October 2009 Climate Summary

For a printable version of the climate summary which includes more figures, data tables, and state summaries, click here. 

Region Breakdown

October 2009 was cold and wet for the High Plains Region.  Temperatures were below normal for the entire Region as temperature departures of 6˚F to 10˚F (3.3˚C to 5.5˚C) below normal were common.  The majority of the Region was wet as precipitation totals greater then 200% of normal were observed in every state.  These wet and cool conditions stalled harvest all across the Region this month.  One state hit particularly hard was Nebraska and, according to the USDA, by the end of the month corn harvest lagged by four weeks and soybean harvest lagged by two weeks.

Numerous locations across the Region recorded the coldest October on record and countless others had average temperatures which ranked in the top 10 coldest Octobers on record (see page 5 for a table of records).  An intense cold spell during the weekend of the 10th led to an interesting record being broken in Cheyenne, WY.  The high temperature on October 10th was 17˚F (-8.3˚C) and this temperature was well below the previous record lowest high temperature of 34˚F (1.1˚C).  Interestingly, however, it was also lower than the record low for the day of 19˚F (-7.2˚C)!

Precipitation Summary

October 2009 was wet and snowy for the majority of the Region.  The only exception was extreme southern Wyoming and the western half of Colorado, where drought continues.  Each state in the Region had widespread heavy precipitation that resulted in large swaths where 200-300% of normal precipitation was received.

Three major winter storms impacted the Region this month.  The snowfall was quite early in the season and a blanket of snow covered colorful autumn trees, green lawns, and blooming flowers.  The first system brought record breaking snow to Nebraska and record cold to every state in the Region.  The second system came through later in the month and brought snow to areas of Nebraska and heavy rains to Kansas and Nebraska.  But, it was the third system at the end of the month that really pounded the Region by bringing over 3 feet of snow to the Front Range and foothills of Colorado, over a foot of snow to eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, and blizzard conditions east of Denver.  Numerous roads, highways, schools, and businesses were closed in all three states.

Although countless precipitation records were set this month (highlighted in the table on page 2), this month’s snowy spot was North Platte, NE.  The total October snowfall for North Platte was 29.4 inches (74.68 cm) which crushed the old October snowfall record of 15.7 inches (39.88 cm) set in 1969.  The snowfall received this month also set the new record snowiest month for North Platte, beating the previous record of 27.8 inches (70.61 cm) recorded in March 1912.  In addition, this month’s snowfall has already topped the average seasonal snowfall of 28.5 inches (72.39 cm)!

Climate Outlook

El Niño conditions were present this month and are expected to intensify and continue through winter 2009-10 based on current observations and forecasts.  The temperature outlook indicates a higher probability of above normal temperatures for the whole Region.  The precipitation outlook indicates that there are equal chances of above, near, or below normal precipitation for the entire Region.  The seasonal outlooks combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and, when applicable the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.  More information about these forecasts can be found here.

Drought Watch

Improvements were made to the U.S. Drought monitor this month as heavy rain and snow helped erase the abnormally dry conditions (D0) in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska.  After receiving significant rainfall in southeastern Nebraska, the state was completely free of drought and abnormal dryness for the first time in over 10 years (since October 5, 1999).  Meanwhile, Wyoming remained drought free for the fourth month in a row.  Drought conditions remained in southwest Colorado where an abnormally dry monsoon season led to reduced streamflows, lowered reservoir levels, and decreased soil moisture.   According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook released October 15th, the drought conditions in the southwest corner of Colorado are expected to improve through January 2010.