October 2017 Climate Summary Now Available

Wet Conditions Cause Issues for Harvest

A stark contrast in precipitation patterns existed across the High Plains during October, with wet conditions occurring early in the month in the southern and eastern parts of the region and mostly dry conditions elsewhere. Precipitation records were set on both sides of the spectrum, as there were locations that ranked among the top 10 wettest and top 10 driest Octobers on record. The wetness presented problems for producers harvesting their crops, as well as those planting winter wheat. Temperatures were largely near normal, and most of the region experienced a hard freeze in October, which ended the growing season. Drought conditions remained but continued to improve in some parts of the Northern Plains, particularly in areas of Montana that received heavy precipitation early in the month.  

While it is not uncommon for snowstorms to occur in the High Plains in October, a snowstorm in the Rockies set records for early snowfall. Havre, Montana was hit particularly hard with a snowstorm on October 2-3. The Havre Airport reported a 2-day snowfall total of 13.0 inches (33 cm), which not only was the highest 2-day total snowfall on record for October, but it was also the snowiest October on record for Havre (period of record 1961-2017). The snowstorm knocked out power to thousands of homes and damaged trees and structures in the area. Missoula, Montana received 0.1 inches (0.3 cm) of snowfall on the 2nd, which was its earliest snowfall since 1983 (period of record 1948-2017).

While not in the High Plains region, it is worth noting that climate conditions contributed to deadly wildfires in California in October. Wildfires are a common occurrence in California during the fall, but they were made particularly worse this year due to last winter’s record-setting precipitation, record-breaking summer heat, and the presence of fierce winds. The wet winter caused desert wildflowers to bloom, then the summer heat turned much of the vegetation to tinder, which provided plenty of fuel for the fires. Excessively high winds spread fires so rapidly that there was little time to evacuate, which led to the deaths of dozens of people.

For more information on temperature, precipitation, and impacts from climate in October in the High Plains region, please see the link to the full PDF of the summary: https://hprcc.unl.edu/climatesummaries.php