It is that time of year: the fall colors have come and are on their way out. It is one of the best parts of fall and something that brings people to the Northland from just about everywhere.

It has been an unusual year in many ways. We had a brutally cold start to the year and a hot summer full of heat waves and record-breaking temperatures. We also have been handed a nasty drought in Minnesota.

You may not have thought about this but the drought in Minnesota has had a big impact on the fall colors. Back in August, it was reported that leaves would likely be changing colors early in the Northland and beyond. This was all due to the lack of rain.

Now, into October, some parts of Minnesota are still seeing their leaves hanging on and not at full peak yet. However, if you are wanting to see fall colors anywhere, you should probably get out there as soon as possible!

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The Minnesota State Parks and Trails department shared a map of the fall colors and where they stand in Minnesota. They shared this update Thursday (October 7th) on Facebook.

As you can tell, many places in Northern Minnesota are already seeing their colors past peak. At the time of writing, Duluth and surrounding areas are near peak so if you wanted to see the fall colors in the area, you should do that as soon as possible.

The Minnesota State Parks and Trails department echo this statement, reminding everyone that colors can change quickly so don't wait until the last minute if you want to see the fall colors in all their beauty.

As for the rest of Minnesota, it looks like things are changing but are still far from peak. The southern half of the state still has a way to go before colors peak. That could be worth a road trip!

The drought had other major impacts on Duluth and surrounding areas. At one point in August, the Lester River was no longer flowing into Lake Superior because of the drought. This story made headlines all over the state.

North Shore waterfalls also dried up over the summer. Areas like Jay Cooke State Park and Gooseberry Falls State Park really felt the impact of the drought, with their usually bustling parks drying up quite a bit as a result.

The drought also brought on an increase in grasshoppers. If at any point over the summer you've thought there might be more grasshoppers than usual, you would be right. Believe it or not, there is a correlation between the grasshopper increase and the drought.

Thankfully, we have seen a bit of rain recently and should continue to see precipitation in the form of snow as we head into the last part of the year. Hopefully, 2022 will see more rain.

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