October 2020 National Climate Report

September Extreme Weather/Climate Events

These regional summaries were provided by the six Regional Climate Centers and reflect conditions in their respective regions. These six regions differ spatially from the nine climatic regions of the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Northeast Region (Information provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center)

The Northeast’s average temperature for October was 51.1 degrees F (10.6 degrees C), 1.7 degrees F (0.9 degrees C) warmer than normal. All twelve Northeast states had a warmer-than-normal October with average temperatures ranging from 0.7 degrees F (0.4 degrees C) above normal in Maine to 4.1 degrees F (2.3 degrees C) above normal in Delaware. This October ranked among the 20 warmest on record for six states: Delaware, ninth warmest; Maryland, 11th warmest; Rhode Island, 14th warmest; Connecticut, 16th warmest; New Jersey, 17th warmest; and Massachusetts, 19th warmest.
During October, the Northeast received 4.33 inches (109.98 mm) of precipitation, 112 percent of normal. Ten states were wetter than normal, with precipitation for all twelve states ranging from 98 percent of normal in New York to 149 percent of normal in Delaware, its 18th wettest October on record. In addition, Maine had its 20th wettest October.
The U.S. Drought Monitor released on October 1 showed 45 percent of the Northeast in an extreme, severe, or moderate drought and 25 percent as abnormally dry. During the month, beneficial rainfall improved drought conditions in portions of New England, most notably in northern and western Maine; however, drought and abnormal dryness expanded or intensified in New York, Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and western Maryland. The U.S. Drought Monitor released on October 29 showed 47 percent of the Northeast in an extreme, severe, or moderate drought and 24 percent as abnormally dry. There were numerous impacts from the drought and abnormally dry conditions. During October, streamflow and groundwater levels continued to be below normal in many of the drought areas, with some sites setting daily record low streamflows. Lower than usual streamflow on the Hudson River in New York led to increased sodium levels in Poughkeepsie’s water supply. Some lake levels in New Hampshire were the lowest they had been in decades. Water restrictions were enacted or remained in place for numerous locations in Massachusetts and several locations in Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. As of October 28, 167 community water systems, eight municipalities, and some private well users in New Hampshire had restrictions in place. In addition, dry wells were reported in New England. Assistance was available for low-income residents in New Hampshire that use private wells and were experiencing little or no water because of the drought. Aquarion Water Company issued a mandatory ban on automatic irrigation systems and sprinklers and revoked irrigation variances for customers in southwest Fairfield County, Connecticut, which hit its third drought trigger. Worcester, Massachusetts, took one of its reservoirs offline due to drought-related low water levels. With drought conditions and an old, leaky water system, the Emerald Lake Village District in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, had spent more than $110,000 to haul in water. A lower-than-usual water table has helped construction along the waterfront in Bangor, Maine, to move ahead of schedule. Agriculture continued to suffer. In late October, potato yields were expected to be down by more than 20 percent in northern Maine. One Massachusetts farmer reported drought-related expenses of more than $50,000. Some cranberry growers in Massachusetts reported losses due to a lack of water from drought conditions. Christmas trees in Massachusetts were affected by the drought, with one farm losing around a third of its saplings. With reduced yields, a farm in Vermont had to buy hay for its cows at a cost of $15,000 to $20,000. Drought conditions in Connecticut slowed maple syrup production, with one producer expected to lose around $60,000 in revenue. Portions of New England were designated as natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making some farmers eligible for federal assistance. Fall foliage peaked earlier than usual in portions of northern New England and New York, while drought-stressed trees in southern New England dropped leaves prematurely. This year’s drought could affect next year’s foliage display in the region and reduce next year’s growth of red oak and white pine trees in New Hampshire. Fire risk remained elevated in areas of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania that were experiencing drought and abnormal dryness. In Massachusetts, there were 52 fires in a nine-day period from late September to early October. The state’s fire tower network was extended due to the increased fire risk. Low water levels were reported in fire suppression ponds in eastern Connecticut. After beneficial rain in mid-October, New Hampshire lifted its fire ban for public woodlands.
On October 7, a derecho produced a 320-mile (515 km) long path of damage from central New York to eastern New England. Winds gusted to 82 mph (37 m/s), with locally higher gusts of up to 100 mph (45 m/s) in eastern New York. The Albany International Airport in New York recorded a wind gust of 67 mph (30 m/s), its highest October wind gust since 1987. In addition, there were two EF-0 tornadoes, one in eastern New York and one in eastern Massachusetts. Numerous trees and branches were felled due to a combination of strong winds, drought stress, and being fully leafed. There were more than 120 wind damage reports in western New England and eastern New York, where there were two storm-related fatalities. In addition, almost 400,000 customers lost power. The remnants of Hurricane Delta and a frontal system teamed up to produce widespread rainfall in the Northeast from October 12 to 14. The greatest totals of more than 3 inches (76 mm) were reported in parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine. The rainfall was much-needed across drought-stricken areas of New York and New England. For instance, Caribou, Maine, which was experiencing extreme drought conditions, picked up 2.45 inches (62.23 mm) of rain from October 13 to 14, making it the site’s largest two-day precipitation total since October 2017. Tropical Storm Zeta and another storm system trekked through the Mid-Atlantic, bringing rain, snow, and gusty winds to the region from October 29 to 30. Rainfall totals were generally less than 3 inches (8 cm), with higher amounts in northern West Virginia, south-central Pennsylvania, and central and southern Maryland. Flooding led to road closures in portions of Maryland and Delaware. Snow fell across portions of New England, New York, northern Pennsylvania, and northern New Jersey, with the greatest snowfall totals at least 6 inches (15 cm) in central and eastern Massachusetts. With 4.3 inches (10.92 cm) of snow, Boston, Massachusetts, had its snowiest October (old record was 1.1 inches [2.8 cm] in 2005) and snowiest October day on record. Providence, Rhode Island, picked up 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) of snow on October 30, tying as the site’s snowiest October day on record. Several other locations had one of the five snowiest Octobers on record. Some branches and wires were downed in parts of Massachusetts due to snowfall and/or gusty winds. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph (22 m/s) were recorded in several coastal locations of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, where some coastal flooding occurred.
For more information, please visit the Northeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.

Midwest Region (Information provided by the Midwest Regional Climate Center)

October temperatures were well below normal in the northwestern Midwest and near normal in the southeastern Midwest. Regionwide temperatures were 47.9 degrees F (8.8 C) which was 3.1 degrees F (1.7 C) below normal. October ranked as the 13th coldest on record (1895-2020). Minnesota ranked as the 5th coldest in its history, while Iowa ranked 6th and Wisconsin ranked 7th in their respective histories. All of Minnesota along with half of Iowa and Wisconsin, were at least 5.0 degrees F (2.8 C) below normal. In contrast, nearly all of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky were within 2.0 degrees F (1.1 C) of normal. The cool conditions in the northwestern part of the region were primarily from a cold 10-day stretch in the latter half of October. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, maximum daily temperatures were below the normal minimum temperatures from the 18th through the 27th. In contrast, Lexington, Kentucky had warm temperatures during a similar stretch from the 19th to the 29th. During that 11-day period, Lexington’s daily maximum temperatures were above normal on five days while its daily minimum temperatures were above normal on all 11 days. For the region in October, there were more than 1400 record low daily temperatures and fewer than 200 record high daily temperatures.
October precipitation ranged widely across the Midwest leaving the regionwide total near normal. The regional total was 3.13 inches (80 mm) which was just 0.12 inches (3 mm) above normal. Values ranged from less than 25 percent of normal to more than 200 percent of normal. Two areas with less than 50 percent of normal were located in the western half of the region. One was in northwestern Minnesota and the other stretched across northern Missouri and the southern edge of Iowa into west central Illinois. There were also two swaths that had more than 150 percent of normal precipitation. One that stretched across central Wisconsin and into northern Michigan and another that stretched across southern Missouri, along the Ohio River and up to the southwestern shore of Lake Erie. In Missouri alone, precipitation totals ranged from more than 6.00 inches (152 mm) in the south to less than 1.00 inches (25 mm) in the northwest. More than 400 daily precipitation records were set in October with at least 20 in each Midwest state.
October snowfall in the Midwest was generally above normal in the northwestern half of the region where snow fell. Snowfall was at least 6.0 inches (15.2 cm) above normal for much of Minnesota along with parts of northwestern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Some locations in west central Minnesota and western Upper Michigan had about 12 inches (30.5 cm) above normal. The western shore of Lower Michigan had slightly below-normal snowfall in October. Nearly 300 daily snowfall records fell in October with 265 of the records in Minnesota (131), Iowa (69), and Wisconsin (65). Nearly all of the daily snowfall records occurred between the 18th and the 27th. Monthly snowfall records also fell in more than 50 locations. Monthly records were broken in cities with long periods of record such as Minneapolis-St. Paul (142-year record), St. Cloud, Minnesota (126-year record), Marquette, Michigan (136-year record), Eau Claire, Wisconsin (128-year record), and Rhinelander, Wisconsin (102-year record).
Drought in the Midwest peaked mid-month with nearly 17 percent of the region in drought before dropping off to under 12 percent later in the month. The area of the region in severe drought remained around 4 to 5 percent and the area in extreme drought remained around 0.5 to 1.0 percent of the region in October. The areas of extreme drought were located in northwestern Iowa and southwestern Missouri. Severe drought was primarily in Iowa and Missouri, but also extended into small parts of southwestern Minnesota and central Illinois as well during October.
Severe weather in the Midwest was primarily on two days in October. Iowa and Minnesota had nearly two dozen reports of severe weather on the 11th, mostly strong thunderstorm winds but also including a report of hail up to 2.50 inches (64 mm) in diameter near Ortonville, Minnesota. Then on the 23rd, there were dozens of strong wind reports along with some large hail reports in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Indiana. There were no injuries reported and most of the damage was downed trees and limbs.
For further details on the weather and climate events in the Midwest, see the weekly and monthly reports at the Midwest Climate Watch page.

Southeast Region (Information provided by the Southeast Regional Climate Center)

Temperatures were above average across much of the Southeast region and Puerto Rico for the month of October. Monthly mean temperatures were at least 3 degrees F (1.7 degrees C) above average for over 60 percent of the 149 long-term (i.e., period of record equaling or exceeding 50 years) stations across the region. There were four stations that observed their warmest October on record including, Tampa, FL (1890-2020) and Clayton, NC (1955-2020). Maximum temperatures ranged from 4.9 degrees F (2.7 degrees C) above normal in Eastman, GA (1891-2020) to 2.6 degrees F (1.4 degrees C) below normal in Oneonta, AL (1894-2020). Daily temperature minimums ranged from 10 degrees F (5.6 degrees C) above normal in Marion, NC (1893-2020) to 0.6 degrees F (0.3 degrees C) below normal in Roosevelt Roads, PR (1942-2020). More than 77 percent of the long-term stations observed monthly minimum temperatures that were at least 3 degrees F (1.7 degrees C) above average. Nighttime cooling was suppressed on a number of days due to the presence of clouds and tropical moisture. Indeed, there were a few stations in Florida that saw average minimum temperatures above 75 degrees F (23 degrees C) for the month including, West Palm Beach, FL (1888-2020; 2nd warmest) at 75.8 degrees F (24 degrees C) and Miami, FL (1895-2020; 2nd warmest) at 76.8 degrees F (25 degrees C). The warmest weather of the month occurred from the 7th through the 9th, as the circulation around the Bermuda High, situated off the Atlantic coast, transported warm, humid air over much of the Southeast region. Daily maximum temperatures exceeded 80 degrees F (27 degrees C) across portions of every state, with parts of Florida exceeding 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Indeed Tampa, FL (1890-2020), had a daily maximum temperature of 95 degrees F (35 degrees C) on the 8th setting a daily record. In contrast, the coolest weather of the month across the Southeast occurred on the 17th and 18th, as the circulation around a departing mid-latitude cyclone ushered in relatively cooler and drier air from Canada. Daily minimum temperatures fell below 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) across portions of every state north of Florida, with a few locations in the higher elevations of North Carolina and Virginia falling below 30 degrees F (-1.1 degrees C), prompting frost and freeze advisories. Indeed, Mt Mitchell (1925-2020) had a minimum temperature of 24 degrees F (-4.4 degrees C).
Precipitation was variable across the Southeast region during October, with a few wet and dry extremes recorded. The driest locations were found across eastern Georgia, central South Carolina, eastern North Carolina, and the Panhandle of Florida. Monthly precipitation totals ranged from 50 to less than 25 percent of normal across these locations. Laurinburg, NC (1946-2020; 4th driest) only received 0.43 inches (11 mm) of precipitation, over 3 inches (76 mm) below normal for the month. In contrast, the wettest locations were located across central Alabama, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, and central Virginia. Precipitation totals ranged from 150 to 300 percent of normal. Indeed, Gainesville, GA (1891-2020) received 10.76 inches (273 mm) of precipitation, which was more than 6 inches (152 mm) above average, making this the 1st wettest October on record. Most of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands received normal amounts of precipitation for the month. Hurricane Delta was the ninth hurricane of the Atlantic 2020 season and made landfall near Creole, LA on October 9th. From the 10th - 11th, precipitation from the remnants of Hurricane Delta impacted parts of the Southeast with numerous reports of localized flooding. Atlanta, GA (1878-2020) received 4.55 inches (116 mm) of rain from the storm in a single day, making it the 2nd wettest October day on record. Towards the end of the month Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, LA on October 28th, and over the next two days dropped 3-5 inches (76-127 mm) of precipitation across parts of the Southeast. Highlands, NC (1877-2020) reported 6.18 inches (157 mm) of rainfall from the storm.
There were 30 reports of severe weather across the Southeast during October, which is 65 percent of the median monthly frequency of 46 reports during 2000-2018. There were 13 confirmed tornadoes reported for the month (9 EF-0, 4 EF-1), about 130 percent of the monthly average of 10. All of these tornadoes were associated with Hurricane Delta. The strongest of these tornadoes was rated EF-1 with winds of 105 mph (47 m/s), and occurred in Dillon County, SC on October 11th. This tornado destroyed a storage shed and snapped several large pine trees in its path. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Another EF-1 tornado with winds of 90 mph (40 m/s) occurred in Newton County, GA on October 10th. This tornado damaged the roof and walls of a homeless shelter causing 2 injuries. There were no reports of hail for the month and only 17 wind reports for the month, which is 53 percent of the average (32 reports). Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, LA on October 28th, with peak winds of 110 mph (49 m/s). A wind gust of 91 mph (41 m/s) was reported in Mobile, AL. Farther inland, winds gusted over 50 mph (22 m/s) in parts of northern GA, upstate SC, and NC, including a 57 mph (25 m/s) gust reported in Columbus, GA and a 55 mph (24 m/s) gust in Hickory, NC. Widespread power outages were reported with Hurricane Zeta as well as numerous reports of damaged or downed trees. Unfortunately, there were 8 fatalities from Hurricane Zeta, including in Acworth, GA where a large oak tree was uprooted and fell on a mobile home killing a man.
The entire Southeast region and Puerto Rico remained drought-free for the month of October. At the beginning of the month, small pockets of abnormally dry conditions (D0) were found in Georgia, Alabama, and southern Puerto Rico. By the end of the month these pockets of dryness (D0) expanded slightly in Georgia, South Carolina, and southern Puerto Rico. Many farmers in the Florida Panhandle reported a loss of cotton due to the heavy rains and wind brought by Hurricane Zeta. While most peanuts were dug and harvested, many farmers in the Panhandle also noted fungal issues. Growers had to irrigate the groves, as modest amounts of precipitation fell in the citrus growing region of Florida. In Alabama, greenhouses and plastic bedding on vegetables were significantly damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Zeta. High soil moisture after the hurricane prevented fieldwork in many areas. Soybean condition declined and cotton was damaged depending on where in the state it was located. Farmers in Georgia noted an increase in boll rot in cotton as a result of the rain from Hurricane Zeta. The rain, however, kept livestock pastures in good condition. Abnormally dry conditions expanded slightly in the Midlands and Lowcountry of South Carolina and although the young strawberry crop looked good, there were some reports of spider mites. Overall, however, vegetables were growing well.
For more information, please visit the Southeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.

High Plains Region (Information provided by the High Plains Regional Climate Center)

Overall, it was a dry month for the High Plains, with much of the region experiencing an intensification of drought conditions. Perhaps the most notable impact of drought this month was the continuation of wildfires raging across Colorado and, to a lesser extent, Wyoming. The Cameron Peak Fire, which ignited on August 13th, grew to become the largest wildfire in Colorado history in October, surpassing the Pine Gulch Fire, which in August had just become the largest in state history. At the time of this writing, the Cameron Peak Fire was 92 percent contained and had burned 208,913 acres in and around the Roosevelt National Forest. Another destructive fire, the East Troublesome Fire, ignited on October 14th to the southwest of the Cameron Peak Fire. Warm temperatures, low relative humidities, and high winds produced ideal conditions for this fire to spread quickly, growing by an astonishing 100,000 acres in one night. This prompted the rapid evacuation of the town of Grand Lake. Unfortunately, two people died in this fire after being trapped in their basement. The fire jumped the Continental Divide and into Rocky Mountain National Park, forcing the closure of the Park and mandatory evacuations for the tourist town of Estes Park. Luckily, at the time of this writing, the fire had not spread any further, sparing the town. Snowfall and cooler temperatures toward the end of the month helped ease fire conditions. However, the fire was only 37 percent contained as of November 6th and it bears watching.
One benefit of the dryness was that producers were able to get out in the fields and harvest their crops. As of the end of October, all High Plains states were ahead of the 5-year average for both corn and soybean harvest. In fact, Nebraska and North Dakota had completed soybean harvest by the end of the month. Despite drought conditions, corn and soybeans fared pretty well throughout the region. North Dakota and South Dakota are expected to have record corn yields this year. However, drought conditions have caused winter wheat to struggle. More than 20 percent of the winter wheat crop was rated poor or very poor in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska, and more moisture is needed to ensure sufficient growth.
Below-normal temperatures prevailed throughout a large part of the High Plains in October. Departures generally ranged from 2.0-8.0 degrees F (1.1-4.4 degrees C) below normal, with the Dakotas experiencing the greatest departures. Numerous locations throughout the region ranked among the top 10 coolest Octobers on record, with several locations in the Dakotas ranking among the top 5. The only area that experienced above-normal temperatures in October was western and central Colorado, where departures were up to 4.0 degrees F (2.2 degrees C) above normal.
October started off rather warm, with many locations experiencing above-normal temperatures for the first half of the month. However, the second half of October turned colder, with much of the region experiencing daily departures of at least 20.0 degrees F (11.1 degrees C) below normal for a few days. Not only did numerous locations break daily records for minimum temperature, but some places had their coldest October temperature on record, including Akron, CO, Pueblo, CO, Goodland, KS, Chadron, NE, Scottsbluff, NE, Rapid City, SD, and Laramie, WY. Temperatures reached as low as -10.0 degrees F (-23.3 degrees C) in Chadron on the 26th, which crushed the previous record for lowest October temperature of 0.0 degrees F (-17.8 degrees C), set just last year (period of record 1941-2020). In Laramie, the temperature plummeted to -26.0 degrees F (-32.2 degrees C) on the 27th, obliterating the previous record of -18.0 degrees F (-27.8 degrees C) set in 1993 (period of record 1948-2020). It is interesting to note that Laramie’s record for coldest November temperature is also -26.0 degrees F (-32.2 degrees C), occurring in late November, so to record a temperature this low nearly a month prior is quite impressive.
October was another dry month throughout the High Plains region. Precipitation was less than 50 percent of normal across much of North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, eastern South Dakota, and northern Kansas. Some locations received very little precipitation, which placed this October among the top 10 driest Octobers on record. Laramie, Wyoming and Akron, Colorado had their driest, receiving only a trace of precipitation and 0.01 inch (less than 1 mm), respectively. The persistent dryness contributed to the intensification of drought conditions throughout the region. While the majority of the High Plains was dry, a few areas received above-normal precipitation in October, including northern Wyoming and southern Kansas. However, these areas experienced only local improvements in drought conditions.
Despite the region-wide dryness, some locations received impressive snowfall from a couple of systems. A particularly powerful storm system came through the 24th-25th, bringing snow and frigid temperatures to northern and central portions of the Rockies and Plains. Ultimately, the following locations ranked among the top 5 snowiest Octobers on record: Mobridge, SD (snowiest); Sisseton, SD (snowiest); Aberdeen, SD (2nd snowiest); Fargo, ND (2nd snowiest); Wichita, KS (2nd snowiest); Pierre, SD (3rd snowiest); Huron, SD (4th snowiest); Pueblo, CO (4th snowiest); Grand Junction, CO (4th snowiest); Norfolk, NE (4th snowiest); and Lincoln, NE (5th snowiest). Cheyenne, WY received an impressive 1-day snowfall total of 14.0 inches (36 cm), which was its highest 1-day total snowfall on record for October, smashing the previous record of 8.9 inches (23 cm) set in 1906 (period of record 1883-2020).
A separate storm system originating from the southern Rockies tracked across southern Kansas on the 28th-29th, and with rich Gulf moisture in place thanks to Hurricane Zeta, this region received heavy rainfall. Most locations reported 1.00-4.00 inches (25-102 mm) of precipitation, with locally higher amounts. While this precipitation was beneficial for easing drought conditions, unfortunately some locations received freezing rain, causing ice accumulations of at least 0.1 inch (less than 1 cm). This amount of ice was enough to create hazardous road conditions, as well as downed trees and power lines. The city of Winfield was hit particularly hard. According to the National Weather Service in Wichita, Winfield received 0.5 inch (1 cm) of ice and citizens reported hearing trees snapping.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, upper Missouri Basin runoff this year is forecast to be 30.2 million acre-feet, which is approximately 4 million acre-feet above the long-term average. While saturated soils during the spring led the Corps to expect another high runoff year, the rapid development and intensification of drought throughout much of the Basin during the summer and fall prevented that from happening. As for streamflows in the region, they were mostly normal to above normal in October throughout the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas, thanks in part to melting snow from the winter storm that passed through the region toward the end of the month. However, not surprisingly, streamflows were much below normal throughout the majority of Colorado and Wyoming where drought conditions were most intense.
Dry conditions in October led to continued development and intensification of drought throughout the High Plains. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the area experiencing drought (D1-D4) increased from approximately 62 percent to 71 percent over the course of the month. By the end of October, over 98 percent of the region was experiencing drought or abnormal dryness (D0-D4).
Exceptional drought (D4) increased in areal coverage across Colorado, expanding into northwestern, southwestern, and central parts of the state. Extreme drought (D3) spread into eastern Colorado and further expanded in Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle, reaching into southwestern South Dakota and western Kansas. D3 developed in southeastern South Dakota as well. Severe drought (D2) expanded across western and central North Dakota, western Wyoming, southern and eastern areas of Nebraska, and northwestern Kansas. Moderate drought (D1) developed in portions of central and eastern Kansas, while abnormally dry conditions (D0) developed across the rest of the state.
Only minor improvements in drought conditions occurred in October. D3 was removed from eastern Nebraska and slightly reduced in southern Colorado and northern Wyoming. Meanwhile, D1 was reduced in northeastern and west-central South Dakota. Localized precipitation in mid-October brought relief to eastern Nebraska, while other areas were fortunate to receive enough precipitation from the late-October winter storm to improve conditions.
For more information, please visit the High Plains Regional Climate Center Home Page.

Southern Region (Information provided by the Southern Regional Climate Center)