October 2000 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

We got more rain during October 2000 in Saint Cloud than we did in September. However, the October rainfall of 1.61 inches was still more than half an inch below normal. The total growing season (1 April through October 31) rainfall at Saint Cloud Municipal Airport now totals only 14.06 inches, more than eight and a half inches below normal. This is the fifth lowest growing season rainfall among the 108 years on record.

Ironically, 3 minutes after the October statistics became final, a line of thunderstorms began producing rain in St. Cloud at 12:03 AM on November 1. By late morning, 0.88 inches had been recorded at the Saint Cloud Airport (1.14 inches at Saint Cloud State University), breaking a record for daily rainfall on November first (old record of .86 inch on 1 November 1974). The heavy rain also provided nearly three-quarters of the normal rainfall for the entire month of November. Still, the dry conditions combined with downed foliage, high winds, and warm temperatures frequently during October to produce local grass and prairie fires throughout central Minnesota. However, none of these fires reached the size of the fire in northern Anoka County which burned more than 1000 acres.

Temperature-wise, October 2000 provided a potpourri of weather with extremes in every category. Records were set in or tied in every type of daily temperature. An air mass carried from Alaska's North Shore produced 5 consecutive days of highs in the 40's during October 4-8, including the record cold high of 40 on the 7th. This air mass also produced consecutive days of record lows in the teens on the 8th and 9th. On the other hand, warm conditions dominated much of the second half of the month, culminating in a record high of 85 on October 19. As more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico got caught up in this pattern, dew points began to increase, resulting in a record-tying mild low of 62 on the 25th. The increased Gulf flow also resulted in nearly half the rainfall for the month occurring from the 25th on as well as the record November 1 rainfall.

The alternating hot and cold flashes led to an overall average temperature of 48.2 degrees, more than 2 degrees above normal.

SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2000               OCT 2000         NORMAL
TEMPERATURE
Average high temperature ( F)            60.5            57.4
Average low temperature ( F)             35.8            34.4
Average temperature ( F)                 48.2            45.9
Warmest high for this month ( F)         85 on the 19th (broke record; see below)
Coolest high for this month ( F)         40 on the 7th (broke record; see below)
Mildest low for this month ( F)          62 on the 25th (broke record; see below)
Coldest low for this month ( F)          16 on the 9th (broke record; see below)

Record temperatures ( F): 
Daily warmest high:                      85 on the 19th (old record: 79 in 1947)               
Daily coldest high:		         40 on the 7th (old record: 42 in 1977)
Daily coldest low:                       17 on the 8th (old record: 20 in 1989)
                                         16 on the 9th (old record: 22 in 1945)
Daily mildest low:                       62 on the 25th (tied old record set in 1900)

PRECIPITATION (in)
October                                  1.61            2.21
Greatest in 24 hours (Oct 1999)          0.57 on the 13th
Growing season precip (Apr 1-Oct 31)     14.06**         22.54
**5th driest growing season on record

SAINT CLOUD GROWING SEASON PRECIP: APR-OCT
 AVG = 21.95 SDEV = 5.27; 111 YRS; 108 GOOD YRS
  TEN DRIEST YEARS
  11.02 1976
  12.80 1910
  12.89 1922
  13.57 1992
  14.06 2000 <--5TH DRIEST ON RECORD
  14.52 1996
  14.83 1931
  14.96 1988
  15.00 1948
  15.25 1930

 TEN WETTEST YEARS
  29.59 1928
  29.87 1990
  29.93 1906
  30.05 1985
  30.10 1899
  31.45 1897
  31.59 1986
  31.63 1903
  31.84 1965
  33.83 1905