For the week 9/6 - 9/12 2026 ----- EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES at Data collection: Aurora: 55, 56, 62, 66, 52, 48, 62 & Kingsford : 55, 55, 61, 66, 53, 47, 61, -----Highs this week still in the high 70's & low 80's  ------ WATER CONTENT IN THE GAUGE: AURORA - 0, 0, 0, .09, 0, 0, .05 Total= .14" KINGSFORD - 0, 0, 0, .09, 0, 0, .05 Total= .14 ----- SNOWFALL- Aurora and Kingsford : nothing no snow ----- MENOMINEE RIVER: Water levels all week at a low summer water height and river flow in the mid 900's to low 800's Water height has been low over the summer so far.  -----US DROUGHT MONITOR: Both Florence and Dickinson Counties are in the D2 severe stage according to the actual US Drought Monitor (not the CoCoRaHS one on this site). Grass has made an improvement with some dry patches of grass greening, but need more rain to take care of the grass in the open. Still a lot of brown grass in yards with little shade. ----- WILDFIRE RISK: with the severe drought we are experiencing, the risk was HIGH for Florence and Dickinson counties and hoping the risk fell a bit with this morning's rain ----- AIR QUALITY: This week excellent no smoke ------TOURISM: Westbound campers I have seen.  Still, Older retired seniors towing or driving campers  Boat towing up from last week. BUSINESS: Local and regional traffic for construction has been good. Lots of heavy equipment moving through. Various loads of equipment and trailered vehicles. Loggers steady this week. Just one farm machine did I spot. Local contractors, about the same as last week, steady. -----WILDLIFE: Deer are still running around. noticed a few swamp deer as I entered Kingsford on Tuesday along the road.  Geese have been flying south in small flocks and noticed various bird species also in flocks stop and rest here before their southern migration and a busy week for birds heading south as a whole. Squirrels and chipmunks are busy gathering for the cold but haven't seen any rabbits. Increase in  Bluejays in the yard and the wild turkeys have been busy across the street still. A blue heron flew over my yard and street on Thursday which was cool to see----- PLANTS: I noticed tree tops of some trees changing color. Red, orange and yellow were very noticeable until that strong wind the other day knocked them off and it looks pretty much green again. My red Maple, shedding like crazy and is 1/2 red and leaves dropped about 1/3rd off that tree. Neighbor's birch trees and their leaves turning yellow. Color change has slowed a lot and the Rain has helped that. Marigolds, Lazy susans still blooming, onion plant blossoms died off last week in the shade. Not much color change on the sumacs but the leaves that did are starting to drop off more ----- That's all I have for this week. Enjoy your weekend!