The just ended month of October was warmer and drier than normal across Iowa. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide average rainfall total for the month was one-and-three-quarters inches (1.75 inches), about one inch less than usual for October. “The most unusual aspect there was the extremely dry start to the month, with very little rain anywhere in the state over the first 20 days of October,” Hillaker said. It was the 52nd driest October in Iowa in 143 years of record keeping.

Here in Atlantic, at the KJAN studios, we received 1.28″ of rain, and that was 1.48″ less than normal. Across the state, most of the month was ideal for farmers who were working to complete the harvest. “Temperatures averaged about 2.6 degrees warmer than usual…it ranks as the 46th warmest October,” Hillaker said. Many areas of central and southern Iowa have yet to record a hard freeze this fall. There was a range of 72 degrees between temperature “extremes” across Iowa last month. “The warmest reading we had, by far, came on the 11th of October at 91-degrees in Sioux City. That was a daily record for that day of the month. On the other extreme, a little less than a week later, it got down to 19-degrees on the morning of the 17th at Stanley up in Buchanan County in northeast Iowa,” Hillaker said.

In Atlantic, the Average High for the month was 66.1, which was 2 degrees warmer than normal. The Average Low was 39.5, which was just one-half degree warmer than normal. The month of November is starting off dry and warm — as highs are forecast to reach the 70s again Tuesday and Wednesday. Showers and much cooler conditions are expected to push into the state Thursday and Friday.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN)