I can’t believe it’s October already
Just a short time ago, spring was beginning to unfold across the land and now the colors of fall are quietly filling our woodlands with their annual display as Mother Nature readies the chlorophyll factory to shut down for the winter.
The red, yellow, orange and russets are present all along but are masked by the vibrant green. With the cooler night temperatures and the shorter amounts of sunshine, the green begins to fade and the colors of fall become dominant. This past week has certainly felt more like summer than fall as temperatures last Tuesday reached 90 degrees in Uniontown, Morgantown and Pittsburgh. Ninety degree weather in October is rather rare, although 95 degrees was recorded in Uniontown back on October 2 1927. The latest ninety degree weather was a reading of 91 degrees on October 10, 1949. For the year, Uniontown has had 12 days with 90 degrees or better and nearby Pittsburgh recorded just 5 days. Average number of days with 90 or better in our area is 9 days. The highest temperature recorded in the area was 93. Pittsburgh had a high of 92.
It truly has been a great couple of weeks to enjoy all of what Southwestern Pennsylvania has to offer at this time of the year. Falling leaves on the bike trail in Ohiopyle coincided with the appearance of a bald eagle soaring down the Yough River and catching a nice fish for his early lunch. I was thrilled to see the eagle on two occasions this past week near mile post 67 on the trail. Also saw a blue heron while kayaking on Deer Lake and was glad to get a few late season swims this week before the weather turns cooler.
October temperatures average 71 degrees as a high and 48 as a low on the first of the month and by month鈥檚 end averages are down to 62 for the high and 37 for the morning low. Back on October 20, 1992, the low temperature dropped to 16 degrees in Uniontown and as low as 10 degrees in our mountains.
Although we don鈥檛 see any frost in the near future, father frost will be paying us a visit before month鈥檚 end. The cold and snow that hit our western states last week is on the move, however by the time it arrives in Southwestern Pennsylvania this coming week, it will have moderated. We are forecasting highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s for much of next week. Many years the first frost occurs in our mountains the last week of September and in the Uniontown area by the October 7. As of now it looks like our first frost will be later than normal. Frost is coincidental with the fall colors and not a prerequisite. Sometimes an early hard frost will snap off the leaves due to the weight of the ice on the leaves.
The rainfall average is just under three inches for the month; however, on October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel dumped 4.60 inches of rain on the Uniontown area in one day and caused major flooding. On October 3 and 4 1974, several inches of snow fell in our mountains and Uniontown saw car and rooftops covered with the white stuff.
The big Halloween snow of 1993 saw all of Southwestern Pennsylvania blanketed with 4-10 inches of snow. Looks like October is forecast to be warmer than average and rainfall about average.