Fall Color Report # 4 Peak Color being reported from the North!

Fall Color Report number 4

Trees are really turning fast across the area. Northern areas are already at Peak Color, with Minong, Grantsburg, Frederic and Spooner reporting peak color. High color is bring reported in Rice Lake and Birchwood. here trees are bursting with color with all tree types showing color. the farther south you go the less color is seen, Clayton-My area is reporting Moderate Color with Menomonie and Hudson reporting low color. Now is definitely the time to view the beautiful fall color in the Northern areas, and Thursday will have perfect weather for viewing with sunshine and fair temperatures.

Yellow Sugar Maple in a wood setting near my house.

I am officially reporting Moderate Color 48% now trees are turning very fast this year, Early changing trees like Ash and Sugar Maple are at or past peak, The Ash in my backyard has dropped most of it's leaves with out having the brilliant yellow it used to turn, which is odd because we've haven't had frosts. the ash in my front yard is yellow, and is loosing leaves. Red Maple trees are becoming very colorful, the one in my yard is starting to turn into full color, and now Oaks are starting to quickly show signs of color. The ones in my yard are starting to turn Orange and red. Looking out on the landscape spotty color can easily be seen, We will likely continue to progress quickly to near Peak Color in the next 4-5 days.

Nice looking Tuesday, slight chance light rain Wed, then clearing again Thursday.

Regional View.

For once a quiet weather pattern setting up for the Upper Midwest Tuesday, it will be dry. Wednesday a weak cool front will produce a quick chance of light showers in MN and WI, before things dry back our for Thursday.

Regional Weather View.

We got a nice Tuesday coming up, with Partly Cloudy skies and warm temperatures in the 60s, lows in the 40s, Wednesday a weak front will bring us a chance of a quick shower, this rain will not be heavy, it would just be a quick shot at a shower then it's done. Temperatures will be mild on Wednesday nearing 70.F under partly cloudy skies and lows in the mid 40s. Things will clear out behind the front and become clear again setting us up for a beautiful Thursday, with highs a bit cooler back into the 60s for highs Lows will be in the 40s all areas.

Fall Colors will be nearing Peak Color in northern areas, and with beautiful weather forecasted Tuesday and Thursday, this would be a good time to plan fall color trips to these areas! Daily forecast below.

Tuesday, Partly Cloudy Skies, Nice with highs in the mid 60s. Tuesday Night, Partly Cloudy, lows in the low 40s

Wednesday, Partly Cloudy. A chance of a quick afternoon shower. Highs near 70. Wednesday Night, Clearing, lows in the mid 40s

Thursday, Cooler, Sunny Skies, highs in the low 60s. Thursday Night, Partly Cloudy lows in the low 40, Upper 30s possible North.

Looking Ahead

I am following what appears to be a much cooler and dry weekend ahead for us, We appear to have several days with chances at frost including Friday Saturday and Sunday, A hard frost looks possible for the all areas, including the southern area, lows as cold as the low 30s in the south are possible. It looks to be dry and sunny the entire weekend. Monday looks warmer and dry, with a dry period lasting well into the next week, Which is great news for area farmers looking to harvest. Friday October 8th looks cool, then warmer the 9th. Sunday October 8th, the models show a quick shot a moisture with a strong cold front followed by much colder air. Highs in the 30s and snow in Northern Minnesota are not out of the question with this one! more on this later.

Frost Report September 26th. All areas experinced frost, First frost for southern areas & Fall color picture!

Frost picture from Dallas,WI September 26th

A very chilly morning was experienced today, as all locations fell into the 30s and at least some type of frost was reported at all locations. Northern areas had a hard killing frost where lows fell in the upper 20s. Southern areas had a hard frost, some more sheltered locations had a more light frost. I spent the weekend in Dallas, a small community in Southeast Barron County, There they got a hard frost, yards were white and cars were completely frosted over. Most tender plants that were not covered were killed. A thermometer I stuck out had a low of 27.F, which might be a the low side, although Dallas is in a low spot in a river valley, so that may very well be correct.

Back in my yard, My station reported a low of 35.F, which was one of the warmer spots in the area. There was a light frost in the yard limits, but the fields were white. Garden plants were not harmed, including tender tropical dig-up bulbs I left uncovered. The growing season continues at my location, and across many locations in the south. Locations in Burnett and Washburn counties has ended there growing season.


The coldest temperature was a very chilly 27.F in Minong, The warmest location was Hudson, My Station-Clayton and Balsam Lake, all of which reported a low of 35.F



Sugar Maple, and Red Maple in Turtle Lake,WI

Fall Colors are really started to become very nice across my area this weekend, Sugar Maples are very beautiful with colors of oranges and reds, there nearing peak color, and with the weather looking nice for the entire week, it looks like there will be plenty time to enjoy them! My fall color report can be found down a few posts from this one.

Weekend Forecast Updated. Frost and Freeze likely tonight!

Regional Weather View.

A Very chilly high pressure system will bring the likelyhood of Frost in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Wall to Wall Sunshine is expected for Monday and it will be warmer.

Local View

Note: Forecast has been redone for Sunday due to the likelyhood of a Frost and Freezing Temeptures.

A Chilly high pressure system will settels it's self behind that storm system that brought us all the rain Thursday, This will bring much cooler weather with highs in the 60s. partly sunny skies should give way to clear skies by evening, this will result in dropping tempertures. By Sunday Morning places in the north may end up having a hard killing frost and freeze, Lows in the low 30s is possible, I would not be surprised to see upper 20s from Places like Minong. In the rest of the area, Frost appears likely with lows in the low to mid 30s. This will would be the first frost of the season for southern areas, Cover plants or bring them indoors tonight.

Frost advisories and Freeze warnigns are already in place for Burnett and Washburn counties. It it likely a frost advisory will be in place for Polk,Barron, St Croix and Dunn counties later this afternoon.

The rest of Sunday and Monday will bring warmer tempetures and sunshine with highs in the low to mid 60s. Burnette and Washburn counties may get hit again with frost Sunday night.

Sunday, Widespread Frost likely in the morning, espessally north. Lows in the low to mid 30s. Sunny Skies, Highs in the low 60s Sunday Night, Clear Skies, lows in the upper 30s to low 40s. Mid 30s possible North where frost is possible.

Monday, Frost possible in the morning North. Sunny skies and warmer highs in the mid 60s. Monday Night Partly Cloudy lows in the mid 40s.

Looking Ahead

We finally have a couple of Nice dry days in our future it appears, which for the first time I've ever even thought of mentioning is actually needed. Monday through Friday of next week all could dry, which would dry things out nicely. temperatures look fair during this entire time, looking not to cold, or to warm. Beyond this point The models show things look quiet with fair temperatures as we go through the first couple of weeks into October, At this time it shows we could be frost free the entire looking ahead forecast!

Fall Color Report # 3- Moderate color now showing in areas.

Fall Color Report # 3

Fall Color is starting to explode quickly across the area with the cool and cloudy weather we've been having, but it has become especially colorful across the North, where Moderate color is being reported from several locations including Grantsburg, Luck and Minong. Low color is now bring reported in Rice Lake Spooner and Menomone, with Little color still showing up in Birchwood and Hudson, Areas where there are lots of earlier changing trees like Maple and Ash will have lots of color, but areas where there are more late turning trees will still be mainly green. Leaf-Seekers will want to get up to the Northern areas soon, they will be peaking in the next week or 2. Southern locations will likely peak with in the next 2-3 weeks. Sunday will be the next nice day for leaf viewing.

Nice Yellow Ash in my front yard. This tree is nearly at it's highest color.

I am officially reporting Low Color 30% Early trees have high color, Ash are peaking and Sugar Maples are getting very colorful, and now Red Maples are starting to turn. 3 trees in my yard are showing color including this ash in my front yard in the picture above. the Second large ash in my back yard has started turning golden yellow, and a young Red Maple I just planted this past spring is starting to turn a beautiful red-blaze color. The oaks in my yard are still very green. Looking out on the landscape I can still see lots of color, but spots of nice color are showing up, We will likely be going into the Moderate color category very soon.

Strong system brought very heavy rain totals and caused minor flooding in parts of the area.

Heavy rain September 23rd


A complex and strong weather system impacted the area late this week, bring very heavy widespread rainfall totals to the area. This type of system is more common for June then it is September! The first band of rain first developed in Southern Minnesota and impacted Southern parts of the area, then on Thursday the band moved North and effected the rest of the area. Radar estimates shows all locations picked up at least 1 inch of rain. Some places had significant rainfall, with reports as high as 4 inches! There was a strong warm front associated with this system bring a very sharp temperature contrast to the area. Burnett and Washburn counties had a chilly rainy fall-like rainfall event with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s. While Polk,Barron, St Croix and Dunn counties had a mild day with highs in the low 70s


Standing water at the bottom of our driveway.


Some minor flooding was reported with this system, and the NWS says the area got near record breaking rainfall, this type of September rain has not been seen in many years. Thankfully the rain came at a long enough duration that major flooding did not occur, Mainly field and yard flooding was observed, such as low spots having standing water in yards. Agriculture fields are quite flooded ans saturated as well, causing significant problems for farmers wanting to get out in the fields.


Fairly unusual field flooding Sept 23rd

This system at my location started as moderate rain late Wednesday then there was a lull. Thursday was the wettest day with steady moderate rain much of the afternoon with very heavy bursts. My yard experienced minor flooding even though water generally flows easily away from our hill, water still puddled in our yard, and the ground is so saturated and water logged, it is hard to talk on without sinking in a puddle of water, I don't remember the ground this saturated before. Fields in my area have flooding, with large standing water puddles in them, making for significant impacts on local farmers. In the picture above water rushed across two fields near my house, I've never seen this much water here in the summer/fall, only after a spring thaw with lots of winter snow there will be water here. This system was very mild and tropical like at my location with the temperature and dew point in the 70s, even with steady rain, the warm front lifted to just North of me in the afternoon, and it was noted by warmer temperatures and very gusty winds for a short time gusting to 30MPH. It was interesting that the warm front bring my mild air stalled just about over highway 48 and at the same time the temperature was 70 at my location it was 57.F in Siren about an hours drive north! The storm total was 2.50" in my yard, Which goes down in my record books as the highest rainfall amount I've recorded for a storm system, but it does not break the highest daily rainfall.

Storm total rainfall reports. More will be added as they come in

Hammond Heavy Rain 2.83"

Clayton-my sta. Heavy Rain 2.50"

Haugen Heavy Rain 3.10"

Trade Lake Heavy Rain 2.40"

Siren Heavy Rain 2.51"

4 miles N Grantsburg Heavy Rain 4.10"

Danbury Heavy Rain 3.10"

Sarona Heavy Rain 2.51"

Menomonie Heavy Rain 3.50"

Image from SPC

The SPC has issued a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms in parts of the Upper Midwest Thursday afternoon, including parts of the local area. A strong warm front/cold front system will pass through Minnesota early, and move east into Wisconsin, storms that get going Thursday afternoon could become severe. The main threats will be hail, high winds, and very heavy rainfall, with an inhanced threat for tornados. The best chance of encoutering severe weather will be in Southern parts of the area. People should be aware of the potienal severe weather tomorrow.