Minnesota on track to have the driest September on record

MINNEAPOLIS — How quickly things change after our soggy summer. 

So far this month, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has only seen .06 inches of rain, enough to have us on track for our driest September on record. Yards are turning brown and the plants aren't happy. 

"It's kind of hard for perennials and shrubs to be so dry right before they're about to go dormant and withstand the wintertime," said Theresa Lindblad, a manager at Mother Earth Gardens in northeast Minneapolis. 

She says that means it's time to pull out the hose.

"Otherwise, they're struggling. Their roots are dry, and then the cold hits and there's no protection in their roots. So we're recommending that people water their perennial beds every couple of days," said Lindblad. 

She says you don't want to prune either, since critters will need that material in the winter. 

As for our yards, they don't need as much help so no mowing or watering necessary, but there is one thing you can do.

"It's a really popular time to put grass seed down, when it's maybe gonna frost soon. So now, actually," Lindblad said.

Minnesota DNR Climatologist Pete Boulay says we can thank the jet stream for the growing drought.  

"We've had a large Bermuda high to our east and that's helping steer systems around us," said Boulay. "Not only may we have the driest September on record, we might have the warmest September on record, too, just because it's been so dry, it's easier to heat up the ground."