Brian Rowell Daily Press With the approach of fall, beach walkers and wave watchers have replaced swimmers at the Escanaba Beach. According to the long range weather forecast, the Upper Peninsula is expected to enjoy a warm autumn with foliage colors peaking in early October.

IRON MOUNTAIN — A wet August has erased drought worries and the precipitation outlook is more favorable than a month ago, according to the National Weather Service.

Nearly 5 inches of rain fell in August at the Iron Mountain-Kingsford Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was 1.5 inches above normal. Going into the month, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed abnormally dry conditions across the region.

The NWS, at the time, predicted a 45% chance of below-normal precipitation through October, but that forecast has since shifted to neutral. The Upper Peninsula temperature outlook remains the same, with a 40% chance of above-normal temperatures through November and a 25% chance of below normal.

“The September-October-November temperature outlook predicts elevated probabilities of above-normal seasonal mean temperatures across most of the contiguous United States,” NWS forecaster Matthew Rosencrans said. “The largest probabilities of above-normal temperatures exceed 60% for parts of New England and portions of the central Rockies.”

SmokyMountains.com has released its annual Fall Foliage Prediction Map, which forecasts peak colors by early October in the northern U.P., extending past mid-October in northern Wisconsin. At travelwisconsin.com, peak colors in Florence County, Wis., are estimated the third week of October.

Currently, the only U.P. area with drought concerns is western Gogebic County. There is moderate drought in the northwestern tip of Wisconsin. Extreme drought conditions have eased a bit in the Southwest United States, but exceptional drought remains in parts of California, Utah, Kansas and Texas.

La Nina, for a third straight year, is affecting global weather patterns as waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are cooler than normal. La Nina typically suggests warmer falls in the Upper Peninsula. The region’s winter outlook is neutral, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

“La Nina is expected to continue, with chances for La Nina gradually decreasing from 86% in the coming season to 60% during December-February 2022-23,” Rosencrans said.