When will the cold weather return? This October was one of the hottest on record
October 2021 features a rare absence of temperatures in the 30s in the Triangle. A long-range look shows we still have a few days to go before the cold settles in.
There are no signs of a frost or freeze on the 7-day forecast. The coldest low temperature recorded at RDU this month was 42 degrees, which is very unusual.
97% of Octobers on record at RDU have lows in the 30s, but this year should be an exception. Only two other years have lacked lows in the 30s in October – 2020 and 1949.
All around it has been a warm month in terms of both the high and the low temperatures at RDU. So far it has been the second warmest October on record running 5.1 degrees above normal.
It has also been a wet month, with over 6.5” of rain, which is nearly 4” above normal. The fall season as a whole is also running warmer and wetter than normal.
There are signs of change on the horizon in early November. The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting below normal temperatures and drier than normal conditions through Nov. 9.
Most long-range models also support a chilly first half of the month.
