October 2017 Climate Outlook, Temps and Precip

As we start to close out the month of September, a new month will be on the horizon. Fall did occur on the 22nd but it certainly does not feel like it outside with the warmer than normal temperatures. So many are asking, will October be any different? The month will start off cool and fall-like, however things moderate and warm up once again kind of quickly. The first week of October slowly starts to trend back into the “bubble” or ridge of high pressure which means warm and dry.

There will be times of cold front passages that will bring cooler air, however folks in the Northeast will remain warmer than usual. Some locations there could still see daytime readings in the 80s. Farther South into Virginia and the Carolinas we will see slightly above average temperatures, but nothing like we saw at the end of September. We will only be slightly above normal due to our location and normal temperatures for here. Since we are in the South, it typically stays warmer longer than it does farther north.

The Deep South including Florida should remain normal for temperatures for October. They should not see any extremes either way. It will remain seasonable down there, meaning warm! No surprise. Not expecting any deep cool shots. Also not expecting blistering heat.

What about precipitation? Unfortunately for farmer and landscapers, gardeners, this upcoming month looks dry with the exception of the Southeast Coast. Lots of fall leaves will have a dry crunch to them on the ground. Storminess and coastal lows, and perhaps tropical systems will be responsible for the rains along the Southeast Coast. Otherwise expect hot and dry elsewhere. This will be because we will be mainly above normal temperature-wise, which in turn usually correlates with high pressure. I guess in the South we can say mainly hot and dry for the first half of October at least, and I’m thinking it carries into the second half as well. Keep in mind this has no effect on the winter forecast!