Best week of autumn? Ophelia slams Ireland

Autumn's Finest

This may be the best week of fall for leaf-peepers, farmers, Indian Summer lovers. Sunshine, mild temperatures, and dry breezes collude to produce what looks like the "nicest" week of autumn in Minnesota.

There's a lot of talk every year about how good the fall colors will be in Minnesota. Honesty in nearly 50 years here I can't remember a year when fall colors were bad in Minnesota.

This year is simply spectacular as usual in the areas I frequent in the western Twin Cities. Traffic stopping colors.

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Huttner Weather Lab maple tree at "peak: color. Image: Paul Huttner/MPR News

Peak color

A big chunk of Minnesota is now at what many would call fall color peak. Here's the latest map from the Minnesota DNR.

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Minnesota DNR

Mild and dry

This week's weather pattern features mild, breezy days and cool nights.

Dry week

Sunny skies. Mild breezes. This is what Indian Summer looks like on the maps. The nest rain chance arrives...Saturday. I'm just your humble weather messenger.

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NOAA GFS model into Saturday via tropical tidbits.

Temperatures push 70 degrees most of this week in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. The numbers below could be conservative.

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NOAA via Weather Bell.

Crisp nights and highs in the 60s rule northern Minnesota this week.

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Ophelia slams Ireland

Ophelia made the transition from tropical storm to extra-tropical cyclone as it slammed into Ireland with 100 mph winds Monday.

Even as storms transition from topical to extra-tropical, damage capacity remains high. Ophelia hit Ireland hard.

The climate context for Ophelia is unique. She set records as the furthest eastward Atlantic major hurricane.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is pushing into the top tier in many categories.