Minnesota sees warmest and driest September on record

JORDAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Fall officially arrived more than a week ago, but Mother Nature doesn't seem to want to let summer go.

Temperatures were in the mid-80s on Monday, making some fall activities feel a little different.

For Katie Mork and her daughters, it's an annual tradition to visit Ferguson's Minnesota Harvest in Jordan. But what is non-traditional is the historic weather accompanying this year's apple-picking season.

"I was hoping it would be a little bit cooler today. Right now, actually, the overcast has been really great," said Mork.

Record-setting September 

Chief Meteorologist Ian Leonard says September was officially the warmest and driest on record, but Minnesota's extended summer is about to turn into a pumpkin. So far, the only crisp at this orchard has been in the name of an apple instead of the feel of the autumn air.

"I prefer fall. I like cool weather. I'm a cold-weather person" said Mork.

But Bailey Johnson and her family are already on the bandwagon for more warm weather.

"That's definitely a little strange to have it be 85 and sunny when picking apples," said Johnson.

She says Mother Nature will give Minnesota the cold shoulder soon enough, so a steamy September has been the apple of her eye.

"The crisp fall air hasn't hit us quite yet the way that we would normally expect it to. But we'll take it. It's better than the opposite, I think," said Johnson.

One of the owners of the orchard says the warm weather has caused some of the apples and pumpkins to ripen a week or two earlier than normal.

But he says that allows people to enjoy them a little bit longer.