Fine October weekend, 3rd longest growing season at MSP?

Get. Out. There.

This will probably be the mildest weekend for the next 5+ months across Minnesota.  Saturday looks like the mildest day this weekend, a slightly cooler but still nice Sunday follows. Fall colors are just past peak in the metro now, but the landscape continues to sport some fine fall foliage. You'll find peak color this weekend south of the metro.

Fine fall weather holds through Monday across Minnesota.

Saturday will be the warmest day of the weekend. High in the 60s, with 70s across South Dakota.

Rain returns Tuesday

It's been a rare dry run this year. Our string of rain-free days will be a week in most areas by the time rain returns next Tuesday. Another potent low rides in, with the potential for another inch of rain or more.

Near record growing season at MSP?

The long range forecast models are keeping MSP Airport above freezing for at least another week. By my admittedly sometimes flawed climate math, if we make it to Halloween the 2016 growing season at MSP will be at 202 days. That would be the 3rd longest on record, and closing in on the longest growing seasons ever recorded in the Twin Cities.

Coal power generation fades as renewables grow

We still have a long way to go to get to a more climate friendly energy mix. But the transition to cleaner energy sources is happening faster than many though it might a few years ago. Climate Central has an interesting piece on how renewables and natural gas are taking an increasingly bigger bite out of coal as a power generation source.

Solar power has been on a tear in recent years partly because of cheaper solar panels and a federal tax credit for solar installations. Congress extended the solar tax credit early this year, helping to fuel a 39 percent annual growth rate for solar power-producing capacity, to 27 gigawatts by next year from about 10 gigawatts in 2014, or enough to power about 3.5 million homes, the data show.

“Because of pent-up demand due to uncertainty over the federal tax credit, solar had a record year in 2016,” said Doug Vine, senior energy fellow at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. “Solar capacity buildout is expected to be similar next year.”

By contrast, wind power generating capacity is expected to grow by about 8 percent next year after growing nearly 15.5 percent in 2016.

For most of the past century, coal has been king in the electric power industry. But it has begun to falter as a major energy source in the U.S. because falling natural gas prices have encouraged electric power companies to build more gas-fired power plants.

At the same time, new mercury pollution regulations for coal-fired power plants have taken effect, renewable energy has become cheaper to produce and electric power companies have begun to gear up for the Clean Power Plan — the Obama administration’s climate policy aiming to slash carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.

For the first time in history, more electricity is produced using natural gas than with coal. That has helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because natural gas releases roughly half the carbon dioxide as coal.

This year, 35 percent of U.S. electricity is expected to be produced using natural gas, and 30 percent will be produced using coal, according to the data. Last year, each produced about 33 percent of U.S. electricity.

With natural gas prices rising, the share of U.S. electricity produced with coal is expected to rise slightly to 31 percent in 2017. But with natural gas expected to generate 34 percent of America’s electricity next year, it is expected to remain the biggest player for the second year.

“Coal is now in many markets the marginal player,” said Daniel Cohan, professor of environmental engineering at Rice University. “There’s definitely been switching from coal to gas, and many analysts think that the majority of coal power plants are losing money.”