A cold start to October? No, the coldest ... ever!

High temperature averaged a chilly 47 degrees for the first two weeks of the month, that is 16 degrees below normal.
By Tim Harlow, Star Tribune
StarTribune
Oct. 29, 2009

This extreme cold is a result of global warming, move along and pay your carbon tax.With 19 consecutive days of below-normal temperatures and accumulating snow falling a few weeks before normal, news that this has been the coldest start to an October on record in the Twin Cities probably isn't all that shocking.

On Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed that there has never been a colder first two weeks of the month. Typically the average high temperature for the Twin Cities during Oct. 1-14 is 63 degrees, but this year the average high temperature was only 47 degrees, or 16 degrees below average. That breaks the old mark of 52 degrees set back in 1875.

The last time we experienced cold close to this degree was in 1979 when the average daily high temperature was 54 degrees, the Weather Service said.

On the other end of the scale, the average low temperature for the first two weeks of October is 42 degrees. This year the average low temperature was 36 degrees, which ties it for 10th place on the list of coldest starts to October. The 36-degree average low was matched in 1985, 1987 and 1993.

With an official total of 2.8 inches of snow for the month so far, 2009 is now seventh all time in terms of snowy Octobers and it's the snowiest since 1977. The snowiest October was in 1991 when 8.2 inches fell on Oct. 31.

This month also is one of the 10 wettest of all time.

The chilly October will turn a bit more seasonable over the weekend. After a mix of sun and clouds and a high of 47 degrees on Saturday, Sunday will live up to its name with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 50s. Highs will remain in the 50s Monday through Thursday next week, with rain possible Monday night through Wednesday, the Weather Service said.