September summer fades this weekend; massive climate strike turnout

Spotty thunderstorms Saturday

Six in a row.

Friday was the 6th straight day with temperatures in the 80s across much of Minnesota. I saw 90 degrees Friday afternoon in Canby and Madison in western Minnesota. Take a good look at the temperature map below. You may not see this much red on the map this far north for another 7 or 8 months.

Temperatures Friday afternoon
Temperatures Friday afternoon
Oklahoma Mesonet

So far September is running nearly 4 degrees warmer than average in the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota. After another year with heavy April snows, we earned an extra month of summer this year.

Scattered storms Saturday

Political Coverage Powered by You

Your gift today creates a more connected Minnesota. MPR News is your trusted resource for election coverage, reporting and breaking news. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Low pressure spins from North Dakota into southern Canada this weekend. The system drags a cold front across Minnesota. The best chance for storms favors northern Minnesota through Saturday. Many short-range models suggest smaller clusters of storms near the Twin Cities Saturday morning, but the best forcing remains in northern Minnesota.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints a squall-line pushing through the red River Valley into northwest Minnesota overnight tonight.

NOAA NAM 3 km model through Saturday night
NOAA NAM 3 km model through Saturday night
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Here comes fall

Astronomical fall begins at 2:50 am Monday. The weather maps seem to get the picture. Temperatures run closer to average next week. The average highs in the Twin Cities by Monday is 69 degrees.

Temperature forecast for Minneapolis
Temperature forecast for Minneapolis
NOAA via Weather Bell

4-million turn our for Climate Strike

I’ve seen estimates as high as 4-million worldwide for Friday’s Climate Strike.

Regardless of which climate solutions people see as best, the groundswell of support for action on climate is remarkably noteworthy in the past year.

UN Climate Action Summit next week

The UN Climate Action Summit next week brings together a large coalition of leading climate solutions thinkers. The event focuses on the mechanics for action that can actually get the world to zero-carbon by 2050.

UN Climate Action Week
UN Climate Action Week
United Nations
  • Finance: mobilizing public and private sources of finance to drive decarbonization of all priority sectors and advance resilience;

  • Energy Transition: accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, as well as making significant gains in energy efficiency;

  • Industry Transition: transforming industries such as Oil and Gas, Steel, Cement, Chemicals and Information Technology;

  • Nature-Based Solutions: Reducing emissions, increasing sink capacity and enhancing resilience within and across forestry, agriculture, oceans and food systems, including through biodiversity conservation, leveraging supply chains and technology;

  • Cities and Local Action: Advancing mitigation and resilience at urban and local levels, with a focus on new commitments on low-emission buildings, mass transport and urban infrastructure; and resilience for the urban poor;

  • Resilience and Adaptation: advancing global efforts to address and manage the impacts and risks of climate change, particularly in those communities and nations most vulnerable.