of western and northwestern Minnesota are halfway through the season with peak not far behind. Fall colors will continue to rapidly change, so take a moment and enjoy the season while you can. Note that most leaves will vacate the premises in about 1 month and won't return until sometime in mid/late May...