Autumn has been awesome this month, and I for one am really enjoying the clear skies, dry conditions and the bright leaves falling from the trees. Have you noticed the leaves are crunchy, not soggy? We’ve had so little rain; for once the pile of leaves we jump in won’t be slimy!
With just a few days left in the month, October 2013 is poised to be one of the top five driest Victoria has ever seen. So far, the weather station at the airport has measured just 15.2mm of rain this month. The average is 75.6mm! With a couple of fronts approaching from the west we may see 1mm of rain on Wednesday and another 4mm on Thursday. If we don’t get any rain, October 2013 will be ranked 3rddriest since record keeping began.
You might be wondering if the fog has skewed the weather statistics towards the dull side. Despite a record-breaking stretch of socked-in weather, we’ve actually enjoyed above average amounts of sunshine! October in Victoria typically sees 126 hours of bright sunshine. To date, we’ve recorded 147 hours of clear, sunny conditions. It’s impressive, but nowhere near the record of 214 hours set in 1987.
For the first time this fall we have a risk of frost on Vancouver Island tonight, again, due to the clear skies and the overnight temperatures and dew points aligning. You might notice the frost early tomorrow morning sparkling on the grass and roads. Fog patches will develop overnight around the north island before clearing mid-day, leaving sunshine for the afternoon. It’s a glorious way to wrap up October on the west coast, considering other parts of Canada have already come face to face with Old Man Winter.
