Sunny, Warmer Friday - Rain Possible This Weekend

As we have entered the meteorological fall season, the drought continues to worsen across the state. This week, for the first time since September 14, 2021, Exceptional Drought (D4 out of 4) has been introduced in two pockets across the state - one around Austin, and another in the Moose Lake area. All categories increased in percentage week-to-week - even if just slightly. The only section of the state that isn't in abnormally dry conditions is a tiny sliver of area along the North Dakota border in Wilkin and Clay Counties - a whole 0.08% of Minnesota.

There was no improvement week-to-week across the state - only degradation - once again. It was mostly across northern Minnesota that saw their drought worsen.

A good portion of the state is at least 2-4" below average rainfall-wise over the past 60 days.

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As we head into Friday, we'll see patchy fog in the morning hours. Otherwise, it'll be a sunny day in the metro. Morning temperatures start off in the low 50s with highs climbing to the upper 70s.

A quiet, sunny day is expected across the state Friday. Highs range from the 60s in the Arrowhead and along the North Shore to the mid-80s in southwestern Minnesota.

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Forecast loop between 7 AM Saturday and 7 PM Sunday.

As we head into the weekend, we will watch some rain chances across the southern two-thirds of Minnesota as an area of low pressure moves across southern Minnesota. During the day on Saturday, the highest potential of rain will be across central Minnesota, moving into the metro mainly in the evening and overnight hours. A few lingering showers will be possible across southeastern portions of the state north to the metro on Sunday.

Saturday: In the metro, we'll see partly sunny skies with the chance of some showers and storms late in the day. A better chance of showers and isolated storms will move in overnight. Afternoon highs climb up to around 80F.

Sunday: A few isolated showers or storms could continue across the region, but we'll once again be cooler behind the system. Mainly cloudy skies will continue with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.

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Minnesota Autumns Are Trending Milder
By Paul Douglas

Enjoy the free A/C because odds favor a few more bumps of warm, sticky air later in September and October. Autumns are trending milder in Minnesota and much of the USA, thanks in large part to heat-trapping man-made emissions from burning fossil fuels. This year a natural warming cycle, El Nino, may amp up the warming even more.

According to Climate Central, Minnesota autumns are now 3-4F warmer than they were in 1970, with 20 additional days of above-normal temperatures at MSP. We routinely see 80s and 90s well into September with 70s into October. Winter is coming, but odds are it will be shorter and milder than average.

Expect spectacular sunshine and low humidity today. We may see low 80s Saturday before a few welcome showers and T-storms slosh into town. Large parts of Minnesota received less than 50% of normal rainfall in the last 60 days.

Speaking of all or nothing, "Lee" may strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane with 160-180 mph winds, possibly brushing New England in roughly one week. Good grief.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

FRIDAY: Bright sun, spectacular! Wake up 52. High 77. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SE 5-10 mph.

SATURDAY: Sunny start, late PM shower, T-storm. Wake up 60. High 81. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind S 8-13 mph.

SUNDAY: Dry, but cool and gray. Wake up 61. High 71. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NE 10-20 mph.

MONDAY: More clouds than sunshine. Wake up 55. High 70. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NE 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY: Scrappy clouds, few PM sprinkles. Wake up 53. High 68. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NE 10-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Sunnier and milder. Wake up 50. High 71. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

THURSDAY: Lukewarm sunshine, very nice. Wake up 53. High 77. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SE 3-8 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
September 8th

*Length Of Day: 12 hours, 54 minutes, and 8 seconds
*Daylight LOST Since Yesterday: 3 minutes and 3 seconds

*When Do We Drop Below 12 Hours Of Sunlight? September 26th (11 hours, 58 minutes, 25 seconds)
*When Are Sunrises At/After 7:00 AM? September 23rd (7:01 AM)
*When Are Sunsets At/Before 7:00 PM? September 28th (6:59 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
September 8th

1985: An F1 tornado touches down in Faribault County causing $25,000 worth of damage, and hail up to 1 3/4 inches falls in Freeborn and Waseca Counties.

1968: 1 3/4 inch hail falls in Goodhue County.

1931: A record high is set in St. Cloud with a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

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On Friday, a frontal boundary stretched across the eastern United States to the Gulf Coast will produce showers and storms - some of which could be heavy. Another system in the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains will produce storm activity there as well.

Through Saturday, at least 1-2" of rain will be possible in the eastern United States with that frontal boundary in place. It also brings in cooler air, which many will probably enjoy - especially after Dulles Airport hit 100F for the first time in September history on Wednesday.

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New Research Highlights Opportunities to Protect Carbon and Communities from Forest Fires

More from the USDA: "As the climate and wildfire crises have intensified, so too have concerns regarding the loss of carbon captured and stored in forests from decades to centuries of tree growth. A new study describes where to optimize ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts and reduce carbon loss due to wildfire, benefitting communities and climate at the same time. New research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters highlights widespread "opportunity hot spots" in the western United States for using proactive forest management, such as forest thinning, prescribed fire, and cultural burning, to reduce the risk of losing carbon to future wildfires."

Another US EV-battery recycler just raised a massive funding round

More from Canary Media: "Ascend Elements has raised $542 million to take its plans to recycle lithium-ion batteries to the next level. The investment round announced Wednesday will support building a factory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where Ascend will process the ​"black mass" derived from slicing and sorting old lithium-ion batteries into precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) and cathode active materials (CAM). Ascend plans to spend about $1 billion to build the Kentucky facility. Last year it won $480 million in grant funding from the Department of Energy to go toward its construction. ​"This $542 million we announced today will be coupled with, and really unlock, the DOE grants," CEO Mike O'Kronley said in a Wednesday interview."

CITY REVEALS AMBITIOUS PLAN TO POWER HOMES WITH HELP FROM A VOLCANO: 'WE HAVE A PROBLEM'

More from The Cooldown: "Known for harnessing extraordinary power from water and wind, the Netherlands could become a leader in geothermal energy production by using heat from a volcano. Bolsward, a city near the northern coast in the province of Friesland, is exploring using heat from the extinct Zuidwal volcano under the Wadden Sea to warm homes, according to the Guardian. The undertaking is in its initial stages, and the first heat supply is projected for December 2025. "It started as a crazy idea," Ynze Salverda, a board member of the community initiative Stichting Ontwikkeling Geothermie Friesland, told the Guardian. The initiative is also known as Stogef, and its name translates as the Geothermal Development Friesland Foundation."

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- D.J. Kayser