NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

 

OCTOBER 2022  

 

2-8: The regime responsible for the tranquil weather—a Western ridge and Eastern trough—also resulted in in record-setting Northwestern warmth and Midwestern and Northeastern freezes. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5°F below normal in the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians—but ranged from 5 to 10°F or more above normal in much of California, the Great Basin, and the Northwest. Freezes were common throughout the northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast, with temperatures falling to 20°F or below in much of North Dakota and portions of neighboring states. End-of-week frost extended as far south as the Tennessee Valley and the mid-Atlantic.

 

Record-breaking warmth developed in early October across the Pacific Northwest. By the 2nd, daily-record highs in western Washington soared to 83°F in Olympia and 80°F in Seattle. Troutdale, OR, posted a daily-record high of 88°F on October 2, followed by consecutive records (86 and 85°F, respectively) on October 8-9. Similarly, Dallesport, WA, reported multiple record highs: 90, 89, 90, and 88°F, respectively, on October 3, 4, 6, and 8. Farther south, Montague, CA, tallied a trio of dailyrecord highs (92, 91, and 91°F) from October 6-8. The 8th was a particularly warm day in western Oregon, where daily-record highs climbed to 89°F in Hillsboro, 88°F in McMinnville, and 87°F in Portland. In contrast, chilly weather prevailed amidst Ian’s remnants. In Newark, NJ, highs of 52 and 51°F, respectively, on October 3-4 were the lowest on record for those dates. Other record-low maximum temperatures for the 4th included 53°F in Salisbury, MD, and 56°F in Elizabeth City, NC. Meanwhile, early-month Northeastern frost was a harbinger of colder air to follow. Daily-record lows for October 3 dipped to 24°F in Houlton, ME, and 25°F in Massena, NY. Later, on the 7th, a surge of cold air resulted in a record-tying low of 20°F in Grand Forks, ND. By Sunday morning, October 9, daily-record lows in Kentucky plunged to 30°F in Frankfort and 31°F in Lexington, while Parkersburg, WV (32°F), noted its first of two records.

 

9-15: Rain fell in a few areas, however, including parts of the Northeast and Southeast. In fact, rain fell heavily in New England, where 2- to 4-inch totals were common. Southeastern rainfall was generally heaviest in parts of Alabama and Georgia. Portions of the Midwest also received some precipitation, with rain and snow showers noted downwind of the Great Lakes. Late in the week, additional rain developed across the South. Spotty showers occurred from southern California to the southern Rockies, while locally heavy rain fell from western Texas into the mid-South.

 

For the second week in a row, temperatures averaged at least 5 to 10°F above normal in many locations from the Pacific Coast to the northern High Plains. A secondary area of warmth covered the south-central U.S., where temperatures in parts of central, eastern, and southern Texas averaged more than 5°F above normal. In contrast, readings averaged as much as 5°F below normal in the eastern Corn Belt, Ohio Valley, Southeast, and mid-Atlantic. Exceptions to the Eastern cool pattern included lingering warmth in southern Florida and northern New England. Following the previous week’s Midwestern cold snap, ongoing chilly weather led to additional frost and freezes. In fact, hard freezes (28°F or below) were noted in much of the upper Midwest, extending as far south as Iowa, eastern Nebraska, and northern Missouri. As the week began, frosty conditions settled across the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic. In Kentucky, daily-record lows for October 9 dipped to 30°F in Frankfort and 31°F in Lexington. Parkersburg, WV, collected consecutive daily-record lows (32 and 33°F, respectively) on October 9- 10. By mid-week, a cold front crossing the North generated some high winds, including South Dakota gusts to 71 mph in Buffalo and 61 mph in Faith. Subsequently, chilly weather and snow showers engulfed portions of the Great Lakes States. On October 14, high temperatures peaked at 34°F in Wisconsin locations such as Antigo, Stevens Point, Merrill, and Rhinelander.

 

record-setting warmth dominated the Northwest. From October 8-10, Dallesport, WA, tallied a trio of daily record highs (88, 87, and 88°F). Similarly, Portland, OR, posted a pair of daily-record highs (87 and 85°F, respectively) on October 8-9, followed by another five consecutive records (80, 84, 82, 87, and 86°F) from October 12-16. In addition, Portland recorded maxima of 80°F or higher on 12 of the first 16 days of the month, breaking the October record of 6 days, set in 1952, 1980, and 1991. Portland also continued to await its first measurable rain of the month. Farther south, Red Bluff, CA, logged a daily-record high of 100°F on October 12. Late-season warmth also lingered in the Deep South, where Fort Myers, FL (94°F on the 11th), notched a daily-record high. In Texas, Waco’s high of 100°F on October 12 marked the latest triple-digit heat on record in that location (previously, 100°F on October 4, 1983). Back in the Northwest, Dallesport, WA, registered another string of daily-record highs (83, 83, and 82°F) from October 12-14. With a high of 92°F on the 15th, Salem, OR, came within 1°F of its highest October reading on record (93°F on October 3, 1932, and October 2, 1970. Prior to this year, Salem’s latest 90-degree reading had occurred on October 10, 1934.

 

16-22: Continuing a recent trend, dry weather dominated the country, including large sections of the Plains, Midwest, and Southeast.

 

Some rain lingered early in the week across the south-central U.S., where a boost in topsoil moisture briefly slowed fieldwork but benefited rangeland, pastures, and winter grains. Patchy precipitation was also observed from the Great Lakes region to the Atlantic Coast, although many areas remained dry. Late in the week, a dramatic pattern change led to a sudden increase in Northwestern shower activity. The precipitation, including valley rain and high-elevation snow, aided Northwestern wildfire containment efforts.

 

Meanwhile, weekly temperatures averaged 5 to 10°F above normal throughout the western U.S., except along the Pacific Coast and in parts of the Southwest. In contrast, readings averaged at least 10°F below normal in much of the Southeast, extending northward into the central Appalachians. In fact, below-normal temperatures broadly covered the eastern half of the country, except northern New England. Cold air plunging deep into the South ended the 2022 growing season as far south as the Gulf Coast States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Freezes (32°F or below) were also noted in portions of the Atlantic Coast States as far south as northern Florida. This marked an unusually early end of the growing season in much of the Southeast. Mid-month temperatures were significantly elevated in the Northwest, where a trio of daily-record highs occurred from October 15-17 in Washington locations such as Ephrata (80, 80, and 79°F) and Yakima (80, 79, and 77°F). Late-season heat extended into northern California, where Montague posted a pair of daily-record highs (89 and 87°F, respectively) on October 15- 16. Elsewhere on the 16th, daily-record highs soared to 88°F in Medford, OR, and Seattle, WA. Another flurry of Western daily-record highs occurred at mid-week. With a high of 100°F on October 19, Red Bluff, CA, observed its latest triple-digit heat on record (previously, 100°F on October 16, 1988). In southern California, daily-record highs for the 19th soared to 99°F in Anaheim and 98°F in Chula Vista. Meanwhile, heat lingered in the western Gulf Coast region, where Brownsville, TX, logged consecutive daily-record highs (94 and 95°F, respectively) on October 16-17. The remainder of the central and eastern U.S. turned sharply colder, with Watertown, SD, measuring a daily-record low of 13°F on October 17. Record-setting lows in South Dakota for the 18th included 9°F in Huron, 10°F in Watertown, and 12°F in Mitchell. October 18 daily-record lows below the 20-degree mark were also set in locations such as Fargo, ND (10°F), Sioux City, IA (15°F); and Norfolk, NE (15°F). Chanute, KS, collected consecutive daily-record lows (21 and 17°F, respectively) on October 18-19. Farther east, October 19 featured the earliest first autumn freeze on record in Montgomery, AL (32°F); previously, the record had been October 20, 1989. Montgomery measured a lower temperature the next day, October 20, dipping to 29°F. Consecutive daily-record lows were also established on October 19-20 in Southeastern locations such as Tallahassee, FL (33 and 31°F), and Greenwood, MS (28 and 31°F). In Missouri, Cape Girardeau set a monthly record on October 20 with a low of 22°F; previously, the record had been 23°F on October 24, 1981, and October 29, 1976. In Georgia, Augusta reported three consecutive freezes (30, 31, and 31°F) from October 20-22. Farther west, however, late-week heat surged across the Plains and Midwest, with record-setting highs for October 22 soaring to 97°F in Wichita Falls, TX; 91°F in Oklahoma City, OK; 88°F in Broken Bow, NE; and 85°F in Quincy, IL.

 

23-29: Dry weather continued to dominate many parts of the. Little or no precipitation fell across large sections of the East, High Plains, Far West, and upper Midwest. However, a notable rain event unfolded across the southeastern Plains and mid-South, extending into the middle and lower Mississippi Valley. 

 

Rain and snow showers dotted the Rockies and adjacent areas of the Intermountain West. Despite the soil moisture improvements in parts of the West and other areas of the country, rangeland and pastures experienced only limited recovery due to lingering impacts from drought and October cold snaps.

 

A reversal from the previous week, chilly air settled across the West, while warmth returned to the eastern half of the U.S. Late-October warmth was most prominent across the North, from the eastern Dakotas to New England. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10°F above normal near the Canadian border, from eastern North Dakota to northern Maine. In contrast, readings averaged up to 10°F below normal in scattered locations from California to the Rockies, including the Great Basin and Intermountain West. Early in the week, an impressive surge of warmth reached the Plains and Midwest. Daily-record highs reached or exceeded the 90-degree mark on October 23 in locations such as Russell, KS (93°F), and Grand Island, NE (90°F). Grand Island’s record for latest 90-degree reading—90°F on October 28, 1922—remained intact. In Michigan, Muskegon opened the week with consecutive daily-record highs (80 and 77°F, respectively) on October 23-24. In contrast, October 23 high temperatures struggled to top the freezing mark in parts of the Intermountain West, peaking at 35°F in Cedar City, UT. By the morning of October 24, Cedar City posted a daily-record low of 18°F. Meanwhile in Arizona, Nogales collected consecutive daily-record lows (37 and 32°F, respectively) on October 24-25. Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park set a pair of daily records with lows of 13°F on October 28 and 29. In Oregon, Burns tied a daily record with a low of 11°F on October 27. However, many Pacific coastal locations began to warm late in the week, with Eugene, OR, tallying a daily-record high (69°F) for October 29.

 

 

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