>> ERIC: WE'VE HAD A STEAMY SUMMER FULL OF RELENTLESS RAIN AND WEATHER WHIPLASH.

WILL WE HAVE A FRIGID FALL OR A WET WINTER?

LUCKILY I HAVE COME TO THE END OF THE TORTURED ALLITERATION I JUST READ ON THE TELEPROMPTER IN FRONT OF ME AND I CAN HAVE OUR NEXT GUEST ANSWER SOME OF MY QUESTIONS.

MR. PAUL DOUGLAS IS HERE FOR HIS MONTHLY WEATHER CHAT.

WHEN HE'S NOT JOINING US AT THE "ALMANAC" TABLE OR PENNING HIS WEATHER MUSINGS FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE," HE HEADS UP HIS OWN WEATHER COMPANY PRAEDICTIX.

I'M LOOKING FOR OME EVIDENCE OF YOUR VAUNTED PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS.

>> FIRST, THERE ARE NO WEATHER EXPERTS.

BUT I'M HERE.

[ Laughter ] BUT THANK YOU FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

>> Eric: YOU'RE THE BEST WE COULD DO ON WHAT WE PAY.

>> WELL, YEAH.

>> Eric: YOU GOT SOME BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS TO START.

>> I ALSO -- CAN I UST SAY ONE THING?

>> Eric: SURE.

>> LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN LIKES TO REMIND ME THAT I CAME TO HER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

>> Cathy: OOH.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: OUCH.

>> Cathy: IT'S LOVELY.

>> IT'S PERSPECTIVE AND, YOU KNOW -- >> Eric: I'M GETTING THE HOOK ALREADY?

>> REALLY?

OKAY.

WERE YOU OUT SUNDAY NIGHT?

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> WERE YOU REALLY?

THEN IF YOU WERE OUTSIDE SUNDAY NIGHT, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS OFF TO THE NORTH, THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

ONE OF THE TREATS MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS.

IT'S KIND OF PAYBACK FOR OUR WINTERS, BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, AND IT DIDN'T LOOK THIS WAY TO THE NAKED EYE.

I COULD SLE SEE THE CLOUDS DANCING.

TOOK THE PHOTO, WHICH IS THE THREE-SECOND CAMERA EXPOSURE, LOOKED AT MY CAMERA AND WENT, WOW!

SO ANYWAY, DE TWICE IN ONE YEAR, PRETTY SPECK LACK TAR NORTHERN LIGHTS IN THE METRO.

MARK SEELEY AND I HAD LUNCH ON MONDAY AND HE SAID, PAUL, I'M BLOWN AWAY FROM THE KING KONG SIZED GOT PRINT -- HIS WORDS -- OF THE RAINFALL, THE SURPLUS, EXCESSIVE RAIN ACROSS THE STATE.

WE'RE AT 29 INCHES, SECOND WETTEST ON RECORD IN THE TWIN CITIES.

BACK TO 1871.

AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS.

AROUND THE STATE, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE HAS SEEN THE MOST.

MARK ALSO TOLD ME, 15 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE.

PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA.

CHECK OUT THESE DEPARTURES.

ABOUT 8 INCHES WETTER THAN AVERAGE IN THE TWIN CITIES.

8.5 UP IN ST.

CLOUD.

SO, YEAH, ALL OR NOTHING.

HARD TO BELIEVE WE HAD A SERIOUS DROUGHT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES.

PART OF AN OWN OVERALL TREND.

YOU WARM UP THE AT MOSS OFFICER.

AND YEAH, IT'S HAPPENING, THE ATMOSPHERE CAN HOLD MORE WATER VAPOR.

A 25 TO 50% INCREASE IN THAT BLUE SHADED AREA.

I WANT TO ZOOM IN AND MAKE THAT A LITTLE MORE OBVIOUS WHAT'S HAPPENING.

EVERYTHING IN BLUE, 25 TO 50% INCREASE SINCE 191895.

SO THE TREND IS WETTER YEARS IN MINNESOTA.

WE STILL GET DROUGHT.

THAT'S A NATURAL PART OF HE EECOSYSTEM.

BUT IF YOU STEP BACK, IT IS GETTING WETTER OUT THERE, ABOUT 20% WETTER IN THE TWIN CITIES SINCE 1895.

THERE IS A MILD LA NINA, A COOL PHASE OF THE PACIFIC.

DOESN'T LOOK AS SEVERE AS IT DID A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

BUT THAT CORRELATES WITH COLDER, USUALLY SNOWIER WINTERS.

ACCORDING TO N.O.A.A., THE JET STREAM IS SUCH THAT WE AY SEE MORE INTRUSIONS OF CHILLY AIR.

IT'S A MILD LA NINA, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL THIS YEAR.

BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO SEE MORE THAN 29 INCHES OF SNOW.

IN FACT, THIS IS THE FALL FORECAST.

RIGHT INTO NOVEMBER.

MILDER THAN AVERAGE.

DRYER THAN AVERAGE, I'LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.

AND THE FORECAST AT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR FLANAGAN'S REQUEST, YEAH, DON'T WRITE SUMMER OFF JUST YET.

WE COULD BE UP AROUND 90 THE FIRST WEEKEND OF THE ST STATE FAIR.

BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DRYER NEXT WEEK FINALLY.

>> Cathy: IT'S GETTING WETTER YES, AND YOU SAID DROUGHT IS A PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS MOST RECENT DROUGHT THAT WAS, LIKE, TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING, RIGHT?

IS IT EASY TO SLIDE INTO THAT GIVEN CLIMATE CHANGE?

- >> I THINK DROUGHT IS PROBABLY OVERALL BECOMING A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO GET INTO.

AND IT WAS THE BETTER PART OF THREE YEARS.

2019 WAS THE WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD STATEWIDE.

THEN WE WENT OFF A CLIFF FOR THE BETTER PART OF THREE YEARS.

AND NOW WE'RE KIND OF GETTING BACK INTO THAT WETTER PATTERN.

HOW LONG IT LASTS?

BUT, YOU NOW, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE WET YEARS THAN DRY YEARS GOING FORWARD, IF YOU BELIEVE THE CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AND I TEND TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY.

WHAT WAS THEORY 30, 40, 50 YEARS AGO IS NOW REALITY.

>> Cathy: IT'S ALSO INTERESTING HOW THE SEVERE SEASON REALLY HAS BEEN KIND OF WIMPY.

>> IT HAS BEEN.

>> Cathy: AROUND HERE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NOT A BAD THING I SUPPOSE.

>> ILLINOIS HAS SEEN OVER 100 TORNADOES.

IOWA HAS GOTTEN CLOBBERED.

IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET AROUND MINNESOTA.

SO YEAH, I KNOW IT'S YET WET.

PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THE RAIN.

BUT WE'RE NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE DROUGHT.

WE GOT WATER IN OUR LAKES.

IT'S ALL GOOD.

>> Eric: AND OUR SNOW BLOWER STOCK FOR T