OCTOBER 2006 HIGHLIGHTS

..SUMMERY START.. WINTERY FINISH..

One can say that Winnipeg transitioned from summer through fall into winter during October 2006, all within 4 short weeks. The month began on a sunny and warm note with temperatures soaring to a balmy 27C on the 1st. The first week of October was mild with temperatures in the mid to upper teens, and generally sunny skies. The transition to fall occurred over the Thanksgiving weekend, when a warm start to the holiday of 24C on the Saturday (8th) plunged to the low teens by Sunday and Monday. That would be the end of 20 degree temperatures in Winnipeg, and in fact, temperatures struggled to even reach double digits most of the remainder of the month as a below normal temperature pattern finally became established over the eastern Prairies... the first time since May that a prolonged stretch of below normal temperature had occurred in Winnipeg. The cold unsettled weather brought the season's first snowfall to the city on the 10th when rain changed to wet snow in the afternoon giving 1 or 2 cm accumulation. A deep low pressure system over Northwestern Ontario brought strong northwesterly winds to Southern Manitoba on the night of the 12th into the 13th, with wind gusts to 80 km/h producing window damage in downtown Winnipeg. Generally cool and unsettled conditions continued through the 23rd with occasional minor snowfalls before a couple of mild pleasant late fall days from the 25th to 27th. That would prove to be the last of the pleasant fall weather however as a storm system over North Dakota brought the season's first significant snowfall to Southern Manitoba on the 30th with 10 to 15 cm of snow in the Winnipeg area. This resulted in the deepest snowcover for Halloween in many years.. likely since 1972.

Overall the month averaged about 1.2 degrees below normal at my location (1.8 degrees below at Winnipeg airport) marking the first below normal calendar month this year since February. Precipitation totaled 27 mm at my location.. with 8 mm of rain and 19 cm of snow. Average October precipitation in Winnipeg is about 31 mm of rain and 5 cm of snow.. so rainfall this month was well below normal (again) while snowfall was well above. Overall, the monthly total precipitation of 27 mm was again below normal for the month, marking the 7th consecutive month with below normal precipitation in Winnipeg.

All in all.. a cool unsettled month ending with an early start to winter!