SEPTEMBER 2008
WEATHER & PHENOLOGY IN REVIEW
From the North Shore of Little Rock Lake
Jim Hovda, Rice MN 56367-0265 jhovda.rice@jetup.net
N 45
44 .862 W 094 09 .603
WEATHER LAST SEPTEMBER: Temp-wise, about the
same. One 90 degree day, none this year. Low was 31.8 degrees
(F) with a lite frost. The high was our ninety degree
day. We had about one half inch less rain ending the month
with 2.87" and a total for the year of 17.10". Seven
inches less than this year. One big t-storm on the 21st
netted us no less than 1.20" of rain with 5/8" hail.
WEATHER: Temps were normal,
the averages (L) 47.45 and the (H) 70.92 degrees (F) fall in line with
most years. Low temps were in the 40's, 50's & 60's.
Starting to get the fall cool off. Low temp for the month was a 35.7
degree (F) reading on the 9th. No frost in September. Our
warm temp was a 85.4 degree (F) reading on the 2nd. It rained on fifteen
days, the most falling on the 29th when we received .85".
Rainfall for the month stood at 3.35" about a half inch above
the normal average. (We need more rain!) Year total
stands at 24.50". The last eight days of the month
blessed us with 1.81" of the wet stuff. Our trees and
shrubs were (are) still in need of water for the winter. I hope we get a
lot of rain in Oct.
WEATHER RECORDS: Coldest area temp was
recorded in 1942 when the mercury dipped to a chilly 18 degrees (F) while
the out state temp was a 10 degree reading in both 1930 and 1974. On the
warm side of things, our area warm temp was a balmy 106 degrees (F) in 1931
while greater MN suffered with a 111 degrees (F) at Beardsley the
same year and same hot spell on the 10th and 11th. Our record rainfall
for Sept, 10.72" in 1926 while in the snowfall department .2"
was recorded in St. Cloud on the 23rd. No snow this
month!!! There were no other notable MN records set in
Sept.
PHENOLOGY: Two fishing trips to
Canada put a damper on my observations. I've got a few
though. Rather than separate birds, critters & plants, I'll just go
down the calendar.
On the 1st, Lots of the dreaded gnats, mountain ash berries bright orange and
oriole numbers were way down. On the second late blooming
Hastas looked really pretty along with some roses and Black Eyed
Susans. The 5th brought nearly one hundred Tree Swallows on
docks and flying above the lake catching insects. Their numbers are
way down. The first time the furnace kicked on was the 6th when we
had a couple of cool days and nights in the 40's and I recorded the first
30 degree reading on the 8th. I observed our last Oriole on
the 10th tho one or two may have been here a few days later. I kept the
feeders out for the hummingbirds tho my last sighting was two days
earlier. The bees, wasps and ants finished off the nectar
feed. All six have been cleaned with bleach and stored in the
garage for next year. It is sad to see summer pass so
quickly. Mowing on the 20th I had to avoid at least three green
leopard frogs that hopped franticly to avoid the mower. It is a
good thing they hopped or they would have been history. Their numbers are
down also. On the 28th Jan observed our first Junco's. Yes,
fall is here with winter not far behind. On the 29th the
Japanese Beetles arrived in numbers on our windows facing south. (I
forgot to spray the air conditioner.)
On the 9th I took a break from my busy schedule to take time to just sit and
look out our large picture window and observe nature. For two hours it
was interesting as the different birds came and went. No less than
fourteen species of birds and two critters appeared. Notable
were: A pair of Northern Flickers working the ground in the
garden probably looking for ants, their main stable; A juvenile Robin
with lots of black spots on its breast; A grey Catbird and
several Red Cardinals. One of our several bunnies and a
chipmunk were our two critters.
NATURE NOTES: Jim Gilbert, noted
naturalist says "Orioles migrate at night." And,
"The Monarch is the only migrating butterfly." WCCO
Radio 07 Sept 2008 7:15 - 7:30 A.M. (Sundays)