September/ October Weather Review
A round-up of wintery-weather records from around the World
DISCLAIMER: An imbalance in weather reporting has, in my opinion, reinforced the false impression that we are accelerating towards a cow-fart and coal-induced climate catastrophe. So, as with all of my weather reviews, I intentionally focus on cold and snow-related reports from around the world.
I have included more than 20 teeth-chattering, record-breaking cold weather reports from around the world in September and October, 2023.
Both of these months were declared as the ‘hottest on record’ by international institutions.. but does that match with your experience?
..and don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter and on LinkedIn for more bite-sized cold-weather stories from around the World and other Atlas Report updates.
September
‘Saariselkä in Finland set a new September snow depth record of 21cm towards the end of the month.’
Greenland; on the opening 2 days of September there were impressive 6 and 10 gigaton accumulations of snow/ice respectively, unprecedented for the time of year according to DMI record books dating back to 1981.
Antarctica; The -80.6ºC posted at Vostok at the beginning of the month was the continent’s lowest September reading since 2012 (coming closely after the station’s coldest month of August since 2002).
Chile; By the middle of the month, Portillo was reporting its snowiest season in over a decade with slopes that haven’t been skied on for years put into action.
South Africa; Numerous cold temperature records were set, as many as eight on one September day alone. These includes the 4.1ºC logged at Cape Town, comfortably beating the previous record of 6.2ºC; the -3.9ºC at Prince Albert, beating the old record of -2.9ºC; and the -4.5ºC at Graaff-Reinet–breaking it’s previous record set back in 2000.
Sweden; Monthly snow depth records were set in Kiruna with 38 cm and Karesuando with 15cm.
Finland; Saariselkä set a new September snow depth record of 21cm towards the end of the month.
Russia; The northern town of Verkhoyansk posted a low of -10.1ºC towards the end of September, the earliest -10ºC since 2008.
Iceland; September was a colder than average month across the Scandinavian country, breaking both the 2013-2022 and the 1991 to 2020 long-term averages.
October
‘‘Hala Lake, located in the Qilian mountains of China, dropped to a mid-month, record-breaking -28.4ºC.’’
USA; A number of daily temperature records fell across the Southeast of the USA at the start of the month, including in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
Canada; a new seasonal low was observed in Eureka, Nunavut in early October as the temperature plunged to -27.3ºC
China; Exceptional chills gripped much of China in October. For example Hala Lake, located in the Qilian mountains, dropped to a mid-October record-breaking -28.4ºC in the middle of the month.
Myanmar; Maungdaw, in Rakhine State dropped to 17.3ºC, comfortably breaking the town’s coldest-ever October temperature of 18.5ºC set back in 1985.
India; the town of Narkanda in the Shimla district, along with nearby Hatu Peak, have received their first October snowfall in recorded history. Meanwhile, 10 cm of snow arrived at Mandi’s Shikari Devi, breaking a snow record that had stood for 40 years.
Russia; The Yakutia village, home to the “Pole of Cold” weather station, dropped -33ºC in the middle of the month representing Russia’s coldest temperature this early into a season for 30 years.
Greenland; On October 18 a recording-smashing 12+ gigaton gain was registered at Greenland’s ice sheet, the highest daily total ever recorded in Danish Meteorological Institute’s record books dating back to 1981.
USA; A raft of both daily as well as monthly cold records fell towards the end of the month, particularly across the north west. From Washington to Wisconsin hundreds of new records were set, including a host of monthly lows for The Evergreen State as well as Oregon.
USA; North Dakota’s Bismarck Airport’s official snowfall reading of 8.5 inches smashed the city’s October 26 record of 3 inches set back in 1996.
Canada; The temperature dropped to -8.6ºC in Merritt, British Columbia, towards the end of the month, breaking the previous daily low record for the city that had stood since 1919. A low temperature record was also felled at Burns Lake, BC, with its -15.4ºC besting the old record of -10.6ºC set in 1971
Canada; Records fell across Saskatchewan at the end of October for example Elbow region dropped to -14.7ºC beating the old record of -13.3ºC set in 1957; Kindersley posted -19.4ºC smashing the old record of -15.6ºC set in 1942; and the Leader region plunged to -20.6ºC comfortably breaking the -17.2ºC from 1951.
Antarctica; the Antarctic Plateau held well-below average during the month of October. The South Pole Station averaged -52.8ºC, almost 2ºC below the multidecadal norm. Vostok averaged -57.7ºC, a full -1ºC below the multi-year average and the coldest temperature October since 2010.
Be careful out there… and wrap up warm!
-T