Local weather roundups are beginning to sound like a broken record this year, after another month was reported warmer and drier than normal.
October’s trend of mainly clear skies and warm days set a new record of 10.5 C for the month’s mean temperature. That’s almost three degrees above the average October, but only slightly ahead of the old record, 10.4 C which was set in 2014.
Southerly flows brought mild and windy days during the second week, with the highest temperature, 21.9 C, on Oct. 10 and gusts averaging 52 kilometres/hour.
A dry airmass followed the third week, allowing temperatures to dip to a month low, or -2.5 C during the early morning hours of Oct. 23.
The coldest October day on record was recorded 13 years ago, when mercury dipped to -11 C on Oct. 31.
A Pacific frontal pattern came on the heels of that system, but produced only 0.3 millimetres (mm) of rain locally.
Right until the end, the month was on pace for receiving less than 15 per cent of normal precipitation.
During the final week of October, a series of Pacific systems brought in another 34 mm of rain. That upped the month’s total precipitation to 39 mm, or about 79 per cent of the norm.
Usually October rainfall nears 50 mm.
No snow was reported.
Growing degree days, which are a measure of heat accumulation, are topping 164 per cent, according to Ellis’ month end report.
The measurement is a tool used by horticulturists, gardeners and farmers to predict plant and animal development rates such as the date that a flower will bloom, a crop will reach maturity, or a turkey is ready for the roasting pan.
