Currently in the Twin Cities — September 8, 2023: A return to summer temps this weekend

The weather, currently.

The latest U.S. drought monitor for Minnesota is the worst we’ve seen in two years. For the first time since summer of 2021 we have two pockets of exceptional drought, the most severe category in Aitkin & Carlton counties and in southeast Minnesota in Freeborn and Mower counties. The record-setting, rare, late-season heat waves and lack of rain are to blame.

We have only spotty showers in the forecast late Saturday into Sunday and on Tuesday. Look for a chilly night on Thursday night: low 50s in the Twin Cities but 40s elsewhere with a return to summer temps Friday & Saturday: near 80 degrees.

— Sven Sundgaard

What you need to know, currently.

The 2023 hurricane season continues on a hyperactive pace.

On Thursday, Hurricane Lee underwent textbook rapid intensification from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in just 12 hours. It’s expected to become a Category 5 on Friday — and potentially one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Storm Margot also formed on Thursday, way out off the coast of Africa — the season’s 14th storm of the year so far, matching the historical average for an entire season with nearly a week to go until the season’s midpoint.

Since Atlantic records began in 1851, only three other season have had 14 named storms this early in the year — 2005, 2011, 2020. Only 1933, 2004, and 2005 have had 3 or more Cat 4+ hurricanes so early in the year. If you know your hurricanes, you know that those seasons are not the ones you want to be compared against.

It’s likely that Hurricane Lee will stay relatively safely offshore for at least the next 7 days or so, although some models have it coming worryingly close to New England or Atlantic Canada by September 17th or 18th.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: