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October 2018 was below normal regarding temperatures on the whole. Much below normal temperatures dominated the first 15 days of October with several locations experiencing their coldest or second coldest start of the month. The cold start, along with minor warmth in the second half allowed Sisseton, Aberdeen, Watertown, Pierre, and Wheaton Minnesota to see their top ten coldest October on record. Sisseton saw their third coldest October on record with an average temperature of 40.9 degrees or 5.4 degrees below normal. Record lows were set on October 15th when temperatures dropped in the teens and low 20s.
Precipitation amounts across eastern and northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota were 0.15 to 0.75 inches above normal. Areas along and west of the Missouri valley saw around or just below normal precipitation amounts. The big story for precipitation was early season snowfall on October 9th through the 11th. Sisseton saw its second-earliest measurable snowfall on record when 3.4 inches fell on the 10th. The table below lists the location, amount of snow, October date and historical rank.
|
Location |
Amount / Date |
Ranked |
Earliest / Date |
|
Sisseton |
3.4” / 10th |
2nd |
3.4” / Sept 26, 1942 |
|
Wheaton, MN |
0.4” / 10th |
3rd |
0.8” / Oct 4, 2006 |
|
Kennebec |
2.5” / 10th |
5th |
2.0” / Sept 24, 1912 |
|
Timber Lake |
0.8” / 9th |
7th |
2.0” / Sept 15, 1912 |
|
Aberdeen |
2.2” / 10th |
8th |
0.2” / Sept 21, 1995 |
|
October 2018 |
||||
|
Temperature Data |
Aberdeen |
Sisseton |
Wheaton |
Watertown |
|
Warmest Temperature / Date |
75°/ 18th |
73°/ 18th |
75°/ 18th |
75°/ 3rd |
|
Coldest Temperature / Date |
15°/ 15th |
19°/ 12th |
22°/ 12th |
19°/ 23rd |
|
Average High / Departure from Normal |
53.7°/ -3.9° |
51.4°/ -5.8° |
51.6°/ -5.3° |
51.5°/ -4.9° |
|
Average Low / Departure from Normal |
29.3°/ -3.4° |
30.4°/ -5.1° |
32.9°/ -1.6° |
31.5°/ -3.0° |
|
Monthly Average / Departure from Normal |
41.5°/ -3.7° |
40.9°/ -5.4° |
42.3°/ -3.4° |
41.5°/ -4.0° |
|
Precipitation Data |
||||
|
Monthly Precipitation / Departure from Normal |
2.49”/+0.5” |
2.83”/+0.75” |
2.46”/+0.29” |
2.07”/+0.15” |
|
Most Precipitation in 24 hours / Date |
0.56”/ 8th |
0.81”/ 10th |
0.99”/ 10th |
0.64”/ 9th |
|
Monthly Snowfall / Departure from Normal |
2.2” / +1.5” |
3.4” / +2.7” |
0.4” / -0.3” |
Trace / -1.7” |
|
Most Snow in 24 hours / Date |
2.2” / 10th |
3.4” / 10th |
0.4” / 10th |
Trace/10th, 11th |
|
Temperature Data |
Pierre |
Kennebec |
Mobridge |
Timber Lake |
|
Warmest Temperature / Date |
76°/ 18th |
75°/ 3rd |
73°/ 18th |
70°/ 18th |
|
Coldest Temperature / Date |
22°/ 15th |
19°/ 15th |
20°/ 15th |
16°/ 15th |
|
Average High / Departure from Normal |
55.6°/ -5.4° |
57.6°/ -6.2° |
55.3°/ -4.5° |
53.2°/ -6.3° |
|
Average Low / Departure from Normal |
34.3°/ -2.1° |
33.3°/ -2.7° |
34.3°/ -0.3° |
31.9°/ -3.1° |
|
Monthly Average / Departure from Normal |
45.0°/ -3.7° |
45.5°/ -4.4° |
44.8°/ -2.4° |
42.6°/ -4.7° |
|
Precipitation Data |
||||
|
Monthly Precipitation / Departure from Normal |
1.52”/ -0.13” |
1.83”/+0.29” |
1.57”/+0.07” |
1.28”/-0.28” |
|
Most Precipitation in 24 hours / Date |
0.38”/ 8th |
0.63”/ 8th |
0.42”/ 4th |
0.27”/ 4th |
|
Monthly Snowfall / Departure from Normal |
Trace / -1.0” |
2.5” / +1.7” |
Trace / -0.6” |
1.9” / +1.1” |
|
Most Snow in 24 hours / Date |
Trace / 10th |
2.5” / 10th |
Trace / 10th |
1.1” / 10th |
Total precipitation accumulation in October, from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.
Precipitation accumulation departures in October, from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.
Temperature departures in October, from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. 
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