Midwest Overview - October, 2003

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In October 2003, the Midwest experienced the 28th driest and 51st coldest October in the last 109 years. However, there were considerable spatial gradients across the region, with the drought areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa receiving the least rain, and warmer than normal temperatures. Northern Michigan and southern Indiana to southern Missouri received the most rain, 3-4 inch totals for October (Figure 1). Some of the drought area had less than 50% of normal rain totals (Figure 2), especially in northern Iowa. Snowfall got off to an early start, with some locations in northern Minnesota exceeded 8 inches (Figure 3). Iowa had its 17th driest October on record. Temperature departures were not large, ranging from +3°F in western Minnesota to -3°F in eastern Ohio (Figure 4). Drought conditions intensified during the course of the month from the first week (Figure 5, National Drought Mitigation Center) to the last week of the month (Figure 6, NDMC), especially in Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and central Wisconsin. Despite the averages for the Midwest not being extreme, the week-to-week weather was quite variable, with a period of record cold the first week of the month, and record heat in the third week of October.