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Northern lights unite the country

Nearly all of North America was treated to a rare display of the northern lights this week. The lights were visible as far south as Florida. As a result, social media was saturated with photos of the northern lights from everyone with a camera. It was a rare example of everyone coming together to appreciate the beauty of the natural world. The reason the northern lights were so intense on Tuesday is that energy from two solar flares hit the atmosphere at the same time. The overlapping energy resulted in the extremely vibrant green and red colors. This is a phenomenon that does not happen often. The solar flares that cause the northern lights are part of an 11-year cycle on the sun. Currently, Earth is at the 11-year peak for these solar flares. It’s possible the world will not see anything like this for over a decade. It is wonderful that so many were able to enjoy this opportunity to not only see the northern lights but also preserve a record of it.

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Mild November weather

Another reason so many were able to photograph the northern lights this week is that cloud cover was minimal in South Central Minnesota. In fact, the weather this last week has been extremely mild for mid-November. All week, temperatures would hover around the mid-40s in the morning and rise into the 50s or 60s by the afternoon. The warm weather is expected to last through the weekend. By Monday, normal November weather could return with a small chance for snow. However, it is nice to have an extended warm fall.

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Longest government shutdown is over

After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end on Wednesday. This means furloughed government workers can return and programs like SNAP will be reinstated. This is a relief to many who depend on access to food benefits. It also means the Energy Assistance Program will be able to distribute funds before temperatures drop too far. It is too soon to say what the shutdown accomplished. There is also no promise against future shutdowns, but for now, the government is up and running again.