Virginia:
Ashburn
- Gary reports at his website: "
The average wind speed was 0.9 mph and the dominant wind direction was SSE.
The average barometric pressure was 30.006 inches. The mean relative humidity
was 77%.
"
Annandale
- Lowell reports: "
October was cooler than average with a monthly mean temperature of 54.3°
a -1.9° departure, the lowest for October since 1999. The month had above
average rainfall for the month. In the last 24-years only six Octobers
have been wetter. Only seven days had measurable rain. In the last
24-years only five Octobers have had fewer days of measurable rain.
The record is 4 days in 2001. The 4.93" of rain for October was a
+1.62" departure. We had three days with more than an inch of rain
recorded which only occurred once before in October (1995) in the
last 24 years. The 2.47" in 24-hours on the 26th and 27th was the
most in 24-hours in October since October 1995. October had one 23-year
precipitation record for the date of the 26th of 1.25"; the old record was
1.15" in 1981. The most intense rainfall of 0.29" in a five-minute
period on the 14th was the most on record for October since 1995.
Only two years in the last 23 has the precipitation total for the year
been more than the current year's total at the end of October.
October's average cloud cover was less than September's but was
still the fifth cloudiest October in the last 23-years with October
last year holding the record for the cloudiest.
The maximum temperature for October was only 74° which was a
-5.7° departure and the lowest maximum for October since 1999
when it was also 74° and only October of 1987 has had a
lower maximum for the month which was 71° and is the
current record.
The maximum wind gust of 39 mph from the west
occurred on the 15th at 1131 associated with a deep
low pressure passing to our north. This was the
highest wind ever recorded here in the last
23 years in the month of October.
The lowest barometer was 29.37" on the 15th
which was the lowest barometer recorded in
October since 1976 although October 1980 had a
low barometer reading of 29.38". Only four
Octobers in the last 43 years have been lower.
(Observations were recorded in Rockingham
County VA for comparison before 1977).
There were only 7 daily records set (23-Years of records):
3 daily LOW maximum temp records: 2, 3, 23;
2 daily LOW minimum temp records: 3, 24;
1 daily LOW range temp record: 15;
1 daily HIGH precip record: 26.
"
[ - + ]
Arlington
- NWS WBC reports:
"
NO RECORDS WERE SET DURING OCTOBER AT WASHINGTON.
OCTOBER 2003 WAS A BIT MORE SETTLED AND DRY THAN THE PAST SEVERAL
MONTHS. THERE WERE ONLY SIX DAYS WITH RAIN THIS MONTH...HALF THE
TOTAL FROM SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER...WITH A COUPLE OF LARGE EVENTS...IT
STILL MANAGED TO HAVE A WETTER THAN NORMAL TOTAL OF NEARLY FOUR
INCHES OF RAIN.
THE MAJORITY OF THE RAIN IN OCTOBER WAS ACCOUNTED FOR IN JUST FOUR
DAYS FROM THE 26TH THROUGH THE 29TH. LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE
REGION WAS FOLLOWED BY A COAST HUGGING STORM WHICH COMBINED FOR MORE
THAN TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN.
AND SO THE EXCEEDINGLY WET YEAR OF 2003 CONTINUES. THERE HAVE BEEN
ONLY TWO MONTHS ALL YEAR...JANUARY AND APRIL...THAT WERE DRIER THAN
AVERAGE. WITH ALL THOSE DAMP MONTHS ADDING UP THIS YEAR...WE ARE ON
PAR FOR A TOP THREE FINISH FOR RAINFALL BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST...2003 IS THE SECOND WETTEST YEAR WE HAVE HAD
SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN THE LATE 1800S. FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE
YEAR THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST THE WETTEST THREE ARE:
1889 ... 55.11 INCHES;
2003 ... 52.28 INCHES;
1878 ... 52.12 INCHES.
FOR TEMPERATURES...OCTOBER WAS A BIT COOLER THAN AVERAGE...ENDING UP
A LITTLE MORE THAN A DEGREE COLDER THAN NORMAL. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE
SUBURBS AND SOME OF THE CITY HAVE EXPERIENCED A FREEZE...THE AIRPORT
OBSERVATION SITE DID NOT IN OCTOBER...DIPPING TO JUST 37 DEGREES
SO FAR THIS SEASON. THE WEEK OF THE 8TH THROUGH THE 14TH WAS WARMER
THAN NORMAL. OTHERWISE...ALMOST ALL OF THE REST OF THE MONTH WAS
NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL.
The monthly precipitation was 0.71" above normal while the average temperature was
1.3° below normal.
" [ - + ]
Blacksburg
- NWS Blacksburg reports the monthly mean temp was 0.3° above normal
while rainfall was 1.42" below normal. The average wind speed was 4.6
MPH. [ + - ]
Bridgewater
- "
The precipitation was 1.21" below normal. There were only 3
days with measurable precipitation. Last month, there were 11. The average
temperature was about a degree above normal.
The precipitation for the year now is 47.59" which is about 13"
above normal. The rather dry weather in October cut down on the
above normal precipitation.
The first heavy, killing frost occurred on the 3rd.
Along about this time of the year both professional and
non-professional weather people make an effort at long-range forecasting
for the up-coming winter. This is very difficult to do, and I don't put too
much faith in this long-range stuff. However, I'll make a stab at my
forecast. I'll predict that we will get some cold weather and we'll get
some snow!
" - report from Clayton [ + - ]
Centreville
- "
Except for Halloween, October happened to be another one of those
ghostly quiet months this year. Come to think of it, the weather on
Halloween begged to be a pleasant treat than in years past when the average
monthly low temperature of 46.2° was noted earlier in the day. Two other
days in October managed morning lows equal to the average monthly low,
but also recorded on the 6th and 19th were high temperatures of 65.9° that
were a match for the average monthly high.
Spooky as it may seem, those two days also registered 61° at 12 p.m. which
happened to equal to the average monthly noon-time temperature. On October
12th we recorded 78° for an official monthly high, and 12 days later on
the 24th, 31° for a low. Our average monthly low of 46.2° was just 4.9°
above the statistical 41.3°, and more than a degree closer to normal
than it has been for the past several months. No doubt, this is a clear
sign of an oncoming ice age.
A decent rain event on October 14th gave us 1.08" of precipitation, but
an overall lack of rain until the 26th was enough to cause some concern.
Until then only 1.14" had fallen into the bucket when no more that a drop
over three inches should have been there. Dancing around the ole camp
fire Saturday night on the 25th sure paid off, because in the next 24 hours
we picked-up 2.28", the most in any other similar period during the month.
by the 29th, nearly 3/4" more had fallen, bringing our end of the month
precipitation total to 4.16", or 0.46" over the 3.70" normal. And some
people thought Al Gore was a fancy dancer! Not a chance!
" - notes from Paul [ + + ]
Charlottesville
- The monthly average temperature was 1.5° below normal while rainfall
was 2.23" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.1 mph. - from NWS WBC
[ - - ]
Chesterfield
-
-
"
AREA STILL RECOVERING FROM ISABEL'S DAMAGES. CONTINUED PROGRESS
BY STATE & COUNTY TO CLEAN AREA FROM DAMAGES CAUSED BY DOWN
TREES.
" - Albert reports
Danville
- The average station sea-level pressure was 30.03"
Dulles
- The mean temp was 1.2° below normal. The monthly rainfall was 1.26"
above normal. Average wind speed, 6.1 mph. - from NWS WBC [ - + ]
Falls Church -
"
A cold snap in the beginning and towards the end of the month brought
temperatures slightly below average. Rainfall was also below average
but a welcome break from the wet weather of the previous 9 months!
I had my first freeze on the 24th when my low reached 30.
Strong storms on the 14th produced a peak wind gust of 33 mph.
" - report from Erica [ - - ]
Herndon
- Russ sends these note:"
The monthly temperature was 1.0° above average
and precipitation was 1.20" above average. We had fog
on the 9th. Thunder on the 14th, 26th and 27th. We came
close to the record low of 30° on the 3rd, with a
low of 30.7°.
" - [ + + ]
Herndon
- Bob notes: "
My average MAX temp was 4.3° below the Dulles "normal"
but the average MIN was 2.5° above. Winds are tree affected.
Dulles is about 4 miles WSW and its normal is the 1971-2000 average.
" - [ - M ]
Hampton
- "
Record yearly rainfall of 63.27". A quiet month and we needed a break to
catch our breath from Isabel and an active stormy summer. Noteworthy
happenings- not nearly the color in the trees this fall with the major
damage from Isabel- most of the hardwoods that have color were destroyed.
Also, beaches will be not be back open or normal until next spring.
It will an interesting winter- if we do have an active winter, the
impact of snow, ice or northeasters will be much more significant with
beaches already ravaged and tress and power grids unstable.
"
- notes from David Kessel [ M M ]
Louisa
- Temps average 0.4° below normal while rainfall was 0.19" above normal.
- report from Joe [ - + ]
Lynchburg
- Rainfall for the month was 1.11" below normal while the mean temp was
1.4° below normal. The average wind speed was 4.0 MPH.
The average sea level pressure was 30.05".
- from NWS Blacksburg
[ - - ]
New Market
-
"
We are a couple degrees cooler than normal for the month and about ½ inch
short of average precip.
"
- [ - - ]
Norfolk
- NWS AKQ noted the average temperature in Norfolk was 0.9° above normal.
The month's rainfall was 0.44" above normal. The average wind speed was 8.5 mph.
The average relative humidity 69% and the average sky cover was 40%.
- [ + + ]
Norfolk
- The Fred Heutte Center, in Historic
Ghent, noted a mean barometer reading of 30.022". The mean relative humidity
was 75%. The average wind speed was 4 mph from a dominant NNE direction.
Portsmouth
-
A more pleasant month to continue the recovery from September's Hurricane Isabel.
With high pressure over the area for much of the first 15 days, dry weather prevailed
with only a period of light precip through the 13th. Then periodic showers gave a bit more
rain at midmonth. A low pressure trough with embedded lows just offshore SE US
coast shifted N and brought considerable rain with over 3 and 1/3 inches of rain
from late on the 25th through midday on the 29th. The 0.89" of that amount on
the 28th and 1.80" on the 29th established new daily rainfall records in the database
to 1976. What was to be a dry month
with well-below normal precip turned out to be one with excess rainfall (107%) due to
these "last minute" rains. Temps averaged just below normal (-0.5°). No thunderstorms
at the station but a few flashes of distant lightning were noted on the 7th.
Winds calmed down considerably in comparison with those of September. The average
barometric pressure was 30.015".
Winds averaged 3.31 mph from a dominant direction of 118°.
Station daily records included: 3RD - TEMPERATURE - MINIMUM MAXIMUM TIED 64° [PREVIOUSLY 1981];
10TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM 67° [PREVIOUSLY 66° 1997];
28TH - PRECIPITATION - DAILY 0.89" [PREVIOUSLY 0.74" 2002];
29TH - PRECIPITATION - DAILY 1.80" [PREVIOUSLY 0.65" 2002].
For the year-to-date, the temperature average was 0.7° below normal while rainfall
is running 15.55" above normal (137%).
[ - + ]
Richmond
- NWS AKQ reported the mean temp at RIC was 0.3° below normal. Rainfall
was 1.17" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.7 mph. The average relative
humidity was 75% while the average sky cover was 60%. [ - - ]
Roanoke
- Wendell sends these notes:"
A dry October with a temp average of 56.2° Rainfall was 2.62" below normal.
" - [ +/- - ]
Roanoke
- NWS Blacksburg reports that the Roanoke airport monthly mean temp was 0.5° below normal.
Rainfall was 1.66" below normal. The average
wind speed was 5.6 mph. The average sea-level pressure was 30.04"."
[ - - ]
Woodstock
- "
October is usually dry in the valley, so with only 2.57" this year was
still the 6th wettest. Very cool, (4 of 18). Fall color not as
intense as usual.
" - notes from Lauck [ - + ]
North
Carolina:
Asheville
- from NWS GSP: The monthly mean temp was 0.4° below normal and the
rainfall was 0.85" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.4 mph.
[ - - ]
Charlotte
- NWS GSP reports the mean temp here was 1.7° below normal and precip
was 6.63" above normal. The average wind speed was 3.9 mph.
- [ - + ]
Elizabeth
City - The Elizabeth City Coast Guard Station [ECG] reported an average
wind speed of 7.9 mph. The mean temp was 1.4° below normal while rainfall
was 0.91" above normal. The average relative humidity was 76% and the average
sky cover was 40%. - from NWS AKQ [ - + ]
Fayetteville
- NWS RDU reports the average wind speed was 6.3 mph. The average sky cover was 40%.
Cape Hatteras -
"
The average temperature in October 2003 was 65.6°. This was -1.0° cooler
than the 1895-2003 average, the 40th coolest October on record (1895-2003).
7.85" of precipitation fell in October. This was 3.39 inches more than the 1895-2003 average, the 18th wettest such month on record (1895-2003)."
- from NCDC [ - - ]
Greensboro
- NWS RDU notes a mean temp here that was 0.2° below normal. Rainfall was
1.55" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.4 mph. The monthly sky cover
average was 50%. The average relative humidity was 72%.
A NEW RECORD OF 57.98" OF RAIN HAS BEEN SET THIS MONTH
FOR THE YEAR-TO-DATE RAINFALL AT THE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE
OLD RECORD WAS 56.51" IN 1975. THIS ALSO SET A NEW RECORD
FOR THE GREENSBORO AREA. THE OLD RECORD WAS 57.95" OF RAIN
SET IN 1901.
- [ - - ]
Hickory
- The average wind speed was 2.7 mph. The average monthly temperature was 1.6°
below normal while rainfall was 1.90" below normal - from NWS GSP [ - - ]
Lumberton
- The average wind speed was 5.4 mph. The average monthly temperature was 2.1°
above normal while rainfall was 1.78" above normal - from NWS ILM [ + + ]
Raleigh
-
NWS RDU reports the average daily temperatures were 0.4° below normal while
precipitation was 0.56" below normal. The average wind speed
was 5.1 mph. The average sky cover was 50%.
" - [ - - ]
Raleigh
- Bob sends these notes: "
October was a pretty quiet month in comparison to last month with
Hurricane Isabel. The big event of the month was the first freezing
temperature of the season, 31° on the 24th. The average daily temperature
for the month was 58.7°, which is 1.3° below normal. Rainfall totaled 2.72"
or 0.46" below normal. In addition there were no thunderstorms observed
at this station.
" - [ - - ]
Roxboro
- Merriell reports: "
October was a mild, near normal month of temperatures. Rainfall was about
three-quarters of an inch below normal. Autumn colors began their brilliancy
late in the month.
" - [ +/- - ]
Wilmington
- From NWS ILM: The average temp was 1.2° below normal while rainfall
was a whopping 6.37" above normal. The average wind speed was 5.7 mph.
- [ - + ]
South
Carolina:
Anderson
- NWS GSP reports the monthly mean temp was 0.2° above normal.
Rainfall was 1.28" above normal. The average wind speed was 4.3 mph. -
[ + + ]
Charleston
- NWS CHS reports the monthly mean temp was 0.6° above normal. Rainfall
was 0.59" above normal. The average wind speed was 7.7 mph. - [ + + ]
Columbia
- NWS CAE reports that the mean temp here was 0.1° below normal. Rainfall
was a 1.17" above normal. The average wind speed was 4.7 mph. -
[ - + ]
Florence
- The mean temp here was 0.5° below normal while rainfall totals were
0.57" below normal. The average wind speed was 4.9 mph.
A record daily rainfall amount was set on the 28th with 1.29", surpassing the
0.35" set in 1984. - from NWS ILM
[ - - ]
Greenville-Spartanburg
- The monthly mean temperature was normal while rainfall
was 1.81" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.5 mph. - from NWS
GSP [ - - ]
North
Myrtle Beach - The mean temp was 0.5° above normal while rainfall
was a whopping 4.86" above normal. The average wind speed was 6.2 mph.
A record low temp was set on the 3rd The previous record low was 48° set in 1952.
" - NWS ILM [ + - ]
Orangeburg
- NWS CAE reports the average wind speed here was 5.2 mph.
Nearby
Cities:
Tri-Cities
-
Tri-Cities received 1.55" of rain during October, which was 0.75"inches
below normal. It ranked as the 21st driest October on record at Tri-Cities.
Measurable rain occurred on only six days, with three of those days having
more than a tenth of an inch. The heaviest rain fell on the 14th when 0.60"
was recorded. The driest October at Tri-Cities was back in 2000, when only
0.02" fell.
The average monthly temperature at Tri-Cities was 55.7°, which was 0.7°
above normal. No daily records were broken. The warmest October at
Tri-Cities was back in 1984, when the average temperature was 63.6°.
- from NWS MRX [ + - ]
