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Headlines
First hard freeze of the season coming tonight
Dry, sunny days expected this week
Temps gradually warm through the week
Meteorologist Mark’s Vlog in a Flash
48-Hour WX
Seven-Day Forecast
Daily Forecast Summary
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy and breezy. Turning cooler in the afternoon. Sub-freezing temps overnight, as skies clear out.
Monday: After morning frost, mostly sunny and chilly.
Election Day Tuesday: Sunny and pleasant. A perfect day to get out and VOTE!
Wednesday – Saturday: Mostly sunny and gradually warming more each day.
Meteorologist Mark’s Severe Wx Concern
Threats
A strong cold front today will lead to sub-freezing temperatures tonight. A freeze warning has been issued by the National Weather Service. This will end the growing season for the Upper Cumberlands.
On This Day in Wx History
1870- New weather office in Nashville transmits its first weather report via telegraph.
Almanac
Yesterday’s National Temperature Extremes
High: 98° at Yuma, Arizona
Low: 6° Estcourt Station, Maine
Tropical Outlook
Tropical Storm Eta is expected to become a hurricane, as it very slowly approaches Central America. This storm’s slow movement is expected to produce devastating flooding in that part of the world this week. A humanitarian disaster is likely to unfold for those folks. Keep them in your prayers and close to your hearts.
Today’s National Wx Hazards
Snowflakes are flying across the Northeast and snowflakes are accumulating across the Great Lakes. Other than that, things are pretty calm.
Tomorrow’s National Wx Hazards
Some snowflakes may accumulate in the Northeast. Other than that, it’s a very quiet day across the country.
Sunday Story
The Sunday Story is a reprint of the weekly story I write for the Fentress Courier and Livingston Enterprise.
This October has proven quite wintry for parts of the plains and Midwest. Many records have been broken or shattered with snowfall.
On the 20th of October, bursts of snow, called snow squalls, moved across Iowa. Some of those intense bursts of snow produced thunder and lightning and up to nine inches of snow in only a couple of hours! Winter came hard and fast for those folks.
Parts of Montana have seen records shattered by more than doubling the snowfall of the previous records. In one town, the one-day October snowfall record was two inches. They broke that this month when seven inches fell in one day!
The plateau has seen October snowfall in years past, though it is quite rare. Many of you will recall the Halloween of 2014, when parts of the plateau were covered with 1-2 inches of snow.
We also measured snow on Halloween of 1991. I remember that year very well because it was too cold and snowy for trick-or-treating! A kid never forgets something that cost them candy!
October is known for beautiful Fall colors, not beautiful falling snowflakes. For much of the plateau, October 31st is the earliest known date for measurable snowfall.
Perhaps someone around here should have penned a song, “I’m Dreaming of a White Halloween?”
The good news for folks who have already seen snow is that there is no strong correlation between October snowfall and above-average snowfall in the winter. In fact, the chances of experiencing an average, above average, or even below average winter snowfall after receiving October snowfall are about equal.
October’s falling leaves will be replaced by falling snowflakes soon enough. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather our seasons change slowly. There’ll be plenty of time for that winter stuff later on!
