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OctoberWeather Events: Canada | United States | World![]() Quote of the Month
Significant Weather EventsCanada1 October 1909, Newfoundland Coast: Crew of the schooner Cedella sights four giant waterspouts, a rarity for north Atlantic waters, the largest coming within a kilometre of the ship. 2 October 2000, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories: An early snowfall dumps 24 cm (9.4 inches) of snow on the city. 3 October 1978, Calgary, Alberta: Downtown Calgary is blasted with 115 km/h (71 mph) wind gusts forcing construction workers to jump from scaffolds. 3 October 1999, Manitoba:An early October cold snap drives the temperatures down to a frigid -8.6°C (16.5 °F) at Dauphin, Manitoba and -8.4°C (16.9 °F) at Gimli, both new records for the date. Dauphin's temperature will rebound by afternoon to 7°C (44.6 °F), the province’s hot spot for the day. 3 October 2011, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland: Bands of heavy rain and strong winds (98 kph (61 mph) at Cape Race) associated with Hurricane Ophelia whipped the island as its center passes directly over the Avalon Peninsula shortly after sunrise. Ophelia's greatest rains at any airport in Newfoundland accumulate 43.7mm (1.72inches) at St. Pierre. 4 October 1976, Melfort, Saskatchewan: The mean wind speed reaches 142 km/h (88.5 mph), the province's highest ever sustained wind. 4-5 October 1679, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: The Saxby Gale pushes storm surge over extreme high astronomical tides. The high water mark sets a record at the head of the Minas Basin reached 21.6 m (71 feet). 4-5 October 1995, Toronto, Ontario: Remnants of Hurricane Opal drop 78.6mm (3.09 inches) of rain on Toronto, flooding basements and streets. Acccompanying winds reaching 83km/h (52 mph) fell trees and power lines. 4-5 October 2012, Northwestern Ontario: An early season winter storm buries parts of Northwestern Ontario with a heavy snowfall. Red Lake receives 24 cm (9.4 inches) and Kenora, 17 cm (6.7 in). 5 October 2010, Northwestern Ontario: , .Indian Summer heat moves into northwestern Ontario making Fort Frances the hot spot of the country at 25.4°C (77.7 °F), but high-temperature records are also broken in Geraldton, 20.8°C (69.4 °F); Pickle Lake, 21.5°C (70.7 °F); Upsala, 21.9°C (71.4 °F); and Wawa, 18.4°C (65.1 °F). 5 October 2011, Manitoba: , .High temperature records fall in more than a dozen communities across the province. Portage la Prairie hits 33°C (91 °F), making it the hottest October temperature recorded since records began in 1887. Winnipeg soars to 31.1°C (88 °F), smashing its October record as well. 6 October 1967, Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: A Canadian weather record one-day rainfall of 489.2 mm (19.3 inches) falls at Brynnor Mines at Ucluelet . 7 October 1825, New Brunswick: Raging forest fires in Miramichi region destroys over 1.2 million hectares (3 million acres) of forest and as many as 500 are killed. The capital Fredericton is destroyed. 8 October 2006, Moncton, New Brunswick: Moncton's rainiest October day on record sees 120.6 mm (4.75 inches) of rain. The mark starts a wet month in which the October monthly precipitation total ascends to a new record as well: 277.8 mm (10.94 inches). The total is also the rainiest of all months in the recorded weather history of the city. 8 October 2009, Eastern Saskatchewan: In eastern Saskatchewan, areas around Yorkton, Kamsack, Canora and Nipawin received 5 to 10 cm (2-4 inches) of snow. 9 October 2007, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: Winds at Estevan Point off Vancouver Island gust to 91 km/h (56 mph). 10 October 1875, Halifax, Nova Scotia: Intense rainstorm brings over 110 mm (4.3 inches), flooding roads and destroying bridges. 10 October 1967, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: The wettest day ever in Charlottetown measures 106.4mm (4.19 inches). 11 October 1967, Schefferville, Quebec: Freezing rain falls for 11 hours at Schefferville. 12 October 1962, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: Remnants of Typhoon Freda strikes the Pacific Coast. Wind speeds at Victoria reach 74 km/hr (44 mph) with gusts to 145 km/hr (87 mph). Seven die, $10 million in damage. 12 October 2009, Calgary, Alberta: Calgary's low temperature dips to -16.1°C (3.0 °F), breaking the old record for the date set in 1928. Nine low temperature records are shattered across Alberta with Banff down to -21.6°C (-6.9 °F). 13 October 1898, Hamilton/Burlington, Ontario: A fierce Autumn storm moves over western Lake Ontario. In Hamilton, it floods home and sinks 3 moored boats. At Burlington, waves wash 100 barrels of apples off a dock. 13 October 2007, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario: A powerful, unexpected snowstorm hit the Niagara Peninsula on Friday the 13th burying local communities under 30 to 50 cm (12-20 inches) of wet snow. Officials in Fort Erie and Port Colborne declare states of emergency, and the storm forces the closure of the Peace Bridge crossing to the United States. Under the weight of he heavy snow and strong winds (up to 90 km/h / 56 mph) tree branches snap onto power lines cutting service more than 155,000 customers. In some places, it take up to five days to restore power. 14 October 2009, Bonavista, Newfoundland: A low pressure centre passing just southeast of the Avalon Peninsula brings Bonavista 66.9 mm (2.63 inches) of rain with snow at higher elevations. 15-17 October 1954, Toronto, Ontario: Hurricane Hazel hits Ontario, the most remembered storm in Canadian history. Winds gust to 125 km/hr (75 mph) and rainfall as much as 210 mm (8.27 inches) are observed. 83 dead, mostly from flooding in the Toronto area. 15 October 2010, Estevan, Saskatchewan: Estevan is the hot spot for the entire nation with a daytime high of 24.2°C (75.6 °F). Meanwhile, record high temperatures hit numerous Saskatchewancommunities including Assiniboia, Rockglen, Carberry and Melita. 16 October 1984, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Early season blizzard with winds between 50 and 80 km/h (30-50 mph) and near zero visibility produces 28 cm (11 inches) of snow in Saskatoon. 16 October 2003, Victoria, British Columbia: A major Pineapple Express flow drops torrential rains across the North Pacific Coast from Oregon through BC. Victoria receives 136 mm (5.4 inches) of rain in 24 hours shattering the old record by over 40 percent. 17 October 1996, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: A weather bomb, a storm that intensifies very quickly and moves faster than a hurricane, batters Vancouver Island with winds as strong as 161 km/h (100 mph) and produced waves as high as 30 metres (98 ft). The storm causes massive power outages, knocks down trees, sets 50 pleasure boats adrift and rips apart docks. 18 October 1947, St John, New Brunswick: The mercury hits 25.6°C (78 °F) setting the city's temperature maximum record for October. 19 October 1844, Toronto, Ontario: Famous Lower Lakes Storm blows with hurricane-force winds. Barometric pressure at Toronto falls to 97.7 kPa (28.86 in Hg). 19 October 2012, Fort Saint John, British Columbia,:A cold front passing through Fort Saint John causes temperatures to nosedive. The front also dumps 28 cm (11 in) of snow. 19-20 October 2011, Southwestern Ontario: A huge storm system brings heavy rains across Southwestern Ontario with at least six locations measuring over 50 mm (2 inches) of rainfall over the two days. Toronto's Pearson International Airport sets a new record with 34.2 mm (1.35 inches) on the 19th, doubling the old record, while Hamilton report 59.8 mm (2.35 inches) of rain that day. 20 October 2010, Central Coast British Columbia: Heavy rain pound the central coast dropping over 150 mm (6 inches) of rain has already fallen in some communities Some rainfall totals: Solander Island, 57 mm (2.24inches); McInnes Island 104 mm (4.1 inches); Bella Bella, 154 mm (6.1 inches). 21 October 1938, Lake Louise, Alberta: The Hector Glacier crashes to the valley floor northeast of Lake Louise. The valley is buried under a 2 km wide by 4 km long pile of ice rubble. The wind created by the falling avalanche blows down all trees on the opposite side of the valley. 22 October 2002, Blackburn, British Columbia: A spider shower falls over the Blackburn area near Prince George. Thousands cover buildings, vehicles and trees. 23 October 2007, Victoria , British Columbia: A bright sunny day helps Victoria shatter a 40-year-old record high temperature for the day when the mercury rises to 20°C (68 °F) 23-24 October 1918, Vanderbilt Reef, Coastal Alaska: The Canadian steamship Princess Sophia carrying miners from the Yukon and Alaska becomes stranded on Vanderbilt Reef. A strong northerly gale hampers rescue attempts, and the next day, the ship sinks killing the 268 passengers and 75 crewmen on board. 24 October 1933, Ottawa, Ontario: Ottawa receives 21.5cm (8.46 in) of snow. 25 October 2001, Southern Ontario: A major autumn storm halts commercial navigation across the Great Lakes. Sustained southwesterly winds of 75 to 100 km/h (45-63 mph) push the already low water levels on the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers and the western end of Lake Erie down by 1.5 m (5 ft), thus draining local marinas. The winds force over 50 ships to drop anchor or remain tied up at docks. Upbound traffic on the Welland Canal is also halted by the high winds. 25 October 2008, Edmonton, Alberta: A storm packing winds of more than 100 km/h (60 mph) stikes central Alberta. In Edmonton, the strongest October wind ever recorded reaches 102 km/h (64 mph), cutting power to 4,000. The winds blow loose sheet metal, parts of billboards, garbage cans and pieces of trees around the city. 26 October 1919, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Saskatoon's coldest October day registers minimum temperature of -25.6°C (-14.1 °F) 26-28 October 2008, Sept-Îles, Quebec: A pair of weather systems brings heavy rains to the lower St. Lawrence and the Maritimes. The total rainfall at Sept-Îles measures 163.1 mm; a new record for three-day rainfall. 27 October 1977, Southern Quebec: A major snowstorm strikes southern Quebec leaving thousands without power, many of them in the Montreal and Quebec areas. 28 October 2003, Vancouver, British Columbia: A strong Pacific storm batters British Columbia including Greater Vancouver. Its sustained winds peak at 81 km/h (50 mph) at Vancouver Airport, breaking the previous record for October. The winds knocked out power slowing the rush-hour traffic on the Lower Mainland to a crawl because of darkened traffic lights and disrupted SkyTrain service. 29 October 1870, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia: Nor'easter storms across Cape Breton Island with heavy rain, strong winds and high seas. Much damage to vessels, wharves, bridges and buildings. 29 October 2006, Montreal, Quebec: A fierce windstorm crosses Quebec leaving 49,000 homes and businesses without power. Wind speeds reach 80 km/hr (50 mph) on the island of Montreal, and 95 km/hr (60 mph) along the Hydro-Quebec power system. 29-30 October 2012, Southern Ontario: Very strong winds associated with post tropical storm Sandy batter Southern Ontario. Wind gusts of over 80 km/h (50 mph) are reported at Ridgetown, London Airport, Kitchener, Oshawa , Toronto, Burlington and Port Weller. The gusts cause widespread damage and power outages. 30 October 1949, Haines Junction, The Yukon: The Yukon's greatest daily snowfall to date covers Haines Junction with 67.3 cm (26.5 inches) of snow. 30-31 October 2011, St John New Brunswick: An intense low pressure system brings rain and snow to the Maritimes. St John receives 2.3 mm of rain and 15.4 cm of snow. 31 October 2002, Victoria, British Columbia: Trick or a hotpad, please. Victoria's coldest Halloween night ever as temperatures drop to minus 3.1 °C (38 °F). 31 October 2012, Mont-Laurier, Quebec: Environment Canada has confirmed a weak tornado that was not associated with a thunderstorm touched down in the Mont-Laurier area. Some minor damage to buildings and road signs is reported. October 1974, Prince Rupert, British Columbia: The wettest month on record for this coastal BC community. Rainfall totals 728.7 mm (28.7 in).
United States1 October 1989, Moultrie, Georgia: A tornado southwest of Moultrie kills two persons and injures a dozen others. Tornadoes also injure one person north of Graceville, Florida and two at Bartow, Georgia. 1 October 2011, West Virginia: Parts of the Appalachians get a taste of winter as snow and gusty winds to begin the month. At Elevations of 3,000 to 3,500 feet in West Virginia, 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) of snow falls. Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia has the largest snowfall accumulation at 2.5 inches (6.4 cm). 1-2 October 2006, Wichita, Kansas: Wichita records its hottest October day ever on the 1st with a 97°F (36.1°C) high. That record is threatened the following day as the thermometer reaches 95°F (35.0°C). 2 October 1858, San Diego, California: The only tropical cyclone known to produce hurricane-force (estimated) winds on the California coast hits near San Diego. Damage to property is considerable. 2 October 1882, Oregon and northern California: An early season windstorm over Oregon and northern California blows down thousands of trees and greatly damages crops in the Sacramento Valley. 2 October 2003, Alaska: Temperatures around 70°F (21°C) in many Alaska communities set many all-time October maximum records (17). In Chalkytsik, the high of 75°F (23.8°C) broke the old record by 16 F degrees (8.9 C degrees). 3 October 1912, Bagdad, California: The longest dry spell in U.S. records begins. The 767 rainless period ends on November 9, 1914. 3 October 1986, Hardy Kansas: An incredible 21.79 inches (553.5 mm) of rain falls on Hardy as the remnants of Hurricane Paine passes into mid-America. The storm also brought 6-10 inches (152-254 mm) of rain to Oklahoma and Kansas. 3 October 2006, Illinois: Several cities tie or set new maximum temperature records. Peoria and Springfield hit 93°F (33.9°C); Moline and Burlington, 95°F (35°C). 4 October 1777, Germantown, Pennsylvania: In a dense morning fog, the American troops fight the British at the Battle of Germantown. The thick fog, that grew more dense with the smoke of battle, causes Americans soldiers to fire at each other. 4 October 1998, Oklahoma: 27 tornadoes touch down across Oklahoma establishing the national record for tornadoes in any state on a single October day. 4 October 2005, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport receives 4.61 inches (117 mm), breaking the local daily rainfall record for October. North of the Twin Cities, weather spotters reports 9 inches of rain (229 mm) in the town of Spencer Brook. 4 October 2006, Shoshone, Idaho: A rare October tornado touches down near this Idaho community but causes no significant damage. NWS reports this is only the second recorded October tornado in the state. The previous occurred in October 1984 in Ada County. 4-5 October 1679, New England: The Great Northeastern Rainstorm and Flood of October 1869 dumps 182 mm (7.15 inches) of rain in 24 hours onMiddletown, Connecticut, most coming the morning of the 4th. Northeastern coastal Maine tak es the full brunt of the hurricane as the storm surge produces tremendous tides. At the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, the islands of Deer, Grand Manan, and Campobello all sustain severe damage from wind and tide, as did the communities of Eastport and Calais, Maine . 4-7 October 1972, Arizona: Remnants of Hurricane Joanne brings heavy rain and flooding to much of Arizona. It is the first documented tropical storm to reach the state with its cyclonic circulation intact. Severe flooding occurs in the Clifton, Duncan and Safford areas. 5 October 1638, Massachusetts Colony: The journal of John Winthrop records that a mighty tempest struck eastern New England, the second severe hurricane in three years. It blows down many trees in mile-long tracks. 5 October 1786, Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers, Pennsylvania: The famous Pumpkin Flood swells the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Harrisburg reports a river stage of 22 ft (6.7 m). 5 October 2005, North Dakota: After sweating through 90 °F (32 °C) plus heat at month's onset, North Dakotans see heavy snow fall across much of the state. Observers report 12 inches (30 cm) of snow around Halliday and 10 inches (25 cm) at Fairfield, north of Belfield in Billings County. Minot measures 8-10 inches (20-25 cm). 5 October 2010, Tucson and Phoenix,Arizona: Golf ball-sized hail peppers the Tucson and Phoenix areas with tennis ball size hail---2.5 inches (6.4 cm) in diameter--bombarding Fountain Hills located 28 miles northeast of Phoenix. 5 October 2010, Reno, Nevada: Reno shatters its daily rainfall record of 0.23 inches (6 mm) with a deluge of 1.09 inches (28 mm) of rain (an accumulation of almost 15 percent of the annual average rainfall). 6 October 1836, New York and Pennsylvania: A second early season snowstorm drops eleven inches (28 cm) at Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and 26 inches (66 cm) at Auburn, New York. All northeastern US mountains are whitened with snow. 6 October 2010, Flagstaff,Arizona: As many as six tornadoes descend on the Colorado Plateau around Flagstaff. One twister derails a parked Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) freight train in Bellemont, throwing 28 railcars off the tracks. 7 October 1981, Seattle, Washington: The Emerald City receives 4 inches (102 mm) of rain in 24 hours, one of the rainiest days on record. 7 October 2007, Chicago, Illinois: With the mercury soaring to a record-breaking 87°F (30 °C). race organizers cancel the Chicago Marathon 3.5 hours into the race. 8 October 1871, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan: The Great Chicago Fire burns much of the city to the ground, fanned by strong southwest winds; 250 are killed. On same night, forest firestorm sweeps Peshtigo, Wisconsin. An estimated 1,100 die as gale-force winds push flames across town. Severe drought blamed for tinder-dry conditions. An additional 200 die in Michigan fires. 8 October 2008, Panama City, Florida: A cold front passing across Florida produces a tornado in Panama City that brings down power lines and blows out windows. 8-10 October 2006, Valdez and Seward, Alaska: Days of torrential rains, closing portions of the Seward Highway, cut off road access to these Alaskan communities. Rainfall measured in the Seward area ranges from 9 inches to almost 15 inches (229 to 381 mm). 1-9 October 2011, Chicago, Illinois: The first 9 days of October 2011 record 100 percent available sunshine, the second longest string of sunny days in any month. The sunshine has also helped the city record it's fifth consecutive day with temperature 80°F (26.7 °C) or above. 9 October 1903, New York, New York: New York City is deluged with 11.17 inches (283.7 mm) of rain, its greatest daily rainfall total. 9-11 October 1954, Chicago, Illinois: A 48-hour deluge of 6.72 inches (170.7 mm) floods the Chicago River, causing ten million dollars damage in the Chicago area. 10 October 1804, New England States: Famous snow hurricane blows northerly gales from Maine to New Jersey. Heavy snow falls across New England with three feet (90 cm) reported at the crest of the Green Mountains. A foot (30 cm) of snow is reported in the Berkshire Mountains of southern New England at Goshen, Connecticut. 10 October 1928, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Late year heat pushes the temperature at Minneapolis to 90°F (32.2 °C), their latest 90° reading of record. 10 October 2009, Nome, Alaska: Nome experiences its first ever October (Autumn) thunderstorm with five lightning strikes between 8 and 9 PM ADT. 10-12 October 2008, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho: A significant winter storm brings heavy snowfall to areas of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho over three days. The city of Red Lodge, Montana records its highest 24-hour snowfall total with 42 inches (107 cm) of snow. Glasgow, Montana also sets a new 12 October record when 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) of snow falls. 11 October 1977, Ketchikan, Alaska: The wet community of Ketchikan experiences its wettest day: 8.71 inches (221 mm). 11 October 2012, San Diego and Los Angeles, California: Funnel clouds and waterspouts are reported along the coast around San Diego and Los Angeles during the late afternoon and early evening. 11 October 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada: Funnel clouds, hail and flooding downpours strike Las Vegas and set a daily precipitation record at 0.57 inch (14 mm). 12 October 1836, New York State: Third heavy snow to fall in season. Storm totals: 18 in (46 cm) at Bridgewater and 12 in (30 cm) at Madison. 12 October 2006, Chicago, Illinois: With 0.3 inches (0.76 cm) of snow falling at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago sets a new record for the earliest measurable snowfall since record-keeping began in 1871. The previous earliest date was 18 October in both 1972 and 1989. 12 October 2006, San Francisco, California : The high temperature at San Francisco International Airport of 94 °F (34.4 °C), breaks the city's record for the date which dates back to 1901. 12-13 October 2006, Buffalo, New York: An unusually-early and intense lake-effect snow storm, dubbed Aphid by the local Weather Service office, hits the Buffalo region with up to 2 ft (60 cm) of snow. The storm is punctuated by several thundersnow bursts. The storm knocked out power to 155,000. The 8.3 inches (21.1 cm) measured at the official Buffalo weather station on the 12th set a record for the snowiest October day in the station's 137-year history. The record did not last long, however, as the measurement on the morning of the 13th totals 10.9 inches (27.7 cm). The two day event totalled 22.6 inches (57.4 cm), breaking the October record for a single snowfall event. The storm is the sixth heaviest snowfall on record. 12-14 October 2005, Central Park, New York, New York: On its way to setting a local record for the month, Central Park receives 8.5 inches (216 mm) over this three-day period. (16.73 inches [425 mm] will fall during October to eclipse a 102-year record.) 12-14 October 2009, California: A mammoth Pacific storm system, the remnants of former Typhoon Melor, has whips California's mountains with 100 mph mountaintop wind gusts. The rainfall total reaches 21.34 inches (544 mm) at Mining Ridge in Monterey County, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The weather station at Three Peaks (elevation 3362 feet) near Monterey accumulates 16.46 inches (418 mm) of rain. 13 October 1846, East Coast: A major hurricane roars across Cuba, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Pennsylvania inflicting extreme damage along its entire path. Key West Florida, and Philadelphia Pennslylvania are particularly hard hit. 14 October 1984, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Dense fog contributes to a 118 vehicle accident on I-94, just south of Milwaukee, the seventh day of an eight day stretch of dense fog. At the time of the accident the visibility was reportedly close to zero. 14 October 2011, Great Lake States: A monster autumn storm sporting a central barometric pressure equivalent to a Category One hurricane: 971 mb (28.67 inches). Wind gusts exceed of 50 mph (80 km/h) over portions of Lake Superior while winds in excess of 40 mph (64 km/h) blow across northern Illinois. The storm's circulation covers eastern Canada and much of the northern and eastern United States. 15 October 1880, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas: A violent early season blizzard hits Iowa, Minnesota and the two Dakotas. Winds gust to 70 mph (112 km/h) at Yankton, South Dakota, and snow drifts 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5m) high are reported in northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota. Railroads are blocked by drifts of snow which will remain throughout the coming, severe winter. 15-17 October 2005, Mount Washington, New Hampshire: The summit of the higest peak in the Northeast accumulates 34 inches (86.4 cm) of snow between Saturday and Monday. The 24-hour record for the most snowfall falls when 25.5 inches (64.8 cm) of snow piles up between noon Sunday and noon Monday. 16 October 1913, San Francisco, California: Downtown San Francisco thermometer soars to 101°F (38.3 °C) to equal their October record. 16 October 2007, Los Angeles County, California: A blinding sandstorm in the high desert north of Los Angeles wreaks havoc with local traffic causing a highway pileup involving dozens of vehicles. Two die and 16 are injured as a result of the storm which reportedly raised dust to 1000 foot (305 metres) high. 17 October 1971, Wray, Colorado: Large balls of fire are observed just ahead of a tornado moving down the main street of Wray. Little other electrical activity accompanies the storm. 17 October 2009, Miami, Florida : Miami registers a record high of 92 degrees., extending an October record of 14 straight 90-degree-plus days. 17-18 October 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada : Heavy rains over the period accmulates 36.1 mm (1.42 inches). The rainfall breaks the full month record for October set in 1992. The rainfall floods roadways and knocks out power. 17-19 October 2007, United States : According to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, 87 tornadoes were reported in the United States from Oct. 17-19 – a new record outbreak for the month. With the outbreak, the monthly total of confirmed tornado reachs 105, the second highest for October, behind the 117 in October 2001 since records began in 1950. Over 300 reports of severe weather were filed on 18 October across the lower and mid-Mississippi Valleys. 18 October 1906, Florida Keys: A hurricane strikes South Florida drowning 124 persons stranded in the Florida Keys. 19 October 1844, Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York: The famous Lower Great Lakes Storm strikes with hurricane force, southwesterly winds rage for five hours, driving lake waters into downtown Buffalo. The storm drowns 200 persons. 19-20 October 2004, Nome, Alaska: A severe Bering Sea storm generates waves atop high tide to flood downtown Nome with a storm surge as high as 20 ft (6.1 m). Flooding of downtown streets causes evacuation of dozens of Nome businesses and homes when surge knocks loose 1,000-pound propane tanks. 20 October 1989, Marquette, Michigan: Squalls off the Great Lakes bury Marquette under 12.7 inches (32.3 cm) of snow, a record October 24-hour total. 20 October 2003, Seattle, Washington: A persistant Pineapple Express flow drops torrential rains across the Pacific Northwest. Seattle breaks a one-day rainfall record, 5.02 inches (127.5 mm), shattering the old record of 3.41 inches (86.6 mm). Governor Gary Locke declares a state of emergency for 7 counties as 10 rivers in Washington rise above flood stage. 20 October 2011, Kahului, Hawaii: The morning temperature at Kahului falls to a record tying 61°F (16°C). 20-21 October 1957, Southern California: Southern California hit by second major storm in the month, causing widespread thunderstorms; waterspouts are sighted off Point Mugu and Oceanside. Santa Maria is drenched with 1.13 inches (28.7 mm) of rain in two hours; hail drifts to 18 inches (46 cm) in East Los Angeles. 19-21 October 1983, Oklahoma: Remnants of Pacific Hurricane Tico drops heavy rain which causes extensive flooding in central and south central Oklahoma. Oklahoma City set daily rainfall records with 1.45 inches (368 mm) on the 19th, and 6.28 inches (1595 mm) on the 20th. 21 October 1989, Daytona Beach, Florida: Cold air settles across the American South dropping Daytona Beach's low temperature to 41°F (5 °C) . 22 October 1965, San Diego, California: The temperature soars to 104°F (40 °C) in San Diego as Southern California endures a late October heat wave. 22 October 2007, New England: A tropical air mass along the Atlantic Seaboard pushes the afternoon high temperatures 10 to 25 Fahrenheit degrees (4.6 to 11.6 Celsius degrees) above the long-term average highs for the third week of October. Daily record high temperatures are tied or exceeded with 80°F (26.7 °C) readings at Montpelier, Vermont, and Millinocket, Maine . 23 October 1843, New York and New England: Indian Summer is rudely ousted by cold and snow. A foot (30 cm) of snow blanketed Haverhill New Hampshire and Newberry, Vermont, and 18 to 24 inches (46-60 cm) were reported in some of the higher elevations, bringing early sleighing from the Poconos to Vermont. 23 October 2003, Phoenix, Arizona: Phoenix sets a record high and also breaks the record for the latest date for a triple-digit temperature as the temperature soars to 100 °F (37.8 °C). 23 October 2007, Northern Louisiana: Cold air descends over northern Louisiana setting daily low maximum temperature records. El Dorado only reachs a high of only 52°F (11.1 °C) and Monroe, 54°F (12.2 °C). 24 October 1951, Sacramento, California: Sacramento reports a barometric pressure of 29.42 inches (99.63 kPa), to establish a record for October. 25 October 1977, Dutch Harbor, Alaska: Barometer plunges to an unbelievable 27.31 inches (926 mb) during a major storm at Dutch Harbor, St Paul Island in the Pribilof Chain. 26 October 2010, Upper Midwest Region: A a large low pressure system developing in the Northern Plains and upper Midwest evolves into one of the most intense storm systemto cross this area in more than 70 years. The storm's central barometric pressure of 955.2 millibars (28.21 inches of mercury) at Bigfork, MN is the second lowest pressure for a land station for an extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the continental United States. more intense than the benchmark Armistice Day storm of November 11, 1940 that had a central pressure of 28.50 inches. 26 October 1859, New York, New York: Four inches (10 cm) of snow blanket New York City, its earliest significant snowfall. 26 October 1919, Bismarck, North Dakota: The temperature plunges to -10 °F (-23 °C), the earliest subzero reading of record for the city and a record low for the month of October. 26 October 2005, Mount Washington, New Hampshire: The summit receives another 27.5 inches (69.9 cm) of snow overnight to break the 24-hour snowfall record set nine days ago. In the last 12 days, 72 inches (177.5 cm) has fallen, nearly 25 % of a normal year's total. 26 October 2010, Upper Midwest Region: A a large low pressure system developing in the Northern Plains and upper Midwest evolves into one of the most intense storm systemto cross this area in more than 70 years. The storm's central barometric pressure of 955.2 millibars (28.21 inches of mercury) at Bigfork, MN is the second lowest pressure for a land station for an extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the continental United States. The pressure is equivalent to that of a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. 27 October 1989, Central Rockies: Wintry weather invades the northwestern US as a storm crossing the Central Rockies produces up to 23 inches (58.4 cm) of snow in the mountains east of Salt Lake City Utah. 27 October 2012, Northern California: Tornadoes in northern California fell trees and down power lines as a powerful storm passes through several counties. The first tornado is reported near Yuba City at midafternoon. Up to five tornadoes may have touched down from the Sacramento metropolitan area to the eastern Sierra foothills, causing damage to towns in Sutton County, about 40 miles north of Sacramento, and near Elk Grove. 28 October 1938, Layton, New Jersey: Layton's morning temperature drops to 9°F (-12.8°C). 29 October 1917, Soda Butte, Wyoming: Temperature falls to -33°F (-36°C). 29-30 October 2011, Eastern States: An historic early-season snowstorm stuns the Atlantic Coast from Washington DC through New England. At the highest elevations of western Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire more than 2 feet (60 cm) of snow falls (Peru MA, 32.0 inches (81.3 cm); Jaffrey NH, 31.4 inches (79.8 cm); and Plainfield MA (30.8 inches (78.2 cm)). New York City's Central Park registeres its earliest one inch snowfall in recorded history with 2.9 inches (7,4 cm). Since snowfall records began in 1869, Central Park has never received an inch of snow on any October day. Hartford, Connecticut is buried by 12.3 inches (31 cm) of snow, shattering the record for the most daily snow ever received in October. Worcester, Massachusetts sees an all-time snowfall record for any October day: 11.4 inches (29 cm). In the nation's capital the 0.6 of an inch that fell on the 29th is unprecedented. Previously, Washington DC, had never received snow on Oct. 29. 29 October 2012, Chicago, Illinois: The National Weather Service office reports their "south buoy" in Lake Michigan observed the second highest wave ever recorded there, just over 21.7 feet (6.62 m). Superstorm Sandy is cited as the source of the winds generating the wave. 29-30 October 2012, US Northeast Coast: Superstorm Sandy batters the US East Coast making landfall along the New Jersey coast. Sandy sported a near-record low barometric pressure when the pressure bottomed at 945.5 mb the evening of the 29th. The storm surge inundated the New Jersey and New York coastline, In many cases setting new high water records. Early estimates place the damage at over $55 billion. 30 October 1947, Donora, Pennsylvania: Five days of temperature inversions in the Monongahela Valley raises air pollution to deadly levels. 20 deaths are blamed on Donora Smog Disaster. 30 October 2004, Oahu, Hawaii: Exceptionally heavy rain drenchs the Manoa Valley near Waikiki. Ten inches (254 mm) of rain falls at the Manoa Arboretum in just 12 hours, causing flooding that rushs through the University of Hawaii's main research library. 31 October 1965, Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Fort Lauderdale is deluged with 13.81 inches (350.1 mm) of rain, which brings the city's rainfall total for October to an all-time record of 42.43 inches (1077.7 mm). 31 October 1989, Colorado: Chatter or treat? Alamosa begins the day as the cold spot in the nation with a record low 2°F (-16.7°C). Halloween night brings a snowstorm that dumps 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15 cm) of snow to the Front Range, and 5 to 10 inches (13-25 cm) to the nearby foothills.
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