October 2011 Recap
October was our first month with below average temperatures since March earlier this year. Ending our stretch of warmer than average months at 6. October was also slightly below average for rainfall but only by a very small margin. The month started with the earliest snowfall on record in North Carolina on October 1st when .5” fell on Beech Mountain.
The month also ended with our first widespread hard freeze on the 30th when the temperature dropped all the way to 28° on the morning of October 30th.
The month also had some of the most amazing autumn color seen around the state in many years. This was thanks in part to the warm sunny days and cool dry nights coupled with low winds speeds. The lack of a strong wind storm allowed for the trees to maintain there leave coverage much longer than in years past.
Not only were the trees colorful but so was the sky on the night of Monday October 24th. We got a very rare treat when the Aurora Borealis became visible in North Carolina. A massive geomagnetic storm lit up the sky across the state and much of the mid-South with bright shades of red.This was the first time since 2004 that we had reports of the northern lights being visible this far south. This night also had many reports of a bright meteor racing across the sky around 7:20pm.
October Stats
Temperature
- Average High Temperature: 71.5°
- Average Low Temperature: 46.1°
- Monthly Mean Temperature: 58.8°
- Departure from average: -1.5°
- Highest: 84° on the 17th
- Lowest 28° on the 30th
Rainfall
- Total for the month:3.04”
- Departure: –0.36”
