FROM: Bob Weisman, Earth Sciences
St. Cloud State University
DATE: 1 November 2000
SUBJECT: You name it; we got it...except for rain
Saint Cloud October 2000 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
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