October, 1997 Preliminary Local Climatological Data St. Cloud, MN National Weather Service |-Temperature-|--------Degree Days---------|-Precipitation-|-Snowfall-|----Wind----| (degrees F) (base 65 degrees F) (inches) (inches) (mph, deg) Heating Cooling Max Min Avg Dep HDD Seas Dep CDD Seas Dep Tot Tot Norm Tot Tot Avg Pk Dir from for for for for for Spd Gust at Norm Seas Seas Mon Mon Seas Pk Date | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 66 34 50 -2 15 289 -41 0 394 -21 0 0 0.09 M M M M M 2 83 44 64 12 1 290 -53 0 394 -21 0 0 0.18 M M M M M 3 84 49 67 16 0 290 -67 2 396 -19 T T 0.26 M M M M M 4 75 42 59 8 6 296 -75 0 396 -19 0 T 0.34 M M M M M 5 77 43 60 9 5 301 -84 0 396 -19 0 T 0.42 M M M M M 6 66 40 53 3 12 313 -87 0 396 -19 T T 0.50 M M M M M 7 85 52 69 19 0 313 -102 4 400 -15 0 T 0.58 M M M M M 8 76 62 69 19 0 313 -117 4 404 -11 0.25 0.25 0.66 M M M M M 9 62 35 49 0 16 329 -117 0 404 -11 T 0.25 0.74 M M M M M 10 68 32 50 1 15 344 -118 0 404 -11 0 0.25 0.82 M M M M M 11 80 62 71 0 12 72 62 67 19 0 344 -152 2 412 -3 0.68 0.93 0.98 M M M M M 13 62 31 47 -1 18 362 -151 0 412 -3 0.05 M M 0.3 0.3 M M M 14 48 29 39 -8 26 388 -143 0 412 -3 T M M 0 0.3 M M M 15 64 32 48 1 17 405 -144 0 412 -3 0 0.98 M 0 0.3 M M M 16 58 30 44 -2 21 426 -142 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.26 0 0.3 M M M 17 64 34 49 3 16 442 -145 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.33 0.0 0.3 M M M 18 69 46 58 13 7 449 -158 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.40 0.0 0.3 M M M 19 56 37 47 2 18 467 -160 0 412 -3 T 0.98 1.47 0.0 0.3 M M M 20 51 25 38 -6 27 494 -154 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.54 0.0 0.3 M M M 21 37 27 32 -12 33 527 -142 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.61 0.0 0.3 M M M 22 42 21 32 -11 33 560 -131 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.67 0.0 0.3 M M M 23 42 36 39 -4 26 586 -127 0 412 -3 T 0.98 1.73 0.0 0.3 M M M 24 41 32 37 -5 28 614 -122 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.79 0 0.3 M M M 25 36 19 28 -14 37 651 -108 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.85 0 0.3 M M M 26 37 15 26 -15 39 690 -93 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.91 0 0.3 M M M 27 40 12 26 -15 39 729 -78 0 412 -3 0 0.98 1.97 0 0.3 M M M 28 58 27 43 3 22 751 -81 0 412 -3 0 0.98 2.03 0 0.3 M M M 29 48 28 38 -2 27 778 -79 0 412 -3 0 0.98 2.09 0 0.3 M M M 30 47 34 41 2 24 802 -81 0 412 -3 0.09 1.07 2.15 0 0.3 M M M 31 50 31 41 2 24 826 -83 0 412 -3 0.23 1.30 2.21 0 0.3 M M M SUBJECT: A tale of two months (in one) Saint Cloud October 1997 weather summary October 1997 in Saint Cloud was two months in one. The first half of the month continued the "summer in fall" weather that characterized much of September. There were 4 days through the 11th which had highs of at least 80 degrees and four record temperatures were broken, including the 85 degrees on the 7th (see table below for details). Thunderstorms and heavy rains also took place early in the month, due to the high humidity as 0.98 inches of the 1.30 inches fell early in the month. After a brief spell of near normal temperatures from the 15th through the 20th, colder than normal weather took hold for the remainder of the month. In the last 11 days, only two days had above normal temperature. The first hard freeze of the season took place on the 20th, followed soon after by three straight nights with temperatures in the teens (25th-27th). The colder air was drier as well, with no measurable precipitation from the 14th through the 29th until some light rain moved in during the last two days of the month. Overall, October 1997 averaged about 1.7 degrees above normal, but the average values were not really representative of the extreme temperatures at both ends during the month. The total precipitation of 1.30 inches was almost an inch below normal. During the transition on the 13th, 0.3 inches of snow were recorded. SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 1997 OCT 1997 NORMAL TEMPERATURE Average high temperature ( F) 59.5 57.4 Average low temperature ( F) 35.6 34.4 Average temperature ( F) 47.6 45.9 Warmest high for this month ( F) 85 on the 7th (record; see below) Coolest high for this month ( F) 36 on the 25th Mildest low for this month ( F) 62 on the 8th, 11th, and 12th Coldest low for this month ( F) 12 on the 27th Record temperatures ( F): Record High: 85 on the 7th (old: 82 in 1909, 1980) Record warm lows: 62 on the 8th (old: 60 in 1909) 62 on the 11th (old: 60 in 1930) 62 on the 12th (old: 59 in 1984) PRECIPITATION (in) October 1.30 2.21 Greatest in 24 hours (Oct 1997) 0.68 on the 12th SNOWFALL (in) October 0.3 0.5 ============================================================================= Bob Weisman, Professor/Meteorologist SUPERVISOR: Shirley (age 5) Earth Sciences Department PHONE: (320) 255-3247 MS 48 FAX: (320) 255-4262 Saint Cloud State University EMAIL: scsweisman@stcloudstate.edu 720 4th Avenue South Saint Cloud, Minnesota 56301-4498 ============================================================================= ST CLOUD MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 1997 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ...TEMPERATURE... ...NUMBER OF DAYS... AVERAGE MONTHLY........ 47.6 MAXIMUM 32 DEG OR BELOW... 0 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.. 1.7 MAXIMUM 90 DEG OR ABOVE... 0 AVERAGE MONTHLY MAX.... 59.5 MINIMUM 32 DEG OR BELOW... 15 AVERAGE MONTHLY MIN.... 35.6 MINIMUM 0 DEG OR BELOW... 0 HIGHEST DAILY..... 85 ON OCT 7 LOWEST DAILY...... 12 ON OCT 27 ...DEGREE DAYS... HEATING COOLING TOTAL FOR THE MONTH.... 552 18 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.. -40 +18 TOTAL FOR THE SEASON... 826 412 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.. -83 -3 ...PRECIPITATION... ...INCHES... ...NUMBER OF DAYS... TOTAL FOR THE MONTH..... 1.30 MEASURABLE PRECIP.... 5 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL... 0.91 BELOW 0.10 INCH OR MORE.... 3 TOTAL FOR THE YEAR......23.38 0.50 INCH OR MORE.... 1 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL... 1.95 BELOW 1.00 INCH OR MORE.... 0 GREATEST IN 24 HOURS.... 0.70 ON OCT 12-13 ...SNOW... TOTAL FOR THE MONTH..... 0.30 INCHES TOTAL FOR THE SEASON.... 0.30 INCHES GREATEST IN 24 HOURS.... 0.30 INCHES ON OCT 13 ...SEA LEVEL PRESSURE... HIGHEST...30.55 INCHES ON OCT 16 LOWEST....29.15 INCHES ON OCT 12