First Snow of the Season

By Russell Russ

The month’s low temperature of 29 degrees was observed on October 15. The high temperature of 68 degrees was observed on October 22. The average mean temperature this month was 45.1 degrees, 2.5 degrees below the October normal. No temperature records were set this month. Similar to last October, we had numerous days throughout the month with frost. The first real hard freeze came on October 14, about a week earlier than last year. The total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.81 inches, 0.61 inches above normal. Our first snowfall of the season came on October 15. By the end of the day there was about a 0.5 inch covering. During the early morning of October 16 there was 2.5 inches on the ground. The monthly snowfall total was 2.5 inches, 1.9 inches above the October normal. This is not a large amount of snow, but it was the fifth snowiest October in the last 78 years. Snowfall in October is not all that uncommon here in Norfolk, but anything over 2 inches is something special. The record snowfall for October came in 1987 when 9.5 inches fell. For the 2009 calendar year, through October, the total precipitation amount is 47.65 inches, 4.43 inches above normal. It is getting to that time of year so snowfall amounts will again be included here. The total snowfall for the year 2009, through October, is 59.4 inches. We are 7.5 inches below normal for the calendar year. After six years with nice, warm weather for Halloween we finally had some rain to contend with while trick-or-treating. The rain held off for a while, but by 7:30 p.m. it started to come down at a steady rate. Weather observations are recorded at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2 SW, by the Great Mountain Forest Corporation.