http://www.examiner.com/weather-in-wilmington/charlie-wilson
Charlie Wilson Wilmington Weather ExaminerSubscribeSponsor an Examiner A member of the American Meteorological Society, 
Charlie Wilson has combined his knowledge of Meteorology & Weather History with his Education background in Communications.
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October 1st:
1250
A great gale and storm surge flooded England, Holland and Flanders causing extensive damage.

1752
The second severe hurricane in two weeks hit the Carolinas. The Onslow County Courthouse was destroyed along with all its records, and Beacon Island disappeared. The county seat actually was moved further inland after the storm.

1837
The H.M.S. Racer was dismasted in the Gulf of Mexico by the famous "Racer's hurricane". The storm swept through Texas, then into the Gulf States, then to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

1844
Through the 7th, a major hurricane swept over Jamaica, Cuba and Nassau and the Bahamas. According to early hurricane researcher William Redfield, the storm "exhibited an amount of injury and destruction such as is rarely known in the annals of commerce."  158 vessels were wrecked and 2,546 houses were destroyed along the- Cuban coast.

1890
The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress, and assigned as part of the Department of Agriculture. Weather observations and forecasts were previously issued by the Army Signal Service.

1893
The second great hurricane of the season hit the Mississippi Delta drowning more than 1,000 people.

1909
Crew of the schooner Cedella sighted four giant waterspouts off the coast of Newfoundland, a rarity for north Atlantic waters, the largest coming within a mile of the ship.

1932
Four days of heavy rains from a dying tropical cyclone brought flooding to parts of the mountains and deserts of southern California. Rainfall of 4.38 inches fell at Tehachapi, CA in seven hours on the 30th, causing flash floods that resulted in 15 deaths.

1976
A ridge of high pressure brought record highs to parts of the Midwest. Locations reporting their warmest October temperatures included: Hatfield, WI: 94°, Preston, MN: 92° (also latest occurrence of 90 in a year), Neillsville, WI: 92°, Caledonia, MN: 91°, and Jump River, WI: 87°.  Other daily record highs included: La Crosse, WI: 92°, Des Moines, IA: 92°, Kansas City, MO: 92°, Madison, WI: 90°, Dubuque, IA: 88°-Tied and Green Bay, WI: 85°.

Hurricane Liza brought heavy rains and winds to Mexico, causing a dam to break on the Cajoncito River, killing 630 people as a wall of water rushed into the town of La Paz.

Further north, heavy rain drenched parts of the central San Joaquin Valley in California.  Fresno received 1.46 inches of rain, setting a daily record. Los Banos received a half inch of rain in just 30 minutes.

1980
A strong heat ridge across the Great Basin brought record heat from the southern Rockies to the west coast. October high temperature records were set at Riverside, CA: 108°, Phoenix, AZ hit 107°, Bakersfield, CA: 103°, San Francisco, CA: 97° and Idyllwild, CA: 93°-Tied.

Other daily records included: Palm Springs, CA: 115°, Victorville, CA: 100°, Fresno, CA: 100°, Bishop, CA: 97°, Santa Maria, CA: 95°-Tied, Reno, NV: 91°, Albuquerque, NM: 90°, Elko, NV: 88°-Tied, Big Bear Lake, CA: 82° and Alamosa, CO: 80°.

1981
Phoenix, AZ received 0.68 inches of rain in just 5 minutes, equaling their all-time record rainfall.

1985
The United Kingdom recorded its hottest October day on record when the high temperature reached 85° in the city of March.

1986
Heavy rainfall totals produced saturated soil conditions across parts of Oklahoma beginning the previous day. Conditions worsened across the area when more torrential rain fell during the first four days of October. Rainfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were common, while 15 to 20 inch amounts were reported over north-central Oklahoma. The excessive rainfall caused most major rivers in the state to flood, requiring the evacuation of about 30,000 people from 25 towns. The floods destroyed 509 homes, damaged 3,957 others, and washed out many roads and bridges, including two bridges on I-35.

1987
A blast of cold arctic air hit the north central U.S. An afternoon thunderstorm slickened the streets of Duluth, MN with hail and snow, and later in the afternoon, strong northerly winds reached 70 mph.  

Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the Pacific Northwest. Afternoon highs of Portland, OR: 92°, Olympia, WA: 90° and Seattle, WA: 89°at Seattle WA, were records for the month of October.  For Seattle, WA it marked the 21st daily record high for the year, a record total in itself.

Other daily record highs included: Fresno, CA: 100°-Tied, Eugene, OR: 92°, Salem, OR: 89°-Tied and Quillayute, WA: 79°.

1988
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms produced severe weather across central Oklahoma and the eastern half of Texas. Thunderstorms in Texas produced softball size hail northwest of Nocona, and baseball size hail at Troy and Park Springs.

1989
Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the southeastern U.S. through the daytime and evening hours. Severe thunderstorms spawned 11 tornadoes, with seven of those tornadoes in Georgia. A tornado southwest of Moultrie, GA killed two people and injured a dozen others. Tornadoes also injured one person north of Graceville, FL, and two people at Bartow, GA. Athens, GA recorded 9.03 inches of rain in a two-day period.

Barrow, AK tied a record high with 39°.

1990
One inch of rain fell at Yuma, AZ in just 15 minutes.

1992
A strong 588 decameter heat ridge extended from the Plains to the West Coast bringing record highs. Areas reporting their warmest October temperatures included: Sheridan, WY: 92° and Billings, MT: 90°-Tied. 

Other daily record highs included: Fort Benton, MT: 94°, Boise, ID: 94°, Valentine, NE: 94°-Tied, Great Falls, MT: 91°, Pocatello, ID: 91°, Glasgow, MT: 90°, Fargo, ND: 90°-Tied, Havre, MT: 88°, Cut Bank, MT: 88°, Yakima, WA: 88°, Salt Lake City, UT: 88°-Tied, Casper, WY: 87°, St. Cloud, MN: 86°, Denver, CO: 86°-Tied, Burns, OR: 86°-Tied, Helena, MT: 85°, Spokane, WA: 85°-Tied, International Falls, MN: 83°, Missoula, MT: 83°, Butte, MT: 83°, Cheyenne, WY: 83°-Tied, Kalispell, MT: 82° and Wisdom, MT: 79°.

1995
A severe thunderstorm over the Cottonwood area, just north of Artesia, in Southeast New Mexico, was struck with marble to golf ball-size hail. In Brewster County, Texas, a supercell moving to the southeast pummeled much of Alpine with large hail and high winds. The west and northwest sides of the city were hardest hit with windows knocked out of numerous houses, and about 200 homes having the paint blasted off the exterior walls. Many cars were damaged in the storm as well. The hail was two inches deep in some parts of town. During the storm a wind gust was measured at 56 mph. Total property damage was estimated at about $3 million dollars.

1998
Heavy rain fell across the Liberal area in Kansas for 24 hours with the heaviest rain falling during the morning and afternoon hours. Five to eight inches were reported with one unofficial report indicating 10 inches. Streets were flooded that had never flooded before.  A local disaster was declared.

1999
A strong cold front with a Canadian blast and moisture combined to bring snow to parts of the upper Midwest. Caledonia, MN with 2 inches and La Crosse, WI with 0.3 of an inch had their earliest measurable snowfall.

2000
A ridge of high pressure brought record high temperatures to parts of the south-central Plains. Dodge City, KS hit 96°, an October record high up to that time.

Other daily records included: Lubbock, TX: 98°, Roswell, NM: 98°, Amarillo, TX: 95°, Concordia, KS: 94°, El Paso, TX: 94°-Tied, Lincoln, NE: 92° and Clayton, NM: 90°.

2003
Strong southerly winds over Alaska pushed temperatures to all-time record highs for October at the following locations: Fairbanks: 72°, Tanana: 66°, and Fort Yukon: 63°.

Other record highs included: Delta Junction: 71°, Gulkana: 68°, Annette: 67°, Anchorage: 62°, McGrath: 62°, Bettles: 56° and Kotzebue: 54°.

2004
Dormant for 18 years, Mt. St. Helens in Washington State came to life with a series of earthquakes and rumblings.

2006
An extended heat ridge brought record highs to parts of the Plains. Wichita, KS recorded their hottest October day ever with 97°.

Other daily record highs included: Dodge City, KS: 96°-Tied, Lincoln, NE: 94°, Kansas City, MO: 94° and Sioux City, IA: 91°-Tied.

Las Vegas, NVrecorded a morning low of 79°. This was the warmest low temperature ever recorded in October.
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 October 2nd:
1858
A hurricane with category 1 winds hit San Diego, CA, the only documented hurricane to strike California in history. This occurred before official weather observations began. Winds of at least 75 mph were estimated based on damage and journalistic accounts. Extensive wind damage to property neared F2 tornado scale damage. Streets were swept clean by heavy rains.

1867
A hurricane struck Galveston, TX with a storm surge that produced $1 million dollars damage.

1882
Louisiana was struck by major hurricane with winds reaching 100 mph and a 12-foot storm surge affecting the coast and bayous. 1,500 people were killed.

An early season windstorm over Oregon and northern California blew down thousands of trees and caused great crop damage in the Sacramento Valley.

1898
A hurricane of at least Category 3 intensity struck the Georgia coast washing away Campbell Island, killing 179 people. The storm was responsible for the highest storm surge on record in the northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia area. The storm became known as the “Privy Hurricane”.

1951
The center of a Tropical Storm crossed Florida from near Fort Myers to Vero Beach. Rainfall totals ranged from 8 to 13 inches along the track, but no strong winds occurred near the center. The strong winds of 50 to 60 mph were all in squalls along the lower east coast and Keys, causing minor property damage. The greatest damage was from rains that flooded farms and pasture lands over a broad belt extending from Naples, Fort Myers, and Punta Gorda on the west coast to Stuart, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach on the east. Early fall crops flooded out in rich Okeechobee farming area. Many cattle had to be moved out of flooded area, and quite a few were lost by drowning or starvation. Roadways damaged and several bridges washed out.

1953
An unseasonable heat ridge brought record heat from the Plains to the Appalachians.  Several locations reported their warmest October temperatures on record including: Evansville, IN: 94°, St. Louis, MO: 94° (later tied), Springfield, IL: 93° (later tied), Louisville, KY: 92° (later tied then broken), Platteville, WI: 91°, Mondovi, WI: 90° and Duluth, MN: 86°.

Other daily record highs included: Topeka, KS: 95°, Omaha, NE: 94°, Lincoln, NE: 93°, Goodland, KS: 93°, Kansas City, MO: 93°, Sioux City, IA: 93°, Waterloo, IA: 93°, Paducah, KY: 93°, Sioux Falls, SD: 92°, Des Moines, IA: 92°, Huntington, WV: 92°, Valentine, NE: 92°-Tied, Little Rock, AR: 92°-Tied, Moline, IL: 91°, Lexington, KY: 91°, Nashville, TN: 91°-Tied, Rochester, MN: 90°, St. Cloud, MN: 90°, Chicago, IL: 90°, Dubuque, IA: 89°, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: 89°, Indianapolis, IN: 89°, Oak Ridge, TN: 87°, Madison, WI: 87°, La Crosse, WI: 86°, Muskegon, MI: 83°, Green Bay, WI: 83°-Tied and Marquette, MI: 82°.

1959
A tornado struck the town of Ivy, VA, located near Charlottesville. 11 people were killed, including 10 from one family.

1963
Hurricane Flora moved across the south coast of Haiti and then meandered across eastern Cuba for the next 5 days, lashing the island with winds of 100 mph or more for at least 100 hours. Astronomical rainfall amounts as much as 90 inches were reported near Velasco. More rain was reported at Guantanamo Bay from Flora than was reported during the entire year of 1962. Flora remains the 2nd deadliest hurricane ever in the Atlantic, with over 7,000 deaths.

1980
A strong heat ridge continued across the west bringing unseasonably warm temperatures.  Several locations reported all-time October high temperature records including Palm Springs, CA: 116°, Borrego Springs, CA: 113°(This record was tied the next day), Yuma, AZ: 112°, Medford, OR: 99°, Eugene, OR: 94°, Blue Canyon, CA: 88°and Astoria, OR: 85°- since tied.

Other daily records highs included: Tucson, AZ: 101°, Fresno, CA: 101°, Stockton, CA: 101°-Tied, Victorville, CA: 100°, Las Vegas, NV: 100°, Sacramento, CA: 98°-Tied, San Francisco (Airport), CA: 96°, Bishop, CA: 95°, Idyllwild, CA: 90°, Flagstaff, AZ: 81°, Eureka, CA: 80°, Olympia, WA: 80°, Quillayute, WA: 80°-Tied.

1981
Severe thunderstorms raked Phoenix, AZ with heavy rain, high winds and hail up to an inch and a half in diameter, for the 2nd day in a row. Thunderstorms on the 1st deluged Phoenix with 0.68 inches of rain in 5 minutes, equaling their all-time record.

A city street in Prospect, CT was cratered by a lightning bolt that worked its way into buildings via a water main. Numerous water leaks resulted.

1986
Severe thunderstorms brought winds of 80 to 90 mph to parts of southwest Oklahoma. The winds destroyed 17 mobile homes and damaged 74 others in Comanche County, leaving eight people injured. Damage was estimated at $500,000.

1987
A fast moving cold front produced snow flurries from Minnesota to the Appalachian Mountains, and gale force winds behind the front ushered cold air into the Great Lakes Region. Valentine, NE reported a record low of 25°. Temperatures recovered rapidly in the Northern Plains Region, reaching the lower 80s by afternoon. Jackson, WY warmed from a morning low of 21°to an afternoon high of 76°.

1988
Early morning thunderstorms in Georgia produced 3 inches of rain at Canton and Woodstock.

1989
Flooding due to thunderstorm rains in the southeastern U.S. on the last day of September and the first day of October caused the Etowah River to rise 7 feet above flood stage at Canton, GA. Thunderstorms produced up to 10 inches of rain in northeastern Georgia, with 6 inches reported at Athens, GA in 24 hours. One man was killed, and another man was injured, when they were pulled by floodwaters into drainage lines.

1994
The remnants of Tropical Depression 10 moved from the northeast Gulf of Mexico, across the Florida Panhandle, and into Georgia on the 2nd. High winds produced rough seas along west central and northwest Florida coasts causing minor tidal flooding and beach erosion. 18 people had to be rescued from sinking boats in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rains in the Florida Big Bend and Panhandle accompanied the system causing extensive flooding to roadways, creeks and low lying areas and minor flooding of rivers. Damage estimates to roadways was more than $l million dollars. Flooding was slow to recede in Leon, Wakulla and Hernando Counties where homes and roadways remained flooded through the 15th.

1999
A strong cold front with a Canadian blast and moisture combined to bring snow to parts of the upper Midwest. Elgin & Harmony, MN had their earliest measurable snowfall with 2 inches and half an inch respectively.

2000
Tremendous rains fell across South Florida due to a developing sub-tropical storm. Miami picked up 12.24 inches of rain in 24 hours and 15 inches in 2 days. The storm would go on to become Tropical Storm Leslie.

On this date through the 3rd, while remaining nearly stationary off the coast, Hurricane Keith battered the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize with torrential rain, damaging winds and storm surge. Keith dropped 32.67 inches at the Philip Goodson International Airport in Belize City.

An early snowfall dumped 9.4 inches of snow at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in Canada.

2003
Record warmth continued in parts of Alaska due to strong southerly winds. The following locations set all-time record highs for October: Chalkytsik: 75° (broke the previous record high by 16 degrees), Delta Junction: 74°, Fort Yukon: 70°, Gulkana: 69°, Eagle: 69° and Northway: 68°.

Other daily record highs included: Fairbanks: 70°, Homer: 60° and Bettles: 57°.

2005
On this date through the 3rd, Typhoon Longwang slammed into the coastal province of Fujian, China with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph, destroying barracks housing for paramilitary police. The raging floodwaters swept away 142 officers.

2006
A tornado touches down southwest of Leipzig, Germany ripping the roofs off at least 20 buildings and injuring two. A separate tornado is seen in rural Belgium which pulls roofs off a dozen homes and three businesses, uproots trees and overturns several cars.
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October 3rd:
1780
The hurricane season of 1780 was one of the worst in recorded history.  At least 8 destructive storms struck American and Caribbean shores that year. In October, three storms in three successive weeks caused unparalleled economic and military destruction.  The first, named the Savanna-La-Mer hurricane for the tiny settlement on the island of Jamaica which was completely destroyed by the storm's tides and winds, struck on this date.

1841
The "October Gale" hit southern New England. It was the worst ever to hit Nantucket.  The storm raised havoc with the Cape Cod fishing fleet with 40 ships being washed ashore on Cape Cod and 57 men were lost from the town of Truro, MA alone. The storm caused heavy snow inland, with 18 inches at Middletown, CT and 3 inches at Concord, MA.

1869
Saxby's Gale, so named because it was predicted almost a year in advance by a British officer named Saxby, struck the Bay of Fundy. The heavy rainfall accompanying the storm caused a tremendous flood in a 6-state area.

1903
An F4 tornado moved northeast from west of Chatfield, MN, passing through and devastating St. Charles, MN. Seven people were killed and 30 injured as 50 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Homes were also swept away in parts of Wisconsin, along Eagle Creek and then at Independence, where two people died and half of the town were torn apart. Damage for both states totaled $400,000 dollars. About two hours later, another F4 tornado apparently formed about 5 miles east of Rome and then moved east-northeast passing 1.5 miles south of Bancroft in Portage County. The tornado was up to a half mile wide but most of the damage was in Portage County.

1912
Bagdad, CA started an amazing streak of 767 consecutive days of no rain that would last until November, 1914. This remains a U.S. record.

1963
Hurricane Flora, one of the deadliest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Basin, battered Haiti with sustained winds around 150 mph. The storm moved northwestward, meandered over western Cuba from the 4th to the 8th, and then finally accelerated northeastward out to sea. 5,000 people were killed on Haiti with damage severe to complete. Enormous amounts of rain fell in Cuba due to Flora's slow movement. 90 inches of rain deluged Bayamo. Crops were totally destroyed. A total of 7,200 people were killed by Flora and damage was set at $435 million dollars.

1964
Hurricane Hilda struck the central Louisiana coast during the evening hours. Fortunately, the storm had weakened from peak intensity of 150 mph and a minimum pressure of 941 millibars or 27.79 inHg achieved on October 1st, when the storm was 350 miles south of New Orleans, LA. Hilda crossed the coastline with a pressure of 950 millibars or 28.05 inHg and produced sustained winds of 120 mph at Franklin, LA with gusts to 135 mph.  A large water tower fell on the City Hall at Erath, LA where the civil defense headquarters was located. Several tornadoes occurred in the feeder bands crossing southeastern Louisiana. An F4 tornado cut a short 2 mile path through Larose, LA. The path may have been short but the tornado killed 22 people and injured 165 people.  Usually, hurricane-spawned tornadoes are not nearly this strong. Overall, 38 people were killed in Louisiana and total damage was $125 million dollars.

1966
Late on this date Hurricane Inez began moving southwestward from a position about 100 miles east of Miami, FL. The eye of Inez moved from Key Largo to Key West on the 4th. The highest wind reported on the Florida mainland was a gust to 80 mph at Homestead AFB. There were no sustained winds of hurricane force on the mainland. All of the Keys reported winds of hurricane force ranging up to 100-125 mph in gusts. Rainfall totals were between 2-4 inches over the southeast portion of the peninsula and in the Keys. Three people were killed and 11 more were injured. Over $5 million dollars in damage resulted. 

1970
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration was formed and the U.S. Weather Bureau became the National Weather Service.

1978
Downtown Calgary, Alberta Canada was blasted with 71 mph wind gusts forcing construction workers to jump from scaffolds.

1979
Without any severe weather watches or warnings, an F4 tornado ripped through Windsor Locks, CT. The Bradley Air Museum was hit with 16 vintage aircraft totally destroyed.  The tornado passed 1 mile east of the National Weather Service office at Bradley International airport with a wind gust of 86 mph recorded at the office. Threepeople were killed, 500 others were injured and damage was estimated at $200 million dollars.

1980
More heat across the west from a heat ridge resulted in more record high temperatures.  Record highs for October included: Borrego Springs, CA: 113° (tied the previous day), Victorville, CA: 101° (tied two days later) and Stockton, CA: 101° (tied the previous day and the day after). 

Other daily record highs included: Fresno, CA: 101°, Las Vegas, NV: 99°, Sacramento, CA: 98°, Bishop, CA: 96°, San Francisco (Airport), CA: 91°, Idyllwild, CA: 90°, Reno, NV: 90°, Elko, NV: 88°-Tied, Winnemucca, NV: 88°-Tied, Ely, NV: 83° and Olympia, WA: 82.

1983
A prolonged very heavy rain event, starting back on September 29th, finally came to an end over the eastern two-thirds of Arizona as rainfall totals ranged from 2 to 12 inches courtesy of moisture from the remains of Tropical Storm Octave. The result was the most destructive flooding ever in Arizona. 13 people were killed and 1,300 homes were destroyed.  Damage was estimated at $178 million dollars. 

1986
The remnants of Hurricane Paine deluged Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas with 6 to 10 inches of rain during the overnight hours. Hardy, OK recorded 21.79 inches. Heavy rain between September 26th and October 4th caused $350 million dollars damage in Oklahoma

1987
Many cities in the Upper Midwest reported record low temperatures for the date including:   Duluth MN: 24°, Eau Claire WI: 24°, Spencer IA: 24°, Sioux Falls, SD: 25°, Waterloo, IA: 26°, Dubuque, IA: 27°, Lincoln, NE: 27°, Norfolk, NE: 27°, Sioux City, IA: 28°, Springfield, MO: 30°, Kansas City, MO: 31°, Columbia, MO: 32°, Fort Smith, AR: 35°, Concordia, KS: 35°, Wichita, KS: 37°-Tied, Tulsa, OK: 39°, Midland-Odessa, TX: 39°and Wichita Falls, TX: 42°.

Temperatures warmed into the 80s in the Northern and Central Plains. At Chadron NE, the mercury soared from a morning low of 29°to an afternoon high of 88°. Record highs were reported from parts of the northern Plains to California where temperatures soared above 100°. The high of 108°at Downtown Los Angeles was a record for October. 

Other daily record highs included: El Cajon, CA: 109°, Chula Vista, CA: 106°, Fallbrook, CA: 106°, Santee, CA: 106°, Riverside, CA: 105°, Long Beach, CA: 105°, San Diego, CA: 104°, Escondido, CA: 102°, Santa Ana, CA: 102°, Redding, CA: 99°, Sacramento, CA: 99°, Las Vegas, NV: 99°-Tied, Valentine, MT: 91°, Grass Range, MT: 90°, Glasgow, MT: 90°-Tied, Winnemucca, NV: 88°-Tied, Bismarck, ND: 87°-Tied, Sheridan, WY: 86°-Tied, Bozeman, MT: 84° andCasper, WY: 82.

1988
Cold Canadian air invaded the north central U.S. bringing an end to the growing season while unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the southwestern U.S. Record high temperatures for the date included: Phoenix AZ: 105°, Winnemucca, NV: 88°-Tied and Yakima, WA: 84.

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in 3 hours at Nimes, France, causing floods and mudslides that resulted in 8 deaths.

1989
Unseasonably cold weather prevailed from the northern tier to the Upper Mississippi Valley. Many cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Grand Forks, ND: 15, Bismarck, ND: 16°, Williston, ND: 16°, St. Cloud, MN: 21° and Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: 26°. An upper level weather disturbance brought snow to parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, with 5 inches reported at West Yellowstone, MT.

1992
A strong tropical disturbance in the eastern Gulf of Mexico spawned 10 tornadoes from the Tampa Bay area to Ocala, killing four people and injuring 77 others. Hardest hit was Pinellas County where all the deaths occurred. Other tornadoes were reported in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Marion, Citrus and Levy Counties without serious injury. Heavy rain caused moderate to heavy flooding in northeast Florida, especially the Jacksonville area where 8.69 inches fell. Brunswick, GA was deluged with 10.14 inches in 24 hours. Strong winds and a long fetch pushed tides 4 to 5 feet above normal along the west coast of Florida. Major beach erosion occurred at Egmont Key and all along the coast of Hillsborough County. Total damage was estimated at $32 million dollars.

1995
The usual army of media abandoned the National Hurricane Center in order to cover the verdict in the O.J. Simpson trial, just as Hurricane Opal was gathered strength in the Gulf of Mexico and lunged toward the coast. Many people did not hear the late evening evacuation orders as the storm exploded to near Category 5 strength and doubled its forward motion, a worst case scenario for forecasters.

1997
Early October heat prevailed across the upper Midwest. The following locations recorded their warmest October temperature: Guttenberg, IA: 94°, Oelwein, IA: 94°, La Crosse, WI: 93° (tied with 10/6/1963 for warmest October day), Rochester, MN: 93°, Austin, MN: 92° and Lynxville, WI: 92°.

1999
An early October cold snap drives the temperatures down to a frigid 17° at Dauphin, Manitoba Canada and 17° at Gimli, both new records for the date. Dauphin's temperature will rebound by afternoon to 45°, the province’s hot spot for the day.

Elkader, IA recorded their earliest measurable snowfall with a half an inch.

2000
A small area of very strong thunderstorms developed in west central Illinois during the early evening hours, and moved into north central Illinois. A predominate gust front developed ahead of these storms, which brought considerable winds across La Salle County. Winds were estimated near 90 mph, maintaining that strength as the gust front moved across the county. Near Oglesby, a semi-tractor trailer was overturned and several secondary roads leading to Starved Rock State Park were closed due to downed trees and power lines. 

2002
Residents along the Louisiana coast had braced for the worst storm in decades in their area, but breathed a sigh of relief when Hurricane Lili weakened considerably from a Category 4 to Category 2 storm in the hours just before landfall. Residents of the small Terrebonne Parish town of Montegut had their homes flooded when a protection levee failed. Although damages totaled $335 million dollars, no fatalities were reported as a direct result of the storm. Lili had killed 8 people the week before crossing the Caribbean.

Lili became the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Irene on 10/15/1999. The longest streak ever was between Hurricane Allen which made landfall on 8/10/1980 and Hurricane Alicia, which struck the Houston area on 8/18/1983, a streak of a little over 3 years.

2006
Parts of the Missouri Valley and Central Plains baked in early October heat. Dodge City, KS set their all-time October record high of 98°. 

Several cities tied or set record high temperatures including: Topeka, KS: 96°, Wichita, KS: 96°, Kansas City, MO: 95°, Moline, IL: 95°, Burlington, IA 95°, St. Louis, MO: 94°, Columbia, MO: 94°-Tied, Peoria, IL: 93°, Springfield, IL hit 93°-Tied and Springfield, MO: 91°-Tied.

2007
Typhoon Lekima made landfall in Vietnam with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. Its torrential rain and high winds triggered landslides, flooded thousands of homes, and destroyed vast areas of rice fields. The typhoon was responsible for 86 deaths. Vietnam suffered its worst flooding in 45 years.
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October 4th:
1837
The Racer Storm hurricane destroyed Brazos Santiago, Mexico and sank or severely damaged all vessels in the harbor. The storm then moved up the western Gulf of Mexico coast into Texas.

1867
Galveston, TX has a track record of severe hurricanes. Almost 30 years to the day after the famous Racer's Hurricane struck the island city; another major hurricane brought violent winds and inundation. All of the wharves in Galveston were reportedly destroyed.  

1869
"Saxby's Gale" and the great New England rainstorm and flood occurred. The storm was predicted one year before and caused great wind and tide damage in Maine and New Brunswick. High floods resulted in all of New England with 12.35 inches of rain recorded at Canton, CT.

1962
Beginning on this date through the 6th, three days of rain at Tacajo, Cuba totaled 79.72 inches.

1963
Hurricane Flora spent 11 days wreaking havoc along her path through the Caribbean.  The storm brought 170 mph winds and an 11 foot storm surge to Haiti, killing 5,000 people, making it the island nation's most destructive hurricane. The slow moving storm brought 15 - 20 inches of rain in 72 hours to parts of Cuba. The floods and mudslides killed 1,300 people in that island nation. Castro refused the United States' offer of help.

1969
Denver, COreceived 9.6 inches of snow. October of that year proved to be the coldest and snowiest on record, with a total of 31.2 inches for the month.

1972
On this date through the 7th, the remnants of Hurricane Joanne brought heavy rain and flooding to much of Arizona. It was the first documented tropical storm to reach the state with its cyclonic circulation intact.

1974
A killing frost occurred on the 3rd and 4th in the suburbs outside of National Airport in Washington, D.C. as the low dropped to 34°.

Elkins, WV: 13°, Mt. Pocono, PA: 20°, Beckley, WV: 23°-Tied, Binghamton, NY: 24°, Sterling (Dulles Airport), VA: 26°, Lynchburg, VA: 26°, Reading, PA: 26°, Asheville, NC: 27°, Charleston, WV: 27°, Atlantic City, NJ: 27°, Georgetown, DE: 27°, Avoca, PA: 27°, Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA: 27°, Akron, OH: 28°, Bristol, TN: 28°, Richmond, VA: 28°, Roanoke, VA: 28°, Toledo, OH: 29°, Huntington, WV: 29°, Allentown, PA: 29°, Rochester, MN: 29°, Oak Ridge, TN: 30°, Columbia, SC: 30°, Salisbury, MD: 30°, Erie, PA: 30°, Youngstown, OH: 30°-Tied, Wilmington, DE: 30°-Tied, Columbus, OH: 31°, Greensboro, NC: 31°, Raleigh, NC: 31°, Baltimore, MD: 31°, Pittsburgh, PA: 31°, Buffalo, NY: 31°, Harrisburg, PA: 31°-Tied, Tupelo, MS: 32°, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 32°, Chattanooga, TN: 33°, Charlotte, NC: 33°, Elizabeth City, NC: 33°, Cleveland, OH: 33°-Tied, Knoxville, TN: 34°, Augusta, GA: 34°, Philadelphia, PA: 34°, Wallops Island, VA: 35°, Macon, GA: 36°, Wilmington, NC: 36°, Meridian, MS: 37°, Athens, GA: 37°, Savannah, GA: 37°, Charleston, SC: 37°, Huntsville, AL: 38°, Bridgeport, CT: 38°, Atlanta, GA: 39°, Birmingham, AL: 40°, Montgomery, AL: 40°, Columbus, GA: 40°, New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY: 40°, Norfolk, VA: 43°, Mobile, AL: 44°, Baton Rouge, LA: 45°, Tallahassee, FL: 47°, Lake Charles, LA: 48°, Cape Hatteras, NC: 48°, New Orleans, LA: 49°, Jacksonville, FL: 50°, Tampa, FL: 53°and Orlando, FL: 58°.

1976
The average wind speed reached 88.5 mph at Melfort, Saskatchewan Canada, the province's highest ever sustained wind.

1980
A heat ridge out west brought record heat. Borrego Springs, CA hit 110°; their latest reading of 110° or higher. Fresno, CA soared to 102°, not only a record for October, but also the fifth time during that month of 100° highs or above, also a record. Stockton, CA had their third consecutive day at 101°, tying their October record. Other daily record highs included: Victorville, CA: 100°, Bishop, CA: 94°, Winslow, AZ: 89°-Tied, Elko, NV: 88°, Winnemucca, NV: 88° and Reno, NV: 88°-Tied.

With the ridge out west, there was a deep trough from the Great Lakes to the Deep South responsible for some morning cold. Daily record low temperatures included: Ste. St. Marie, MI: 25°, Madison, WI: 27°, Chicago, IL: 32°, Paducah, KY: 36°-Tied and Jacksonville, FL: 50°-Tied.

1986
Excessive flooding continued on the Mississippi River and all over the Midwest. Rainfall totals for the period since September 27th to this date included 20.07 inches at Hale, KS, nearly 18 inches at Coffeyville, KS, and over 18 inches at Walnut, KS.

16.21 inches of rain fell at McCamey, TX on this date. A car was swept from a bridge which was covered by the flooding water near Rankin, TX, killing the motorist.

1987
A rapidly deepening coastal stormbrought record snows to the northeastern U.S.  Grafton, NY reported 22 inches, 21 inches at North Springfield, VT and 18 inches was reported at Pownal, VT. Damage to trees was extensive since many of them were still in full leaf. The storm caught many by surprise, especially the snowplow teams. It was the earliest snow on record for some locations. The 6 inches of snow at Albany, NY was their earliest measurable snow in 117 years of records. The storm claimed 17 lives in central New York State, injured 332 people, and in Vermont caused $17 million dollars damage.  

Eastern New York/Western New England received the earliest snow of record. Great Barrington, MA received 12 inches and Norfolk, CT reported 9.5 inches. One million people were without power at one time and 94% of trees in Vermont's Bennington County were damaged.

There was a strong upper level trough from the Plains to the East Coast that brought record low temperatures for the date including: Cincinnati, OH: 29°, Columbus, OH: 29°, Paducah, KY: 30°, Knoxville, TN: 30°, Evansville, IN: 31°, Indianapolis, IN: 31°, Jackson, KY: 31°, Lexington, KY: 32°, Bridgeport, CT: 34°, Louisville, KY: 35°, Birmingham, AL: 35°, Fort Smith, AR: 36°, Huntsville, AL: 36°, Athens, GA: 36°, Nashville, TN: 36°-Tied, Macon, GA: 36°-Tied, Meridian, MS: 37°-Tied, Jackson, MS: 38°, Atlanta, GA: 39°-Tied, Islip, NY: 40°, New York (Kennedy Airport), NY: 40°-Tied, Montgomery, AL: 40°-Tied, Little Rock, AR: 40°-Tied, Memphis, TN: 41°, Waco, TX: 41°, Shreveport, LA: 41°, New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY: 41°-Tied, Mobile, AL: 44°-Tied, Dallas (DFW), TX: 45°, Lake Charles, LA: 45°, Baton Rouge, LA: 45°-Tied, Gainesville, FL: 47°and Jacksonville, FL: 48°.

Southern Californiacontinued bake with the heat ridge across the west. An earthquake was reported during the morning, the second in a matter of days, and during the afternoon temperatures soared well above 100 degrees. The high of 108°at Santa Maria set an October record. Downtown Los Angeles, CA hit 108°tying their October record set the previous day. San Luis Obispo, CA was the hot spot in the nation with an afternoon high of 111°.

Other daily record highs included: Palm Springs, CA: 109°, Riverside, CA: 105°, Long Beach, CA: 105°, Santa Ana, CA: 104°, Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 103°, Redding, CA: 102°, Phoenix, AZ: 102°-Tied, Sacramento, CA: 98°-Tied, San Diego, CA: 97°, Bishop, CA: 95°, San Francisco (Airport), CA: 95°, Reno, NV: 89°, Ely, NV: 83°and Alamosa, CO: 77°.

1988
Canadian high pressure behind a cold front brought record low temperatures to parts of the northern Plains including: Bismarck, ND: 17°, Valentine, NE: 22°, Fargo, ND: 23°-Tied and Grand Island, NE: 29°.  Low pressure brought snow and sleet to parts of Upper Michigan.

3.57 inches of rain fell in one hour at Davie, FL.

1989
Unseasonably cold weather continued in the north central U.S., with freezing temperatures reported across much of the area from eastern North Dakota to Michigan and northwest Ohio. Many cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Saint Cloud, MN, which was the cold spot in the nation with a morning low of 19°.  Other daily record lows included: Rockford, IL: 24°, Dubuque, IA: 25°, Green Bay, WI: 25°, Madison, WI: 25°, La Crosse, WI: 27°, Toledo, OH: 27°, Flint, MI: 28°, Chicago, IL: 29°, Fort Wayne, IN: 29°, South Bend, IN: 30°-Tied and Detroit, MI: 32°-Tied.

1995
Hurricane Opal developed over the south central Gulf of Mexico on the 2nd, and intensified to a category 4 hurricane during the early morning hours of the 4th, as it moved rapidly northeast across the Gulf of Mexico. At 4:45am CDT, Air Force Reconnaissance reported an alarming central pressure of 916 millibars or 27.05 inHg and winds were estimated at 150 mph, making the storm the strongest on record in the Atlantic in October. The storm had rapidly intensified that morning, dropping from 951 to 916 millibars in just 9 hours. At that time Opal was 290 miles south-southwest of Pensacola, FL. Opal diminished to a marginal category 3 hurricane before making landfall near Pensacola Beach during the late afternoon of the 4th, yet was still the strongest hurricane to hit the Florida panhandle in 20 years. The center of the storm moved ashore at almost the same location as hurricane Erin about two months earlier. As Opal moved ashore, minimum central pressure was 942 millibars or 27.82 inHg, and estimated maximum sustained wind speeds were 115 mph. Highest observed wind speeds were 84 mph gusting to 144 mph at Hurlburt Field in Mary Esther. The storm surge reached approximately 10 feet above mean sea level, with debris lines up to 25 feet above mean sea level. By far the greatest amount of damage from Opal in northwest Florida occurred due to devastating storm surge and waves along the beaches of Walton, Bay and Gulf counties. Almost 300 homes were destroyed with another 1,000 homes suffering major damage. The storm surge destroyed highway 399 that runs from Pensacola Beach to Navarre Beach, and U.S. highway 98 between Fort Walton Beach and Destin. Several tornadoes were reported with one fatality near Crestview. There were no reported deaths due to storm surge flooding. The most rainfall occurred at Ellyson Field where 15.45 inches fell on the 3rd and 4th. Crop damage was estimated at $5 million dollars. It was estimated that $50 million in damage was done to recreational boats, with almost 1,000 boats damaged, and about 70 boats lost or sunken. Opal killed nine people and insured property damage was estimated at an excess of $2 billion dollars, ranking Opal as one of the costliest twentieth century U.S. hurricanes. The outer fringes of Opal caused tidal flooding and beach erosion as far south as the lower Florida Keys. In Key West, major beach erosion, with estimated restoration costs near $3 million dollars occurred, and streets in old town were inundated with sea water. Many people in Florida were without water for several days. Inland, Opal downed numerous trees and knocked out power to nearly two million people.

1998
Two rounds of thunderstorms at Kansas City, MO produced flash floods that killed 12 people. Most people died after driving their automobiles into rushing water. Over 100 water rescues were required during the event. 7 people died when their cars became stranded on a single bridge over Brush Creek. The National Weather Service received a commendation for their excellent warnings during the event. The first of numerous flash flood warnings had a lead time of over 30 minutes. Total damage exceeded $50 million dollars.

This day brought the greatest October tornado outbreak in history to Oklahoma. 26 tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma that day, more than in any other October outbreak in any state. Meteorologists at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK were able to view a tornado passing in the distance.

On the backside of this storm, an earlyseason blizzard struck much of Converse and Niobrara Counties in Wyoming. 8 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow fell from late on the 4th into the 5th over many areas. This combined with 40 mph winds snapped about 200 power poles and left about 4,000 people without power in Lusk and Manville for up to 5 days.

2005
Hurricane Stan made landfall along the Mexican coastline southeast of Veracruz.  Torrential rains of 10 to 15 inches caused extensive flooding and loss of life across Central America. Death tolls reached 23 in Mexico, Nicaragua and Honduras, and 62 in El Salvador, but the greatest loss of life came in Guatemala, where as many as 2,000 people were killed in rain-related flooding and landslides.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN received 4.61 inches of rain, breaking the local daily rainfall record for October. North of the Twin Cities, weather spotters reported 9 inches of rain at Spencer Brook.

2006
A rare October tornado touches down near Shoshone, ID but caused no significant damage. National Weather Service reported this was only the second recorded October tornado in the state. The previous occurred in October 1984 in Ada County.

2007
An early season winter storm brought snow flurries mixed with rain as low as 4,000 feet in parts of the central Sierra Nevada in California. Snow flurries mixed with rain were observed on the valley floor of Yosemite National Park and accumulating snow reported as low as 5,000 feet. 
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 October 5th:

1638
"A mighty tempest, and withal the highest tide, which has been since our coming to this country," according to Governor John Winthrop's journal. This was the second severe hurricane to strike Massachusetts in three years. Many trees in Massachusetts and Maine were blown down in mile long tracks and ships were wrecked.

1786
The famous "Pumpkin Flood" occurred on the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Harrisburg, PA reported a river stage of 22 feet. The heavy rains culminated a wet season.

1811
Navy Gun Boat #2 sank during a gale in the Chesapeake Bay, killing 40 people.

1836
26 inches of snow fell at Auburn, NY on this date through the 6thin one of the greatest snowstorms in New York State history. 26 inches also fell at Hollidaysburg, PA.

1844
A hurricane swept along the path from Cuba to the Florida Straits to the Bahamas to Bermuda and finally to Newfoundland. Such destruction "is rarely known in the annals of commerce."

1864
A tropical cyclone hit India near Calcutta, India devastating the city and killing about 60,000 people in the region.

1892
Washington, D.C. recorded a trace of snow, its earliest measurable snowfall on record.

1911
Moisture from the remnants of a tropical storm caused heavy rainfall in the San Juan Mountains causing floods on the Upper Rio Grande and other Colorado Rivers.  Alamosa, CO reported extensive flooding.

1917
The temperature at Sentinel, AZ soared to 116°to establish an October record for the nation. Other daily record highs included: Yuma, AZ: 108°-Tied, Tucson, AZ: 101° andElko, NV: 87°.

1941
Bermuda high pressure pumped record heat across much of the east. Phoenixville, PA reached 100°, establishing an October state maximum temperature record. Locations recording their all-time October high temperature records included: Baltimore, MD: 97°, Washington, D.C.: 96°, and Philadelphia, PA: 96°.  

Other locations reporting daily record high included: Roanoke, VA: 98°, Harrisburg, PA: 97°, Richmond, VA: 97°, Lynchburg, VA: 96°, Raleigh, NC: 96°, Reading, PA: 94°, Trenton, NJ: 94°, Elizabeth City, NC: 94°, Wilmington, DE: 94°, Greensboro, NC: 94°, Newark, NJ: 93°, Norfolk, VA: 93°, Allentown, PA: 92°, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 92°, Chattanooga, TN: 92°, Williamsport, PA: 91°, Atlanta, GA: 91°, Huntington, WV: 90°, Asheville, NC: 90°, Avoca, PA: 89°, Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA: 89°, Lexington, KY: 89°, Beckley, WV: 88° and Elkins, WV: 86°.

1948
A hurricane crossing the upper Florida Keys spawned at least three tornadoes across Broward and Dade Counties.  Pompano Beach reported tornadoes that destroyed 29 homes and injured 27 people.

1953
A west coast heat ridge brought record high temperatures. Escondido, CA hit 106°, their highest temperature for October. Other daily record highs included: Riverside, CA: 104°, Santa Ana, CA: 103°, Long Beach, CA: 101°, Downtown Los Angeles, CA: 101°, Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 100°, San Diego, CA: 90°-Tied, San Francisco (Airport), CA: 88° and Olympia, WA: 81°.

1954
Infamous Hurricane Hazel, which caused tremendous destruction in the Carolinas, was born on this date.

1970
An F4 tornado moved northeast from northern Pottawatomie County, into southeast Lincoln County in Oklahoma. A total of 564 homes, 157 businesses, 12 public buildings, 5 schools, and 10 churches were either damaged or destroyed. In Prague, there were 4 deaths and 80 injuries, as the tornado tracked through the middle of town.

1972
Heavy rains, mostly the remnants of Tropical Storm Joanne, fell across much of Arizona through the 7th. It was believed to be the first time in Arizona weather history that a tropical storm entered the state with its circulation still intact. The center was over Flagstaff early on the 7th.

1980
A large upper level ridge continued to bring record heat to the west. Big Bear Lake, CA had their hottest temperature in October with 85°. Victorville, CA hit 101° tying their highest October temperature which occurred two days before. 

Other daily record highs included: Palm Springs, CA: 111°, Borrego Springs, CA: 106°, Fresno, CA: 102° (their 5thday triple digit heat, a record for October), Las Vegas, NV: 99°, Medford, OR: 97°, Stockton, CA: 96°, Bishop, CA: 94°, Eugene, OR: 92°, Pendleton, OR: 92°, Winnemucca, NV: 90°, Portland, OR: 90°, Olympia, WA: 89°, Salem, OR: 89°, Reno, NV: 89°-Tied, Yakima, WA: 86°, Seattle, WA: 82° and Quillayute, WA: 75-Tied°.

1987
It was another day of scorching heat for the southwestern U.S courtesy of a strong upper level heat ridge. Afternoon highs of 104°at Monterrey, CA and 102°at Mission Dolores in Downtown San Francisco, CA, established all-time records. The high of 101°at San Jose, CA was a record for October. Sacramento tied their record for October for the 3rdtime in the month, with a reading of 102°. The high temperature for the nation was 111°at San Luis Obispo (the 2ndday in a row) and Palm Springs, CA.

Advertisement 
Other daily record highs included: Borrego Springs, CA: 106°, Phoenix, AZ: 104°, Santa Maria, CA: 102°, Redding, CA: 101°, Sacramento, CA: 98°, Stockton, CA: 98°, San Francisco (Airport), CA: 97°, Bishop, CA: 94°-Tied, Eureka, CA: 84°-Tied and Quillayute, WA: 76°.

A trough in the east was responsible for a chilly morning with many cities in the southeastern U.S. reporting record low temperatures for the date, including Knoxville, TN: 34°, Meridian, MS: 36°, Jackson, MS: 38°, Birmingham, AL: 38°, Jackson, KY: 39°, Little Rock, AR: 42°-Tied, Savannah, GA: 43°, Mobile, AL: 45°, Baton Rouge, LA: 45°-Tied, Lake Charles, LA: 46° and New Orleans, LA: 46°.

1988
Upper level low pressure and a trough were responsible for record low temperatures for the date from the Plains to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Goodland, KS reported a chilly afternoon high of 39°. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Marquette reported an inch of snow.

Locations reporting record low temperatures for the date included: Duluth, MN: 21°-Tied, Waterloo, IA: 24°, Norfolk, NE: 26°, Sioux City, IA: 26°, Des Moines, IA: 30°-Tied, Columbia, MO: 33°-Tied, Kansas City, MO: 34° and Jackson, KY: 36°.

1989
Showers and thunderstorms associated with Tropical Storm Raymond deluged southeastern Arizona with heavy rain. Up to 4.5 inches of rain was reported north of Wilcox. 75% of the streets in the town of Wilcox were left under 18 inches of water, and damage exceeded $1 million dollars.  

Evening thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. Thunderstorms produced high winds which gusted to 80 mph at White Deer, TX, and resulted in one death at Pocasset, OK. Thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail at Pampa and Lefors, TX.

1998
A big three-day snowstorm came to an end over the Black Hills in South Dakota. Galena was buried under 48 inches of snow and Lead checked in with 42.1 inches.

Rain and embedded thunderstorms dumped a large area of 4 to 10 inches of rain producing widespread flooding. Most of the flooding was confined to low areas along creeks and highways. The hardest hit areas were in southeast Kansas and west central and central Missouri. Numerous highways were closed due to high water.

2003
Heavy rains in Port-au-Prince, Haiti triggered landslides that collapsed homes in four neighborhoods resulting in 13 deaths.

2005
After sweating through 90°+ heat at the beginning of the month, residents in North Dakota saw heavy snow across much of the state. A record breaking early season snowfall buried portions of Montana and North Dakota. 22 inches of snow was recorded at Dunn Center, North Dakota, 18 inches fell at Pryor, Montana and 15 inches was measured at Dickinson, North Dakota. The 10.8 inches at Billings, Montana was its greatest snowfall for so early in the season.

2007
An early season winter storm brought snow flurries mixed with rain as low as 4,000 feet in parts of the central Sierra Nevada in California. Snow flurries mixed with rain were observed on the valley floor of Yosemite National Park and accumulating snow reported as low as 5,000 feet.
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 October 6th:

If you like lots of the sun then, not surprisingly, the best place in the United States for you is in the desert southwest. The sunniest city in the U.S. is Yuma, Arizona which sees 90% of the yearly possible sunshine. Second on the list is Las Vegas, Nevada which receives around 85% of the possible sunshine. Las Vegas also holds the distinction of being the least humid city in the country with an annual average relative humidity of just 30.5%.

1836
A second early season snowstorm produced 11 inches at Wilkes Barre, PA and 26 inches at Auburn, NY. All the mountains in the northeastern U.S. were whitened with snow.

1941
A strong tornado hit the east side of Kansas City, MO. 4 people were killed, including 2 people in a house that was blown intact for 700 feet and then destroyed. 130 homes and buildings were destroyed. Damage totaled $250,000 dollars.

A Hurricane struck near Miami, FL during the early morning with peak winds of 125 mph, causing considerable property damage. Five people drowned in small boats capsized by the high wind. The hurricane moved out into the Gulf of Mexico and made a second landfall near Apalachicola, FL the next morning.

1952
Nashville, TN recorded its earliest snowfall ever with a trace recorded.

1963
An unseasonable heat ridge extended from California to the central Plains, Great Lakes into the Northeast. Record highs for the month of October included: Waterloo, IA: 95°-Tied, Chicago, IL: 94°, Decorah, IA: 94°, Elkader, IA: 94°, Dodge, WI: 93°, La Crosse, WI: 93°-Tied, Prairie du Chien, WI: 93°, Hillsboro, WI: 92°, Lancaster, WI: 92°, Necedah, WI: 92°, Fayette, IA: 91°, Genoa, WI: 91°, Richland Center, WI: 91°, Blair, WI: 90°, Mauston, WI: 90°, Sparta, WI: 90°, Trempealeau, WI: 90° and Viroqua, WI: 90°.

Other daily record included: Kansas City, MO: 95°, Des Moines, IA: 94°, Concordia, KS: 94°, Lincoln, NE: 93°, Omaha, NE: 93°, Moline, IL: 92°, South Bend, IN: 92°, Sioux City, IA: 91°, Columbia, MO: 91°-Tied, Madison, WI: 90°, Peoria, IL: 90°, Rockford, IL: 90°, Springfield, IL: 90°, Milwaukee, WI: 89°, Norfolk, NE: 89°, Fort Wayne, IN: 89°-Tied, Green Bay, WI: 88°, Rochester, MN: 88°, Sioux City, IA: 87°-Tied and Dubuque, IA: 86°-Tied.

1967
A Canadian record for maximum one-day rainfall was set as 19.3 inches fell at Brynnor Mines and Ucluelet, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

1971
Santa Ana winds produced record heat and fires across parts of southern California. A fire of 1,000 acres burned southeast of Poway, CA. Record highs included: Long Beach, CA: 105°, La Mesa, CA: 103°, Santa Ana, CA: 103°, Downtown Los Angeles, CA: 102°, Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 101°, San Diego, CA: 101°, National City, CA: 101° and Santa Maria, CA: 96°. There was relief along the coast as Imperial Beach only reached 84°.

1974
An area of low pressure that had brought windy conditions to Florida since the 1st of the month strengthened into a subtropical storm early on this date and moved northward just off the east coast causing extremely rough seas, coastal flooding, and beach erosion. Winds of 25 to 40 mph with higher gusts were reported. Locally heavy rain caused flooding along the east coast. Heaviest amounts were 14 inches at Boca Raton and 10 inches at Cocoa. No deaths or serious injuries were reported. Thousands of surfers were attracted by the extended period of rough seas and high surf along the east coast during the first week of October, some suffered cuts and bruises.

1977
Hurricane Heather recurved with the remnants tracking across Baja California into Arizona.  Rainfall totals of up to two inches fell in the southern mountains and deserts on this date through the 7th. 

1981
An airliner flew into a tornado which had just lifted off the ground near Moerdijk, Holland, causing one of the wings to fall off. The resulting crash killed all 17 people on board.

1985
A tropical wave, later to become Tropical Storm Isabel, struck Puerto Rico. As much as 24 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, and the severe flooding and numerous land and mudslides resulting from the rain claimed about 180 lives. 

1987
The western U.S. continued to sizzle. Astoria OR tied their October high temperature record with 85°.

Other daily record highs included: Redding, CA: 103°, Tucson, AZ: 101°-Tied, Fresno, CA: 99°, Sacramento, CA: 98°, Stockton, CA: 96°, Salem, OR: 88°-Tied, Eugene, OR: 86°-Tied, Quillayute, WA: 82°, Flagstaff, AZ: 81°and Eureka, CA: 78°.

1990
What a contrast: The day before at Rapid City, SD, it was 89°. On this date, freezing conditions and snow showers occurred.

Heavy snow blanketed parts of the northern Rockies. Snowfall totals included: Mystic Lake, MT: 20 inches, Red Lodge, MT: 12 inches, Nye, MT: 10 inches, Sheridan, WY: 7 inches, Pryor, MT: 5 inches, Billings, MT: 3.5 inches; Billings had a high temperature of just 38°, after a high of 82° the previous day.

1994
A surface low pressure system formed over the Rockies and advanced across the plains into South Dakota. A cold front bowed southeast and south of the low across central South Dakota and into eastern Nebraska. With the unstable weather in the warm sector, a line of thunderstorms developed during the mid to late afternoon hours. The storms quickly became severe as they moved into western Iowa. Monona and Crawford Counties were especially hard hit. There were numerous reports of golf ball size hail and one storm produced baseball size hail over the Ute area of Monona County. Baseball size hail also fell a short time later east of Soldier. As the storms moved east, high winds were the major problem causing some roof damage.

1998
A squall line moved across Lower Michigan producing tornadoes, downbursts, and some flooding. A tornado struck Ferris State University in Big Rapids, injuring seven students. Another tornado moved from northern Isabella County into southern Clare County, damaging several homes. Total damage with the storms was more than a million dollars.

1999
Disastrous flooding continued in central and southern Mexico as a tropical depression over the Gulf of Mexico produced torrential rains. The weak storm, barely discernible on weather maps, dumped very heavy rains, forcing 157,000 people from their homes and killing at least 66 people.

2002
A microburst was observed during the early evening by the National Weather Service staff six miles northwest of the Midland-Odessa Airport in West Texas. No severe reports were received with the event. Later in the evening, a severe thunderstorm developed and affected the city of West Odessa. This storm produced large hail to the size of golf balls. It also resulted in a damaging downburst, which destroyed a couple of mobile homes. A swift water rescue was conducted by the fire department, as a car was stalled in high water on city streets resulting from the downburst.

Further north, severe thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail and damaging winds across portions of southwest and south central Oklahoma. The worst of the weather occurred near Lawton and Comanche, where numerous trees and power poles were downed.
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October 7
1749
A hurricane passed a short distance offshore from Virginia to New Jersey. At Lewes, DE, on the Delaware Bay, the raging ocean cut a passage through the beach near Cape Henlopen into the Bay with a 5 foot clearance so that small boats could sail through. In Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin was watching this storm. Being reported first in North Carolina then Virginia, he drew confirmation for his hypothesis made with the hurricane of 10/22/1743 that coastal storms moved from the southwest and were preceded by northerly winds.

1825
The worst fire in Canadian history raged through part of New Brunswick's Miramichi Valley, killing 200 people. The towns of Newcastle, Douglastown and the capital city of Fredericton were destroyed. The Great Miramichi Fire ranks as the largest in recorded history, burning over 3 million acres in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Nearly 1/5th of the province of New Brunswick burned.

1946
A hurricane made landfall near Bradenton, FL with 80 mph winds and a 6 foot storm surge. The storm weakened to a tropical storm as it move across Tampa Bay and reached the Florida/Georgia border early the following day.

1962
Heavy flooding occurred in New England as Hurricane Daisy moved up the coast. 12.10 inches of rain fell at Reading, MA during a 3-day period.

1970
On this date through the 9th, a record breaking early season snow storm rocked parts of the upper Plains. Snowfall totals of 5 to 9 inches were common across the southwest and south central part of South Dakota. Late on October 8th and into the 9th, the southeast portion of the state was hit. Vermillion received 6 inches of snow on the 9th and that is the largest amount ever recorded there for so early in the season. The 5 inches that fell in Sioux Falls is the earliest significant snow on record for the area.

The heavy snows also affected portions of western Iowa and western Minnesota. Amounts of up to 7 inches were recorded in northwest Iowa. The heavy, wet snow snapped many tree branches and downed power lines. Sioux City recorded their heaviest snow for so early in the season. The snow was very wet and heavy, but melted quickly over the next several days. In Nebraska, the winter storm brought 11.0 inches of snow near Wheatland, and a total of 8.0 inches to Scottsbluff. It also resulted in Scottsbluff setting a high of only 32°, the earliest day in fall with a high temperature at or below freezing there.

Widespread flooding took place across Puerto Rico. Rainfall amounts for the day ranged up to 17 inches at Aibonito. A slow moving tropical depression was responsible for 6 days of torrential rains across the island. Totals in the Eastern Interior Division averaged 30 inches, with 38.4 inches reported at Jayuya. Flooding claimed 18 lives, and resulted in $62 million dollars damage.

1981
Seattle, WA received 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, one of their rainiest days on record.

1987
It was another hot day in the southwestern U.S. Tucson, AZ hit 101°for the 2nd day in a row to equal their record for the month of October. Phoenix, AZ reported a record high of 103°, and Blythe, CA and Yuma, AZ tied for honors as the hot spot in the nation with afternoon highs of 108°. The high of 101° in Tucson, AZ was their 71st day of 100°+ temperatures for the year, which set a new record.  

1988
Morning fog in the central U.S. reduced the visibility to near zero at some locations. Morning lows of 28°at Rockford, IL and 24°at Waterloo, IA were records for the date. Afternoon highs of 92°at Hollywood and Miami, FL set record highs for the date.

1989
Morning thunderstorms in central Texas drenched San Antonio with 3.10 inches of rain in 6-hours causing local flooding in northeastern sections of the city.  

1990
A winter storm parts of the Rockies and western Plains, producing the greatest daily snowfall for October at Cheyenne, WY and Scottsbluff, NE with 7.9 and 6.4 inches, respectively.

1992
An early fall snowstorm dumped from 7 to 10 inches of wet snow across the Belleville and Munden areas in north central Kansas. The combination of the heavy snow and high winds behind the storm caused tremendous amounts of tree and power line damage in this area. Approximately 20 power poles were snapped off and some residents were without power for up to 48 hours. Approximately 75 homes in the Belleville area sustained damage from falling trees and branches. Concordia, KS recorded its earliest snowfall on record as 2.1 inches fell.

1993
Heavy snow blanketed parts of the northern Rockies. 14.4 inches of snow fell at Sheridan, WY on this date through the 8th, to set an October record for a 2-day period; Other totals: Story, MT: 16 inches, Red Lodge, MT: 12 inches, Joliet, MT: 12 inches, Mystic Lake, MT:12 inches, Nye, MT: 10 inches, Billings, MT: 8 inches and Clearmont, MT: 7 inches.

1996
Tropical Storm Josephine tracked northeast across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with the center moving onshore over Apalachee Bay along the Florida Big Bend coast during the evening hours, crossing the coast in a relatively uninhabited region of north Florida. Storm surge heights were significant from the Tampa area northward to eastern Apalachee Bay. County officials estimated storm tides, storm surge plus astronomical tide ranged from up to 9 feet in Levy County to 4 to 6 feet in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, and 3 feet as far south as Lee County. These tides produced widespread flooding of roads, dwellings, and businesses as far south as the lower Florida Keys.  Josephine produced a record 22 tornadoes (21 F0, 1 F2, plus one waterspout) over central and northern Florida, making it the most prolific tornado producing tropical cyclone in Florida history. These caused mostly minor damage, primarily to trees. One tornado, however, had a 7 mile long, 400 yard wide track across Edgewater in Volusia County. It severely damaged 30 homes, while 200 others had minor damage. Rainfall amount of up to 8.5 inches were reported over northern Florida in association with Josephine. Property damage in Florida was estimated to be over $49 million dollars. There were no deaths reported.

1997
A storm of 100 year intensity hit the Inland Empire of southern California. 1.65 inches of rain fell in one hour and 15 minutes, 0.31 inch fell in just three minutes in Hemet. Floods and debris flows resulted, causing $2.5 million dollars in damage. Large trees, mud, and boulders were swept down canyons. Homes and apartments were flooded in north San Bernardino and Highland.

2001
The high temperature in Death Valley National Park was 95°, ending a record streak of 154 consecutive days with the high temperature 100° or hotter.

200
On this date through the 8th,more rain fell on Thessaloniki, Greece in a 24-hour period than average rainfall for the month. Severe flooding damaged many homes, destroyed crops, wrecked roads and bridges, and caused power outages.

2007
With the mercury soaring to a record-breaking 87°, race organizers cancel the Chicago Marathon 3.5 hours into the race.

2008
A frontal system crossing the North Island of New Zealand produced heavy rains and strong winds that wrecked havoc across the region. Winds of as high as 80 mph with gusts to 100 mph were observed at Wellington and surrounding hills, respectively. The winds litter the streets with downed power lines and tree debris and damage dozens of homes.

2009
At Casey Station, Antarctica, winds gusted to 117 mph.
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October 8th:

1837
The remnants of Racer's Storm moved off the South Carolina coast and headed out into the Atlantic, where it intensified. Off Cape Hatteras, the paddle-wheeler Home was sunk. There were only 2 life preservers onboard. The tragedy prompted Congress to make a law requiring all American boats to have one life preserver onboard for every passenger, a law that is still in effect today.

1871
The Great Chicago Fire occurred after a terrible summer drought left much of the Midwest, including the city of Chicago as dry as a tinderbox. Many areas of the city were very congested with narrow streets of wood frame buildings. The fire started just after 9pm on the city's South Side and spread rapidly northward, jumping the Chicago River around midnight. The fire knocked the city's water works out of commission and then there was nothing to stop it. 17,500 buildings were destroyed and 2,100 acres were burned. 250 people were killed and 100,000 were left homeless in the city of about 334,000 residents. The fired raged out of control all day on Monday, October 9, finally being extinguished by the combination of a light rain and the natural obstacle of Lake Michigan. Some feel that the fire was a blessing in disguise, that it wiped away the cheaply constructed wood frame buildings and allowed Chicago to be built back better prepared for the future. Damage totaled $196 million dollars.

A firestorm consumed the town of Peshtigo, WI killing more than 1,100 people. In Wisconsin, a million acres of land were burned, and in Michigan, 2.5 million acres were burned killing 200 people. "Tornadoes of fire" generated by intense heat caused houses to explode in fire, and burned to death scores of people seeking refuge in open fields.

1896
A hurricane made landfall on the Gulf Coast near Punta Gorda, FL and crossed the peninsula exiting into the Atlantic near Melbourne, FL early the next day. This storm was responsible for 68 deaths.

1901
12 inches of rain fell in just six hours at Galveston, TX on the 13-month anniversary of the infamous 1900 hurricane that killed 6,000 people.

1919
An intense tornado moved through the town of Hoisington, 11 miles north of Great Bend, KS. It damaged or destroyed 60 homes which resulted in $200,000 in damages. Business papers and cancelled checks were found at Lincoln, 55 miles to the northeast.

1970
Late on this date into the next day, parts of the upper Midwest and northern Plains were hit with an early season snowstorm. The heavy snows affected portions of western Iowa and western Minnesota. Amounts of up to 7 inches were recorded in northwest Iowa. The heavy, wet snow snapped many tree branches and downed power lines. Sioux City recorded their heaviest snow for so early in the season.

The heavy snows also affected portions of southeast South Dakota. Vermillion received 6 inches of snow and that is the largest amount ever recorded there for so early in the season. The 5 inches that fell in Sioux Falls is the earliest significant snow on record for that city. The snow was very wet and heavy, but melted quickly over the next several days.

Behind the storm, residents of Laramie, WY woke up to a low of -7°. It was their earliest day in the season on record with a low below zero.

Other daily record lows included: Casper, WY: 12°, Lander, WY: 14°, Rapid City, SD: 16°, Cheyenne, WY: 18°, Scottsbluff, NE: 18°, Denver, CO: 22°, Clayton, NM: 23°, Pueblo, CO: 25°, Amarillo, TX: 31°, Grand Junction, CO: 32°-Tied and Roswell, NM: 33°.

1982
A record-breaking snowstorm for so early in the fall paralyzed the northern Black Hills with three to six feet of heavy, wet snow and winds of 40 to 70mph. Some snowfall amounts included 41 inches at Galena, 36 inches at Lead, and 23 inches at Deadwood. Five to six feet of snow was common in the higher elevations. The snowfall was dependent upon topography. 20 miles away, Rapid City received just a trace of snow. The heavy wet snow caused numerous problems. The roof of a clothing store in Lead collapsed under the weight of the snow and several other businesses were damaged. The roofs of at least three trailer homes also collapsed. The combination of strong winds and heavy snow broke tree branches causing extensive timber damage, power lines and telephone poles. Damage was done to 40 miles of power lines, including 30 broken power poles. Some residents were without power for five days. The city of Deadwood was without electricity and fresh water for at least three days.

1987
Unseasonably cold weather prevailed from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the southeastern U.S. The low of 28°at Evansville, IN was the coldest on record for so early in the season. Many cities reported record low temperatures for the date, including Madison, WI: 22°, Green Bay, WI: 23°, Rockford, IL: 24°, Chicago, IL: 27°, Indianapolis, IN: 28°, Evansville, IN: 28°, Paducah, KY: 28°, Milwaukee, WI: 29°, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 33°, Meridian, MS: 34°, Jackson, MS: 35°, Chattanooga, TN: 35°, Augusta, GA: 36°, Columbia, SC: 37°, Tallahassee, FL: 38°, Columbus, GA: 41°-Tied, Jacksonville, FL: 47°, Pensacola, FL: 47°-Tied, Daytona Beach, FL: 56°, Vero Beach, FL: 58° and West Palm Beach, FL: 62°.

Hot weather continued in the southwestern U.S. Phoenix, AZ reported a record high of 104°and a record tying 116 days of 100 degree+ weather for the year. Tucson, AZ established an all-time record with 72 days of 100 degree+ weather for the year.

1988
Snow was reported across parts of northern New England. Two inches blanketed Mt. Snow, VT.  

Meanwhile, warm weather continued in the northwestern U.S. Yakima, WA set a record high with 84°.

The afternoon high of 80°at Stampede Pass, WA exceeded their previous record for October by 7 degrees.

1989
Record morning lows in the 20s were reported from the Northern Plains to the Upper Great Lakes. Record lows for the date included: Grand Forks, ND: 19°, St. Cloud, MN: 20°, Marquette, MI: 22°, Duluth, MN: 24°-Tied, Muskegon, MI: 27° and Grand Rapids, MI: 28°-Tied.

Unseasonably warm weather prevailed in central California as the Oakland Athletics won the American League pennant. San Luis Obispo, CA reported a high of 99°. San Francisco Airport set a record high with 86°.

1990
7.9 inches of snow fell at Cheyenne, WY setting an all-time record for any 24-hour snowfall in October.

1993
With 1.05 inches of rain that fell at Columbia, MO, the yearly total precipitation was pushed to 55.77 inches, breaking the annual record.

1994
Flash flooding from tropical rains caused 18 deaths in Houston, TX.

2000
The coldest pre-October 10th air mass in nearly 50 years invaded the central U.S. The cold was most impressive over Texas where San Antonio only reached a high of 46°.  This set a low-maximum temperature record for the date. The previous record was 65° set in 1975. The normal high in San Antonio is 84°.  

A 111-year-old record was broken in Memphis, TN, when the temperature fell to 36° breaking the previous record of 39° set in 1889.

Other record lows included: Casper, WY: 12°-Tied, Norfolk, NE: 13°, North Platte, NE: 15°, Sioux Falls, SD: 15°, Valentine, NE: 15°, Grand Island, NE: 16°, Lincoln, NE: 17°, Sheridan, WY: 17°, St. Cloud, MN: 17°, Sioux City, IA: 17°, Grand Forks, ND: 18°, Dodge City, KS: 18°, Goodland, KS: 20°, International Falls, MN: 20°-Tied, Concordia, KS: 21°, Omaha, NE: 22°, Des Moines, IA: 24°, Kansas City, MO: 25°, Springfield, MO: 25°, Wichita, KS: 26°, Bristol, TN: 27°, Columbia, MO: 27°-Tied, Lexington, KY: 29°, Cincinnati, OH: 29°, Huntington, WV: 29°, Tulsa, OK: 30°, St, Louis, MO: 30°, Jackson, KY: 30°, Louisville, KY: 31°, Dayton, OH: 31°, Oak Ridge, TN: 31°, Oklahoma City, OK: 34°, Little Rock, AR: 35°, Wichita Falls, TX: 35°-Tied, Del Rio, TX: 42°, Austin (Bergstrom), TX: 44°, Brownsville, TX: 45° and Galveston, TX: 49°.

2004
On this date through the 9th, a powerful storm system struck Western Europe. In Portugal, winds gust over 60 mph and disrupted power in northern and central parts of the country.  The wind damaged at least 40% of the greenhouses in central Portugal.

2006
On this date through the 10th,Valdezand Seward, Alaska: Days of torrential rains closed portions of the Seward Highway, cutting off road access to Valdezand Seward, AK. Rainfall measured in the Seward area ranged from 9 to 15 inches.

Moncton, New Brunswick Canada experienced their rainiest October day on record as 4.75 inches of rain fell. This started their wettest October on record where 10.94 inches fell. The total is also the rainiest of all months in the recorded weather history of the city.

2009
Typhoon Melor slammed into Japan, damaging buildings and roads, halting train service and canceling hundreds of flights as it swept across the country. Winds were 75 mph, with gusts up to 100 mph.The typhoon is the first typhoon to directly make landfall over Japan in two years.
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 October 9th:

1703
A general snowstorm occurred from Philadelphia to Boston. According to Judge Samuel Sewall's diary, "the snow is three to four inches deep...a sad face of winter."

1804
A hurricane moved from the Bahamas, made landfall in SC on the 7th, then recurved
to the northeast, passing over the Delmarva Peninsula and extreme southern NJ, and into Nova Scotia. The storm, dubbed the “Snow Hurricane”, did great structural damage, and was considered the severest blow on record at the time. At Philadelphia, strong winds submerged a newly arrived ship. Farther up the river the violence of the wind on the same morning upset the ferry at Trenton, NJ. Up to 2 feet of snow fell in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

1895
Snow fell in Philadelphia PA, the earliest occurrence of snow in the city's history.

1903
New York City received its heaviest rainfall with 9.40 inches at Battery Park and 11.17 inches at Central Park in 24 hours. The 11.17 inches of rain at Central Park set the New York state 24-hour rainfall record. Severe flooding occurred in the Passaic Valley of New Jersey where more than 15 inches of rain was reported.

1945
A typhoon, known to the U.S. military as "Louise", passed over Okinawa with winds of 92mph. The storm made a sudden shift in its path and caught many ships and small craft in the constricted waters of Buckner Bay (Nakagusuku Wan). In addition to the winds, 30-35 foot waves battered the vessels caught in the bay and smash into the huts and buildings ashore. A total of 12 ships and craft were sunk, 222 grounded, and 32 severely damaged. On shore, approximately 80% of all housing and buildings were severely damaged or destroyed.

1951
Needles, CA recorded a trace of rain, the only time precipitation was recorded on this date.

1953
Tropical Storm Hazel quickly crossed central Florida from Charlotte Harbor to Vero Beach with winds of 60 to 70 mph. The peak gust of 80 mph was reported by the Corp of Engineers in a squall in Okeechobee. 64 mph winds were reported at Patrick AFB. Hazel spawned a tornado at landfall in Lee County that destroyed several houses on Pine Island, near Ft. Myers. 3 to 5 inches of rain added to previous flooding problems and the upper St. Johns River reached the highest flood stage ever known, exceeding by 1.5 feet from the previous record and covered six miles of Highway between Melbourne and Kissimmee.

1954
Famed Weather Bureau Hurricane Forecaster Grady Norton died of a stroke while at home in Miami just after working a 12-hour day plotting the course of Hurricane Hazel. Norton ignored warnings of his medical condition in order to provide warnings about the Hurricane, which would go onto blast the North Carolina coast on the 15th. Norton is widely recognized as the original director of the National Hurricane Center even though that position would not be created during his lifetime. Norton established an extraordinary reputation as an expert forecaster who had a tremendous ability to communicate with coastal residents.

On this day through the 11th, a 48-hour deluge of 6.72 inches flooded the Chicago River, causing $10 million dollars damage in the Chicago area in Illinois.

1970
The Weather Bureau is officially renamed the National Weather Service.

1973
Heavy rains and hail pounded extreme eastern South Dakota during the late evening hours. 3.79 inches of rain fell in a 2 hour period at the Sioux Falls airport setting a new rainfall intensity record for a two hour period in Sioux Falls. The 4.54 inches that fell that day is the second highest amount on record for a 24 hour period.

The thunderstorms then raced into western Minnesota and northwest Iowa. Strong thunderstorm winds downed trees, power lines and several farm buildings. Two small tornadoes also developed across northwest Iowa, neither tornado did much damage.

1976
A ridge of high pressure was responsible for record heat across parts of southern California. Record highs included: Long Beach: 100°, Santa Ana: 99°, Downtown Los Angeles, CA: 98°, Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 97°, Laguna Beach, CA: 94° and San Diego, CA: 92°.

1980
Nashville, TN set two records in opposite directions. On Monday, October 6th, the morning low temperature was 31°, a record cold for so early in the season. Then, on this date, the high was 91°, a record high for so late in the season.

1981
The temperature at San Juan, PR rose to 98° to establish the all-time record high for that location.

1982
A record breaking snowstorm for so early in the season paralyzed the Black Hills of South Dakota with 3 to 6 feet of heavy, wet snow and winds of 40 to 70 mph. 36 inches fell at Lead and 41 inches piled up at Galena. The higher elevations of the Black Hills received 5 to 6 feet of snow. Further south, 6.9 inches of snow fell at Cheyenne, WY.

1987
Many cities in the southeastern U.S. and the Mid-Atlantic Coast Region reported record low temperatures for the date. The record low of 47°at Jacksonville, FL marked their 4th of the month.  Other daily records included: Asheville, NC: 29°, Knoxville, TN: 30°, Charleston, WV: 31°-Tied, Pittsburgh, PA: 31°-Tied, Oak Ridge, TN: 32°, Harrisburg, PA: 32°-Tied, Columbia, SC: 33°, Baltimore, MD: 33°, Greensboro, NC: 33°-Tied, Chattanooga, TN: 34°, Macon, GA: 35°, Jackson, KY: 36°, Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 36°, Montgomery, AL: 38°, Tallahassee, FL: 40°, Columbus, GA: 40°and Orlando, FL: 60°-Tied.

A second surge of cold air brought light snow to the Northern Plains, particularly the Black Hills of South Dakota.

1988
Many cities in the northeastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Trenton, NJ: 28°, Hartford, CT: 28°, Atlantic City, NJ: 30°, Allentown, PA: 30°, Syracuse, NY: 30°, Bridgeport, CT: 31°, Islip, NY: 32°, Sterling (Dulles Airport), VA: 33°, Wilmington, DE: 33°, Wallops Island, VA: 33°, Newark, NJ: 35°, Philadelphia, PA: 35°-Tied, New York (Kennedy Airport), NY: 37°, New York (Central Park), NY: 37°-Tied, Tallahassee, FL: 38°, Norfolk, VA: 39°and New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY: 40°-Tied. Snow continued in northern New England through the morning hours. Mt. Washington, NH reported 5 inches of snow.  

Warm weather continued in the western U.S. Downtown Los Angeles, CA reported a record high of 102°. Other record highs included: Santa Ana, CA: 102°, Long Beach, CA: 102°, Redding, CA: 98°and Los Angeles (LAX), CA: 97°.

1989
Unseasonably cold weather continued in the Upper Midwest. Many cities across the Ohio Valley reported record low temperatures for the date, including Marquette, MI: 20°, Grand Rapids, MI: 23°, Lansing, MI: 23°, Muskegon, MI: 24°, Flint, MI: 25°, Toledo, OH: 25°, Green Bay, WI: 26°, Fort Wayne, IN: 26°, South Bend, IN: 27°, Detroit, MI: 28°, Columbus, OH: 29°, Mansfield, OH: 29°-Tied, Indianapolis, IN: 30°-Tied, Jackson, KY: 31°, Akron, OH: 31°-Tied, Chicago, IL: 32°-Tied and Greenville-Spartanburg, SC: 35°.

Unseasonably warm weather continued in the western U.S. as the San Francisco Giants won the National League pennant. San Jose, CA reported a record high of 91°.

1992
Tropical Depression Tina became extratropical in the central Pacific. Tina, once a 150 mph hurricane, was around for 22 days with 89 advisories issued, a new record for the longest lasting tropical system in the central and eastern Pacific up to that time.  Hurricane John broke this record in September, 1994.

2000
The coldest early season air mass in over 50 years continued to bring record low temperatures for the date including: St Cloud, MN: 16°, Lincoln, NE: 18°, Waterloo, IA: 19°, Sioux City, IA: 20°, Goodland, KS: 23°, Norfolk, NE: 23°-Tied, Dodge City, KS: 24°, Springfield, MO: 24°, Topeka, KS: 25°, Dubuque, IA: 25°, Omaha, NE: 25°, Springfield, IL: 25°, Wichita, KS: 26°, Moline, IL: 26°, Avoca, PA: 26°, Scranton, PA: 26°, Kansas City, MO: 27°, Oklahoma City, OK: 28°, Tulsa, OK: 28°, Albany, NY: 28°-Tied, Hartford, CT: 28°-Tied, Evansville, IN: 29°, Huntsville, AL: 29°, Allentown, PA: 29°, Binghamton, NY: 29°-Tied, Chicago, IL: 30°, St. Louis, MO: 30°, Fort Smith, AR: 30°, Paducah, KY: 30°, Indianapolis, IN: 30°-Tied, Lynchburg, VA: 30°-Tied, Wichita Falls, TX: 31°, Lexington, KY: 31°, Louisville, KY: 31°, Charlotte, NC: 31°, Tupelo, MS: 31°-Tied, Akron, OH: 31°-Tied, Nashville, TN: 32°, Athens, CA: 32°, Raleigh, NC: 33°, Greensboro, NC: 33°-Tied, Erie, PA: 34°, Birmingham, AL: 34°, Augusta, GA: 34°, Atlanta, GA: 36°, El Paso, TX: 37°-Tied, Meridian, MS: 37°-Tied, Memphis, TN: 37°-Tied, Charleston, SC: 39°, Abilene, TX:: 39°-Tied, Savannah, GA: 40°, Columbus, GA: 40°-Tied, Mobile, AL: 42°, Gainesville, FL: 42°, Brownsville, TX: 44°, Corpus Christi, TX: 44°, Pensacola, FL: 45°, Jacksonville, FL: 46°, Galveston, TX: 49°, Orlando, FL: 53°, Tampa, FL: 53°, Daytona Beach, FL: 55° and Fort Myers, FL: 57°.

2001
An unusually strong fall outbreak of tornadoes spawned at least 23 twisters across parts of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Hardest hit was the town of Cordell, OK, but a 22 minute lead time led to an amazingly low casualty count: only 9 injuries and no fatalities.

2003
Severe thunderstorms rolled across Bikoro in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Lightning struck a school, killing 11 people and injuring 73 others.

2004
Typhoon Ma-on made landfall along the east coast of Japan with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph. This was the strongest typhoon to strike this part of Japan and the greater Tokyo area in 10 years. It was the 9th typhoon to affect Japan this season, the most since modern records started in 1951.

2005
A major winter storm brought heavy wet snowfall to the Front Range Mountains and the Eastern Foothills in Colorado, portions of the Denver Metro area and the Palmer Divide.  Snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 26 inches with drifts 3 to 4 feet high reported in places. 
The heaviest snow occurred to the east and southeast of Denver closing major highways, including I-70 from Denver to Limon. 
The storm caused significant damage to trees, as most had not shed their leaves. Snowfall totals included: 22 inches near Hawkins, 19 inches near Bennett, 17 inches southeast of Aurora, 16 inches in the foothills near Boulder, 
14 inches near Parker, 13 inches near Castle Rock, 12 inches in Centennial, 11 inches at Parker, 10 inches at Littleton and 10 inches at the airport in Denver. 
While most areas in metro Denver received heavy snow, others experienced almost all rain. This included areas west and northwest of Denver, Boulder and Longmont. 
Amounts ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 inches. The steady rains triggered rockslides in the foothill canyons.
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 October 10th:

1780
The Hurricane Season of 1780 was one of the worst in recorded history. The storm which destroyed the Windward Islands from this date through the 12th is the deadliest ever in recorded Atlantic history. It became known simply as the "Great Hurricane of 1780." It is believed that 22,000 people perished in the week long rampage. 9,000 died on the island of Martinique, 5,000 in Eustatius and 4,000 in Barbados. Thousands more died at sea. It was just one of three deadly hurricanes that month. The first week of the month saw a hurricane strike Jamaica, killing 1,000 people. The eastern Gulf of Mexico was hit later that month, and 2,000 were killed. The October storms hampered much of the British and Spanish Navies and aided the colonies in the American Revolution.

1846
The Great Hurricane of 1846 struck Cuba. The pressure over the island dropped to 916 millibars or 27.06 inHg. 92 vessels in the Havana Harbor was sunk, wrecked, dismasted or severely damaged. The storm went on to wreak great havoc at Key West, FL. Fort Taylor, FL was reportedly reduced to ruins.

1875
An intense rainstorm deluged Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada with 4.3 inches causing flooded roads and bridges either washed out or destroyed.

1894
A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico came ashore in the Florida panhandle then moved up the east coast over the coastal land regions, passing only about 20 miles southeast of Atlantic City, NJ, where it weakened to a tropical storm. Atlantic City and New York City measured wind gusts to 60 mph. Although a tropical storm as it entered Rhode Island, Block Island measured a wind gust to 100 mph.

1921
The Netherlands' hottest October day occurred as the high temperature at Sittard reached 86°.

1925
Weekend football games were played in deep snow across New England as up to two feet fell in northern Vermont and New Hampshire.

1928
The temperature at Minneapolis, MN reached 90°, their latest such reading on record.

1949
A rapidly deepening area of low pressure moved north through the Dakotas. It produced gale to hurricane force winds across much of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan, and the Dakotas. Sustained 1-minute winds reached 85 mph at Rochester, MN and 79 mph at La Crosse, WI during the early afternoon. Winds gusts were as high as 100 mph. This produced extensive damage to buildings and power lines. In addition, many corn crops were flattened.

1954
Heavy rains continued for a second day across parts of northern Illinois. Up to 5 inches of rain created havoc as traffic was cut off by flooded underpasses and communication and power were seriously affected.  Many people had to be evacuated. A small tornado was also reported. Flood damage from the two day event was estimated at $25 million dollars in the Chicago area and at least $10 million dollars in Chicago. 

1960
A cyclone devastated Eastern Pakistan, killing 6,000 people.

1962
Severe thunderstorms brought very destructive hail to Bryan County, in southeast Oklahoma. Hail up to the size of golf balls broke more than half the windows of the businesses in downtown Durant, shattered many car windshields, broke out 1,400 panes of glass in seven greenhouses, and broke electrical insulators, resulting in widespread power outages.

1973
15 to 20 inches of rain deluged north central Oklahoma in 13 hours producing record flooding. The town of Enid was drenched with 15.68 inches of rain from nearly stationary thunderstorms, which established a state 24 hour rainfall record. Up to 150 homes were damaged by flooding at Dover, OK.

1979
An area of low pressure developed on a strong cold front that settled along the Mid-Atlantic Coast with an unseasonably cold air mass in place behind. An area of low pressure developed over the Carolinas providing the moisture and snow with the cold air in place. Two strong areas of upper level low pressure extended from James Bay into eastern Canada with a deep trough digging all the way to the Gulf Coast. Snow was widespread from New England to the Mid-Atlantic as the 540 (rain-snow) line on the 1000-500 millibar map cutting right along the I-95 corridor from Richmond into New England. The World Series Game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates had to be postponed. The day before high pressure off the Mid-Atlantic Coast provided a southwest flow with temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic in the 60’s and 70’s. As the front moved through, temperatures fell steadily during the overnight hours and snow developed during the morning commute on the 10th. Accumulations from Philadelphia to the Baltimore-Washington area ranged from a trace to as much as 3 inches; mainly north and west of the metro areas. Upper level energy was strong enough that thunder and lightning accompanied the heavier bursts mid-morning. Snow had tapered off during the late morning and ended by lunchtime. 

The heaviest snow occurred across parts of Massachusetts. The Blue Hill Observatory at Milton, MA reported 7 inches. Many locations saw their earliest snow (trace or measurable) on record including: Worcester, MA: 7.5 inches (earliest measurable snow up to that time), Providence, RI: 2.5 inches (earliest measurable snow), Philadelphia, PA: 2.1 inches (earliest measurable snow), Windsor Lock, CT: 1.7 inches (earliest measurable snow), Sterling (Dulles Airport), VA: 1.3 inches (earliest snow), Concord, NH: 1 inch (earliest snow), Baltimore (BWI-Marshall Airport), MD:  0.3 inches (earliest measurable snow), Washington, D.C. (Reagan National Airport): 0.3 inches (earliest measurable snow), Boston, MA: 0.2 inches (earliest measurable snow), New York (Central Park), NY: Trace (earliest snow), Newark, NJ: Trace (earliest snow) and Richmond, VA: Trace (earliest snow).

The morning started with some record lows including: Boston, MA: 32°, Providence, RI: 32°-Tied, Philadelphia, PA: 33°, Bridgeport, CT: 33°, Baltimore, MD: 34°, Newark, NJ: 35°, New York (Kennedy Airport), NY: 35° and New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY: 36°.

The afternoon temperatures did not warm up much with many locations reporting record low daily maximums including: Milton, MA: 36°, Worcester, MA: 36°, Boston, MA: 39°, Portland, ME: 41°, Concord, NH: 41°, Hartford, CT: 41°, Philadelphia, PA: 42°, New York (Kennedy Airport), NY: 43°, Atlantic City, NJ: 43°, Bridgeport, CT: 44°, Sterling (Dulles Airport), VA: 44° (broke previous record by 11 degrees), Providence, RI: 44°-Tied, Wilmington, DE: 45°, Newark, NJ: 46°, New York (LaGuardia Airport), NY: 47°, Baltimore, MD: 47°, Lynchburg, VA: 49°-Tied, Richmond, VA: 51° and Wallops Island, VA: 55°.

1982
Beginning on the 8th through this date, record amounts of snow piled up in the northern Black Hills in South Dakota. Not only was the storm a record breaker because it came so early in the season, it was a record snowfall producer for anytime of year. Amounts of 3 to 6 feet were common across the northern hills. On the 9th, 32 inches of snow buriedn the town of Lead. The 32 inches that day is the most on record for a 24 hour period in South Dakota. Lead's three day storm total of 55.3 inches is the largest single storm total on record in South Dakota.

Advertisement 
1987
Canadian high pressure brought record chill to the north central and parts of the southeastern U.S. Record low temperatures for the date included Chester, MT: 6°, Boulder, MT: 7°, Fort Benton, MT: 9°, Havre, MT: 11°, Lewistown, MT: 12°, Grass Range, MT: 12°, Helena, MT: 15°, Huron, SD: 15°, Dillon, MT: 15°, Kalispell, MT: 16°, Livingston, MT: 17°, Sioux Falls, SD: 18°, St. Cloud, MN: 19°, Billings, MT: 21°, Rochester, MN: 22°, Marquette, MI: 23°, Lincoln, NE: 24°, Minneapolis, MN: 25°-Tied, Denver, CO: 27°-Tied and Macon, GA: 43°.

Light snow was reported as far south as Kansas.  

1988
Sunny and mild weather prevailed across the nation for Columbus Day. The afternoon high of 77°at Kalispell, MT was the warmest reading on record for so late in the autumn season.  

Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced wind gusts to 56 mph at Lorain, OH. Snowflakes were observed at Milwaukee, WI around midday, but quickly changed to rain as afternoon readings quickly rose into the lower 60s.

1989
Torrential rains developed along the upper Florida east coast north of a stationary front. Rain amounts between 6 and 16 inches occurred along the coast. This resulted in widespread flooding of streets and structures. At St. Augustine, where the greatest rain total was recorded, 16.08 inches, extensive flooding occurred in homes and businesses, and caused the closing of many streets that had over three feet of standing water. Considerable road and property damage resulted. 

Cities from South Carolina to New England reported record low temperatures for the date as temperatures dipped into the 30s as far south as parts of the Carolinas. Record lows included: Concord, NH: 23°-Tied, Worcester, MA: 27°-Tied, Hartford, CT: 29°, Atlantic City, NJ: 30°, Islip, NY: 33°, Bristol, TN: 34°, Oak Ridge, TN: 37°, Wallops Island, VA: 38°, Columbia, SC: 38°-Tied and Norfolk, VA: 39°-Tied.

1990
Tropical Storm Marco formed in the Gulf of Mexico, just west of Key West during the afternoon. By 5pm ET the next day Marco was downgraded to a depression just south of Cedar Key. Most of the damage was downed trees and power lines, some coastal flooding and beach erosion. There were two small tornadoes spawned on the afternoon of 11th. The highest wind gust during the storm was 85 mph on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay.

1991
A ridge of high pressure produced record heat across parts of the west.

Sacramento, California hit 100°.  This set three records: 

The high of 100° broke the old daily record by 7 degrees.  
The high was the warmest temperature for so late in the season and 
The latest 100° reading on record. 
Other daily records included: Long Beach, CA: 109°, Palm Springs, CA: 108°, Downtown Los Angeles, CA: 107°, Borrego Springs, CA: 107°, Yuma, AZ: 107°-Tied, Riverside, CA: 106°, Escondido, CA: 105°, Phoenix, AZ: 105°, Redding, CA: 102°, Santa Ana, CA: 101°, Bakersfield, CA: 101°, Fresno, CA: 99°, Stockton, CA: 98°, Tucson, AZ: 98°-Tied, Las Vegas, NV: 97°, Los Angeles, (LAX), CA: 95°, Medford, OR: 94°, San Diego, CA: 92°, Portland, OR: 85°, Reno, NV: 84°-Tied, Astoria, OR: 83°, Burns, OR: 83°, Pocatello, ID: 82°, Eureka, CA: 82°-Tied and Quillayute, WA: 79°.

2000
A deep upper level low over the northeast and trough produced record cold extending from the Midwest, southern Plains to the southeast. Charlotte, NC dropped to 30°, setting a record for the earliest temperature below freezing.  

Locations that reported daily record lows included: Sioux City, IA: 24°, Springfield, MO: 27°, Bristol, TN: 27°, Wichita, KS: 29°, Oklahoma City, OK: 30°, Knoxville, TN: 30°, Nashville, TN: 30°, Oak Ridge, TN: 30°, Paducah, KY: 30°-Tied, Huntsville, AL: 31°, Augusta, GA: 31° (broke previous record by 10 degrees), Raleigh, NC: 31°, Jackson, KY: 32°, Fort Smith, AR: 32°, Tupelo, MS: 32°, Columbia, SC: 32°, Islip, NY: 32°, Chattanooga, TN: 33°, Athens, GA: 33°, Greensboro, NC: 33°, Little Rock, AR: 34°, Macon, GA: 34°, Charleston, SC: 35°(broke the previous record by 10 degrees), Midland-Odessa, TX: 36°, Memphis, TN: 36°, Meridian, MS: 36°, Montgomery, AL: 36°, Atlanta, GA: 36°, Savannah, GA: 36°, Wilmington, NC: 36°, Birmingham, AL: 36°-Tied, Shreveport, LA: 38°, El Paso, TX: 38°-Tied, Wallops Island, VA: 38°-Tied, Dallas, TX: 39°, Tallahassee, FL: 39°, Columbus, GA: 40°, Brownsville, TX: 44°, Corpus Christi, TX: 44°, Jacksonville, FL: 46°, Tampa, FL: 52°, Orlando, FL: 53°, Daytona Beach, FL: 54° and Fort Myers, FL: 54°.

An earlyseasonstormbroughtseveralinches of snow to the central and southern Sierra Nevada in California. Some amounts included Lodgepole: 10 inches, Mount Tom: 8 inches, Huntington Lake: 5 inches and TuolumneMeadowswith 4 inches.IntheValley,overan inchofrainfellinsomeareas,includingFresno,resultingintheclosureofthe FresnoFairforthefirsttimesince1922.Theraincausednumerousflooding problems in Fresno and ceilings to collapse in buildings in Tulare.

2008
On this date through the 13th, a significant winter storm brought heavy wet snow to parts of the northern Rockies. Red Lodge, MT along the Beartooth Foothills recorded their highest 24-hour snowfall total with 42 inches. Glasgow, MT also set a new record on the 12th when 12.8 inches fell. Areas around Billings, MT saw between 13 and 22 inches.  Numerous trees and power lines were downed.

2009
Nome, AK experienced their first ever October thunderstorm (also first Autumn) with five lightning strikes between 8pm and 9pm ADT.
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