October 25-31, 2005
Midwest Weekly Highlights - October 25-31, 2005
Uneventful End to Month
High pressure was the dominant feature in the Midwest weather
the
last week of October, producing plenty of sunshine and seasonable to
cool weather. Temperatures the last week of October were
cooler
than normal over the soutehrn two-thirds of the region, and warmer than
normal northwest. Temperatures ranged from 8°F to
10°F below normal across southern Kentucky to 3°F above
normal in northweestern Minnesota (Figure 1).
Rainfall was limited to scattered showers in the central
Midwest, and heavy rain in the east
and northeastern portions of the region associated with the upper low
over the eastern U.S. on October 25-26 (Figure 2).
Rain and
thunderstorms along a cold front on October 30-31 also brought
significant rain. There was little change noted in Midwestern drought status on the
October 25 U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 3).
Severe drought
extended from southern Iowa across the northern third of Illinois,
extreme southern Wisconsin and southwest lower Michigan. Much
of
northwestern Illinois and a small adjacent portion of Iowa
remained classified in Extreme Drought.
The growing season ended across most of the Midwest this week as
temperatures plunged to freezing and below on several days. A series of
disturbances rotating around a large upper low over
the Midwest
kept cold weather in place early in the period. The northwest
and
far western portions of the region experienced sub-freezing
temperatures on October 25 as the colder air edged in. On
October
25 St. Joseph. MO set a new record low temperature of 25°F,
breaking the previous record of 28°F set in 1994.
Joplin, MO
dropped
to 27°F, breaking the old October 25 record of 29°F set
in
1957. In an unusual situation on October 26,
mid-level
clouds associated with the disturbances prevented widespread frost from
Wisconsin south through Illinois and east (Figure 4).
However, in
the western portion of the region temperatures dropped into the 20s as
far south as southern Missouri (Figure 5),
and freezing temperatures
were observed that morning as far south as central Louisiana and
southern Mississippi. High pressure brought clear skies and
light
winds to the Midwest the next several days. Radiational
cooling
resulted in subfreezing temperatures across the eastern half of the
Midwest on October 28 and October 29, ending the growing season there.
Rain
Dampens Halloween
A large area of rain and some thunderstorms developed ahead and along a
cold front
on October 31. The rain was generally confined to Missouri,
the
southeastern half of Illinois and Indiana (Figure 6).
Rainfall amounts generally ranged from .50 to 1.50 inches from
Missouri
through central Illinois and western Indiana, although heavier rain
fell in southwestern Missouri. Springfiled, MO received 2.42
inches of rain on October 31, setting a new daily record. The old
record was 1.47 inches in 1991. Jolin, MO also established a new
daily record, recording 1.84 inches. The old record was 1.67 inches in
1981. Very little
rain fell in the heart of the drought area in northwestern Illinois and
eastern Iowa. (Note that this storm is not reflected in the October
maps, as rainfall on Ocotber 31 is reported on November 1 and thus will
be reported in the November total).
-SDH-