As is pretty typical in October, we had a transition month with a mix of warmer and cooler days. What wasn’t so typical were the extremes of temperatures we felt, especially on the warmer days.
One notable week of the mix of cool and warm was toward the end of the month. On Oct. 18, San Antonio, Texas, saw its temperature fall to 44 degrees Fahrenheit, which was a new record low for that day. Farther north and a few days later, Imperial, Nebraska, hit record highs two days in a row as the temperature soared to 88 degrees both Oct. 22 and 23.
Harvest and fieldwork were slowed at times by some rainy stretches, but some long stretches of dry weather balanced out some of those days.
Looking at November’s forecast, above normal temperatures are expected in Nebraska and into northern Kansas too.
Precipitation should add up to above normal in November for the Southern Plains into much of Kansas and southwest Nebraska.
That trend will continue into the New Year for the Southern Plains, Kansas and much of Nebraska.
Temperatures through January are forecast to average above seasonal norms for much of Nebraska into eastern Kansas.
The seasonal outlook is favorable for those still dealing with drought conditions. Drought improvement is expected in the next few months for most of the Southern to Central Plains.
Current conditions across the globe show an ongoing and strengthening El Niño. The forecast continues to point to the likelihood of El Niño conditions continuing to strengthen to possible historic levels.
El Niño is expected to continue through the winter months. El Niño conditions usually lead to warmer temperatures from the northern to Central Plains along with a wetter pattern in the Southern Plains.
I’m always keeping an eye to the sky (and the weather patterns), so watch for next month’s update.
Editor’s note: Regina Bird grew up on a farm near Belleville, Kansas. The views from the farm helped spur her interest in weather. Following high school, she went on to get a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from the University of Kansas. She worked as a television meteorologist for nine years in Nebraska. Follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter): @ReginaBirdWX.
