Weather

With temperatures dropping, pet owners should be checking that their outdoor pets are ready for the winter.
Animals should be provided with food, water and an adequate shelter during the winter months. Not providing these essentials for dogs, cats and other animals carry criminal penalties and fines, according to Koochiching County Sheriff Brian Youso.

With Borderland’s lakes and rivers forming a thin layer of ice as temperatures begin to drop, Koochiching County Sheriff Brian Youso reminds people to use caution.
Youso points to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources release, which asks when is ice safe?

A utility pole was struck by lightning and caught fire Thursday evening on Highway 11 East near the Burner Road.
The lightening strike caused power outages for about 1,200 residences east of the site, according to Amy Rutledge, communications manager for Minnesota Power.
Firefighters were called at 5:55 p.m. and a fire on the pole was extinguished in about an hour, according to an International Falls Fire Department report. Traffic on Highway 11 East was rerouted until about 11 p.m. while firefighters and Minnesota Power employees worked on the problem.

The National Weather Service reports that this weekend should be wet with rain and snow.
Approximately 1.37 inches of rain fell on Wednesday, with another half inch by mid Thursday morning.
“The Falls was the bullseye of the precipitation, especially on Wednesday,” said Kevin Donofrio, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth.

Road salt loses its effectiveness at temperatures lower than 15 degrees

With dropping temperatures, especially in the early morning hours, the Minnesota Department of Transportation strongly urges drivers in the Arrowhead Region to be especially alert for a phenomenon commonly called “black ice,” which can rapidly develop during cold temperatures.
Black ice is almost invisible and can easily catch drivers off guard.

A weekend of rain saturated Borderland since Friday, which should help the soil lock in moisture before the winter freeze.
A trace of precipitation late last Thursday was a prelude to four days of nearly constant rain. According to the National Weather Service in Duluth, the rain that fell on Friday added up to .08 inches, and another .36 inches fell on Saturday. The most rain fell on Sunday with .93 inches, which brought the weekend total to 1.37 inches.

Rain Tuesday helped bring the area out of drought conditions with .56 inches reported at Falls International Airport.
The rain brought the September total for International Falls to 4.09 inches for the month, which is now 1.68 inches above normal, according to Steve Gohde, observing program leader with the National Weather Service in Duluth.
The high intensity rain of Sept. 10-11, that produced 1.68 inches, saturated the topsoil, but was followed by a dry spell from Sept. 14-22. The “garden rain” that fell Tuesday is more ideal for recharging lower soil moisture, said Gohde.

People can now follow the changing fall colors like never before with the help of a new Web page offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
“Minnesotans traditionally like to get out and hike, bike, camp or just take a scenic drive to enjoy the splendors of our fall colors,” said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. “This new site provides a variety of information that helps them do just that.”
Minnesota state park staff updates the fall color information every Thursday, just in time for the weekend.

People can now follow the changing fall colors like never before with the help of a new Web page unveiled by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
“Minnesotans traditionally like to get out and hike, bike, camp or just take a scenic drive to enjoy the splendors of our fall colors,” said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. “This new site provides a variety of information that helps them do just that.”
Minnesota state park staff updates the fall color information every Thursday, just in time for the weekend.

Lake levels continue to decline, despite a nearly steady rain that is expected to continue throughout the week.
According to the AbitibiBowater hotline, the Rainy Lake level fell another .47 inches since Monday, registering 8.9 inches above the upper International Joine Commission rule curve. All 15 spillway gates remain fully open at the International Dam.
Namakan Lake levels also declined another 1.18 inches since Monday. The lake is now at 2.9 inches below the upper IJC rule curve, and 5.6 inches above the lower rule curve. Eight of 10 gates remain fully open at the Kettle Falls dam.