A hint of color signals the approach of autumn on the 1500 block of Woodward Avenue in Kingsford on Wednesday. Pleasant weather going into the weekend may make it feel like summer, though fall officially begins in less than two weeks. (Brian Christensen/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Summer-like weather is in store for the weekend as a shift to fall conditions remains on hold in the Upper Peninsula, forecasters say.

High temperatures at Iron Mountain-Kingsford will climb to near 80 on Saturday before dropping to about 70 on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures soared well above average in August and rainfall was an inch below normal.

The NWS had predicted a strong chance of above-normal temperatures through November across most of the U.S. but now is neutral on the local outlook for September. No immediate cold spell is predicted, however.

The Climate Prediction Center’s three-month outlook, which will be updated next week, calls for a 45% chance of above-normal temperatures through November in the U.P., and a 21% chance of below normal.

Temperatures in August at Iron Mountain-Kingsford averaged 69.8 degrees — the sixth-warmest August on record dating to the early 1900s. The warmest August was in 1947, when temperatures averaged 72.4 degrees.

According to observations at the Iron Mountain-Kingsford Wastewater Treatment Plant, the mean temperature for August this century is 67 degrees. The average since the start of record-keeping in 1900 is 65.6 degrees.

Daily high temperatures last month at Iron Mountain-Kingsford averaged 81.6 degrees. Readings climbed to 80 or above on 23 of the 31 days in August. The hottest day was Aug. 26, with a high of 90. The lowest overnight temperature was 46 on Aug. 14.

August rainfall measured 2.47 inches, well below the typical monthly total of 3.5 inches.

At the end of the month, there was moderate drought in the far western U.P. and abnormally dry conditions in several other counties, including Dickinson, Iron and Marquette. But the U.S. Drought Monitor showed no areas of concern in the U.P.’s Menominee and Delta counties, or in northeastern Wisconsin.

Thunderstorms hit the region early Tuesday and there were reports of hail as well.

Fall officially begins with the autumnal equinox at 2:20 p.m. Central time Sept. 22. The average September temperature at Iron Mountain-Kingsford this century is 59.2 degrees and the expected first frost is no later than Sept. 19.

The fall foliage map at smokymountains.com predicts peak colors in the Upper Peninsula to occur near the end of September. The estimated peak of fall color in Florence County, Wis., is the first week of October, according travelwisconsin.com.