NWS Rapid City, SD - Climate Summaries > October, 2009 Climatic Summary

October 2009 Climatic Summary

October 2009 was one of the coldest October’s on record. Temperatures averaged 7 to 9 degrees below normal, with all sites reporting below normal temperatures. Spearfish was the warm spot averaging 6.1 degrees below normal. The cold spot was at Mt. Rushmore where temperatures averaged 11.1 degrees below normal. The following locations reported the coldest October’s on record: Bison, Cottonwood 2E, Devils Tower, Fort Meade, Long Valley, Maurine 12SW, Milesville 5NE, Mission 14S, Mt. Rushmore, Oelrichs, Pactola Dam, Rapid City Region Airport, Winner and Wood.

October was also a wet and snowy month. Precipitation average 80 to 100 percent above normal. Colony in northeast Wyoming was the only location to report below normal precipitation. The wet spot was at Porcupine 1N where precipitation was 328 percent of normal. Colony in northeast Wyoming was the dry spot with 83 percent of normal precipitation. The precipitation surplus for the month averaged 1.29 inches.

Snowfall was heavy over the Black Hills. In the northern Black Hills 3 to 4 feet of snow was reported, while the southern and central Black Hills reported 1 to 2 feet. Across northeast Wyoming, northwest and southwest South Dakota 6 to 12 inches of snow fell. Elsewhere on the South Dakota plains snowfall was generally less than 6 inches.

October storm summary...

On October 1…A strong upper level storm system brought strong winds to the plains of western South Dakota and 2 to 4 inches of snow to the northern Black Hills and Bear Lodge Mountains. Winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 60 mph were common on the plains. The strongest winds reported were 70 mph at Ellsworth AFB and 66 mph in downtown Rapid City.

On October 4 and 5…Another strong upper level storm system brought snow to the northern and central Black Hills, northeast Wyoming and far northwest South Dakota.

In the northern and central Black Hills 4 to 8 inches of snow fell. In northwest South Dakota 2 to 5 inches of snow fell, while in northeast Wyoming 2 to 5 inches of snow

fell in Crook County and over northern Campbell County.

On October 7 and 8…Another strong upper level storm system brought more snow to northeast Wyoming, the Black Hills and extreme southwest South Dakota. In the

northern and central Black Hills 4 to 8 inches of snow fell. In southwest South Dakota 1 to 2 inches of snow fell, and in Crook County and northern Campbell County 1 to

3 inches of snow was reported.

On October 11…A weak upper level storm system brought 2 to 5 inches of snow to northern Campbell County and northern Crook County in northeast Wyoming.

On October 25…A weak upper level storm system brought 3 to 6 inches of snow to the northern Black Hills and Bear Lodge Mountains.

On October 28 and 29…A strong upper level low pressure system brought snow to southwest South Dakota…and heavy snows to the northern and central Black Hills, and northern foothills. In the northern and central Black Hills 8 to 15 inches of snow fell with locally heavier amounts around Lead and Deadwood. Lead reported 23. 4 inches of snow, with 18.6 inches in Deadwood. In the northern foothills 5 to 9 inches of snow fell. Across southwest South Dakota 4 to 6 inches of snow fell.

LOCAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date	Temperature	Date
Maximum Temperature	81 degrees	18th	72 degrees	18th	76 degrees	18th
Minimum Temperature	11 degrees	10th	7 degrees	10th	10 degrees	10th
Precipitation Data	Rapid City		Lead		Gillette
Monthly Data	Amount	Data	Amount	Date	Amount	Date
Precipitation	1.97 inches		5.44 inches		1.97 inches
Snowfall	8.5 inches		53.3 inches		15.0 inches

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	0.61 inches	5th	1.04 inches	29th	0.75 inches	5th
Maximum Snowfall	3.2 inches	29th	17.3 inches	29th	6.0 inches	5th

REGIONAL EXTREMES

Temperature Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
	Temperature	Site	Date	Temperature	Site	Date
Maximum Temperature	84 degrees	Ardmore 2N Winner	18th 18th	81 degrees	Upton	18th
Minimum Temperature	0 degrees	Custer	10th	0 degrees	Upton 14 ENE	10th
Precipitation Data		Western South Dakota			Northeastern Wyoming
Monthly Data	Amount	Site	Date	Amount	Site	Date
Maximum Precipitation	5.44 inches	Lead		2.66 inches	Upton 14 ENE
Minimum Precipitation	1.61 inches	Harding 3SE		1.08 inches	Colony
Maximum Snowfall	53.3 inches	Lead		20.4 inches	Upton 14 ENE
Minimum Snowfall	0.6 inches	Interior 3NE		2.0 inches	Newcastle

Daily Data
Maximum Precipitation	1.54 inches	Interior 3NE	5th	0.77 inches	Upton 14 ENE	5th
Maximum Snowfall	17.3 inches	Lead	29th	6.0 inches	Gillette 4SE	5th

MONTHLY RECORDS

LOCATION	DATE	NEW RECORD	OLD RECORD	DATE
Bison	October	38.6 degree average temperature	39.1 degree average temperature	2002
Cottonwood 2E	October	40.1 degree average temperature	40.6 degree average temperature	2002
Devils Tower, WY	October	36.4 degree average temperature	38.5 degree average temperature	1969
Ft. Meade	October	39.9 degree average temperature	39.9 degree average temperature	2002
Long Valley	October	40.6 degree average temperature	41.6 degree average temperature	2002
Maurine 12SW	October	38.9 degree average temperature	39.2 degree average temperature	2002
Milesville 5NE	October	40.7 degree average temperature	43.2 degree average temperature	1969
Mission 14S	October	38.4 degree average temperature	40.7 degree average temperature	2002
Mt. Rushmore	October	35.2 degree average temperature	37.3 degree average temperature	2002
Mt. Rushmore	October	19.4 inches of snow	19.0 inches of snow	1996
Oelrichs	October	39.7 degree average temperature	41.9 degree average temperature	2002
Pactola Dam	October	34.2 degree average temperature	36.2 degree average temperature	2002, 1969
Rapid City Airport	October	38.7 degree average temperature	39.0 degree average temperature	2002
Winner	October	42.6 degree average temperature	44.6 degree average temperature	2002
Wood	October	39.7 degree average temperature	41.6 degree average temperature	2002

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October storm summary...

LOCAL EXTREMES

REGIONAL EXTREMES

MONTHLY RECORDS