Douglas: Autumn signs are clear as summer temperatures linger

By DJ Kayser, filling in for Douglas:

Have you noticed the later sunrises and earlier sunsets recently? We’re losing more than three minutes of sunlight daily. As of Thursday, sunsets were occurring before 7:30 p.m. Sunrises are at 7 a.m. or later starting Sept. 22, and the amount of daylight dips below 12 hours starting Sept. 25.

Not good signs for those of you who wish summer would stick around.

Warmer-than-average weather continues during the next week as our extended taste of summer continues. We are watching a few rain chances across the region, though. The first moves in Saturday with a cold front approaching western Minnesota and moisture being sucked in from what is left of Hurricane Francine in the mid-Mississippi Valley. Better chances of rain look to move in later next week.

The latest Drought Monitor map shows almost half of Minnesota (48.33%, to be precise) — mainly northern and southern parts of the state — under abnormally dry conditions. These areas are 2-5 inches below average rainfall during the past 60 days. Since July 1, Duluth is more than 4 inches below average.