Backyard Almanac

Too soon to tell if aut-win is but a memory, but the freeze-up has begun

Plus great stargazing thanks to earlier sunsets, and the uncertain nature of aut-win

A year ago, we broke the record with the warmest November temperature ever. The year before that, it was under 10° and the ice was thick enough to stand on.

Last year on this date, our first Aut-win came to an abrupt end with six inches of snow

And Larry says use this time before the clocks change for stargazing!

"Tamaracks speak up and we forget all about deciduous trees)

Larry says Mother Nature never repeats herself. Remembering October of 2020, let's hope not.

Also, Canada geese migrating in "really loud numbers"

What's the best way to take the fun out of mushrooms? Larry says "eat them."

Larry Weber has already been out this morning. It seems he enjoyed his walk.

Arid August

It's quiet ... too quiet

Awesome August arrives to the sound of ... crickets.

July snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last week, getting some rain and thereby losing the chance to set a record as the dryest July ever.

Will we break the record for the driest July ever?

As we slip into those lazy, hazy, crazy days of mid-summer, there's plenty to see whether we take a sidewalk stroll or hike in a wilderness area. Watch for photographers: they've either got a bead on a beautiful plant, bird, animal or insect, or they're like naturalist (and our special guest host) Judy Gibbs and they're doing their part as citizen scientists and documenting the spread of invasive species in our area. And while we know Duluth is a great place to live, why does valerian think so, too?

This week, we had two days of temperatures above 90° -- and then Brimson almost broke the record with a low of 30°. But nothing tops the week of July 7-13 in 1936, when the entire country sweltered under a series of heat waves. 17 of the 48 contiguous states and two Canadian provinces tied or broke their all-time heat records and many of those records are still unbroken. In Duluth, six of those records still stand: doubly impressive when you learn temperatures were only recorded by the lake in those days.

Last month blew through the previous record (set in 1910) for the hottest June on record - and that's 150 years of records. We got only 40% of the rain we get in an average June, too. But last year, July was our wettest month. And there are all kinds of things to see and enjoy (think wildflowers, berries and aphelion) in the great outdoors.