Weather

Wisconsin has seen around 250 more wildfires this year than the average for the last decade as the state faces high fire danger due to dry, warm weather.

Harvest is at least two weeks ahead of schedule in the western Wisconsin counties of Chippewa, Dunn and Eau Claire.

Steve Vavrus, Wisconsin state climatologist, said temperatures are due to both a warming climate and an unusual circulation pattern

Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding and damage across the southeast. The death toll passed 180 Wednesday, according to a report from CNN.

The warm September air comes at a time when farmers are finishing up the harvest, getting ready for winter and re-examining their approach to weed management. Farmers are using newer technologies, such as electricity, to better control weeds.

Wisconsin businesses suffering due to below average snowfall would be eligible for federal disaster relief under a bill introduced by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sullivan office said the temperatures are so high because of a ridge or core of warmer air flowing from the south.

President of the Rock Aqua Jays, Tim Cullen, said the ski team’s national championship comes after the team faced unexpected hardships this season due to weather.

Wisconsin’s largest electric utility plans to ramp up its efforts to prevent storm-related outages after seeing an uptick in those events in recent years.

An organization of river communities say investments in natural flood control measures means high water is less of a problem.