Currently in the Twin Cities — September 20, 2023:

The weather, currently.

Wednesday will likely be the peak in our most recent late September ‘heat wave.’ Highs will be in the low to mid 80s with partly cloudy skies. The normal high for September 20th is 71 degrees. Ironically, this time last year we also had a late season heat wave which resulted in the record high for the date of 92 degrees.

We’ll likely squeeze out another 80 degree high Thursday before a developing storm system takes aim at Minnesota for the weekend. The potential for significant rainfall exists late Friday into Sunday. I’m cautiously optimistic. We’ve been disappointed before in our ongoing drought.

— Sven Sundgaard

What you need to know, currently.

There was a spectacular display of northern lights — aurora borealis — on Tuesday, caused by a direct hit from particles sent Earthward from a solar explosion.

We’re in the middle of a multi-year peak of activity on the sun, so northern lights should be more common than in previous years. And the best time to see them is during the fall and winter, when the temperatures aren’t yet too cold, and the nights are getting nice and long.

One of my favorite websites, spaceweather.com, will keep you up-to-date on upcoming chances to see the aurora.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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