By Chuck Otte
Geary County Extension Agent ( Retired )
The average daily high for October was 73.4, 5.5 degrees above normal. The average overnight low was 53.2, 8.2 degrees above normal. This resulted in a monthly mean temperature of 63.3, 6.9 degrees above normal. This places October 2025 as the fifth hottest October on record, right behind last year’s 4th hottest October on record.
The highest temperature for the month was 88 degrees on the 4th. The lowest temperature for the month was 35 degrees the mornings of the 30th and 31st. A temperature below 40 wasn’t achieved until the 22nd of the month with a morning low of 37. This is over two weeks later than the average first sub 40 degree reading and is the fifth latest date for reaching that mark. The latest sub 40 degree temperature was October 28, 1963. With a low reading for the month of only 35 it also means that we went past our average first frost date of October 19th. This is the 11th time since 1951 that an official first frost will not have occurred until November. (The latest was November 13 in 2021.)
There was one temperature record set during the month. The low of 69 on the 12th set a new record high low temperature for that date. The old record was 68 set in 2017. The hottest November on record was in 1963 with a monthly mean temperature of 69 degrees. The coldest October is a tie between 2002 and 2009 with a very chilly 49.1 degree monthly mean temperature.
There were 11 days in October with highs of 80 or above. This is nearly double the long term average of 6 days. While there was not abundant rain during the month we still came close to average precipitation. 2.28 inches was recorded at the Milford Lake Corps of Engineers office. This is two tenths of an inch below the long term average of 2.48 inches. Year to date we have received 31.59 inches of precipitation. This is slightly above the average year to date precipitation of 30.98 inches. And of course, with these temperatures, no snow was recorded for the month.
With days getting increasingly shorter during November, and the sun moving lower in the sky, the temperatures drop noticeably. Average daily highs begin the month at 60 degrees and by the end of the month they are down to 48. Average overnight low on the 1st is 38 degrees and by the 30th it has dropped to a frosty 27 degrees. November starts our annual dry period. Average liquid precipitation is 1.42 inches. November also usually brings us out best chance at early season snow but long term average November snowfall is still only one inch.