NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

 

OCTOBER 2011

 

1^st-8^th…Early-week snow dusted parts of the Appalachians, with more than 6 inches reported on a few peaks in West Virginia. With a half-inch of snow on October 1, Beech Mountain, NC, set a record for the earliest measurable snow in North Carolina (previously, 4.0 inches atop Mt. Mitchell on October 5, 1980). By October 3, heavy precipitation arrived along the Pacific Coast. Ukiah, CA, netted consecutive daily-record amounts on October 3-4, totaling 2.35 inches. During the first 6 days of the month, 4.40 inches soaked Crescent City, CA. On October 5, another surge of moisture resulted in daily-record totals in locations such as Stanley, ID (1.39 inches), and downtown Los Angeles, CA (1.15 inches). Later in Wyoming, daily-record snowfall amounts reached 8.7 inches (on October 7) in Riverton and 6.0 inches (on October 8) in Cheyenne. Riverton’s October 6-7 storm-total snowfall climbed to 10.9 inches. Elsewhere in Wyoming, Sheridan (1.79 inches on October 7) experienced its wettest October day on record (previously, 1.60 inches on October 30, 1974). In Nebraska, Kearney’s October 6-9 rainfall reached 4.82 inches. Farther south, daily-record totals in Texas for October 8 included 3.57 inches in Abilene and 3.26 inches in Wichita Falls. The heavy rain continued into the following day, when record-setting amounts for October 9 reached 5.83 inches in Waco, TX, and 2.71 inches in Oklahoma City, OK. Farther east, a low-pressure system near the southern Atlantic Coast generated late-week downpours and high winds. From October 6-9, Vero Beach, FL, received 11.86 inches of rain and recorded a peak wind gust to 52 mph. The majority (8.30 inches) of Vero Beach’s rain fell on October 8, representing its second-wettest day on record behind 8.82 inches on January 21, 1957. Melbourne, FL, experienced its second wettest October day (5.68 inches) on October 8, followed by a wind gust to 54 mph on October 9. Melbourne’s only wetter October day occurred on October 17, 1956, when 6.03 inches fell.

 

9^th-15^th…The nation saw some active weather on Tuesday with precipitation in the Southeast through the Northwest. Precipitation in the Southeast was mainly due to a storm which slowly drifted up the eastern seaboard. This storm brought heavy rainfall to portions of the region from Georgia through the Carolinas. Today's rainfall totals brought the accumulated precipitation from the past few days to over 5 inches in some locations. A high surf warning for the coast was cancelled, but the risk for rip currents remains along the entire southeastern coast. The Northwest also saw some significant precipitation on Tuesday. Heavy rainfall was reported throughout the Cascades and over the Olympic Peninsula. The entire Puget Sound region also saw precipitation, but with mostly drizzle and light rain. The region's precipitation was caused by a Pacific storm that slammed into Southern Alaska. In addition to heavy rain, strong winds brought high surf to the coast, and some of the highest elevations saw snowfall.

 

16^th-22^nd…Unsettled weather continued in the eastern half of the nation on Wednesday as a deepening low over eastern Kentucky absorbed low pressure from the Southeast. These systems pulled in ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean as they began to merge during the afternoon and produced showers, periods of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong wind in areas from the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley through parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Some storms in the Mid-Atlantic had the potential to turn severe. The main concerns with these storms were hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes or waterspouts. Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms continued ahead of an associated cold front that reached through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.
A strong storm system and cold air mass continued to impact this Colorado and the Central Rockies with showers, thunderstorms, snow showers, periods of heavy snowfall, and strong wind gusts through the afternoon. As of this afternoon, snow totals in parts of Colorado range up to about 4.5 inches and up to 1 foot in higher elevations. Various Winter Storm Warnings, Winter Weather Advisories, and Freeze Watches and Warnings remained in effect for much of Colorado and parts of northern New Mexico.

A strong early season winter storm developed across the Eastern US as a low pressure system moved in from the Mississippi Valley. Counter-clockwise flow around this system pulled in ample moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, the back side of this system pulled in cool air from Canada. This combination produced a large swath of snow that stretched from the Central Appalachians through New England. Coastal areas remained warmer, moderated by the ocean temperature, and saw 1 to 2 inches of rain. However, most of the region saw snowfall accumulation between 3 to 7 inches, while up to 12 inches have been reported at highest elevations. This heavy wet snow caused damage to tree limbs and power lines across the Northeast, especially since most of the trees still have their leaves. Heaviest rainfall along the coasts was reported at Wallops Island, Virginia with a mid-day total of 1.83 inches of rain.

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com