October 2024 Saint Cloud Weather Summary

The Heat Goes On, The Dryness Gets Relieved (With Some White) On Halloween

Saint Cloud October 2024 Weather Summary  

The warmer than average temperatures streak, which began in May 2023, continued in St. Cloud through October 2024. The St. Cloud Regional Airport averaged 52.9 degrees (avg. high: 66.1 deg.; avg. low: 39.6 deg.) in October, 7.2 degrees above the average, and the 9th warmest October in St. Cloud records. This continued several streaks of warm temperature averages (see table below), including the warmest first 10 months of the year, the second warmest May-October, and the 3rd warmest April-October. For the entire period from May 2023 through October 2024, the 18-month average is more than a degree and a half warmer than the next warmest period.

The summer portion of 2024 did not live up to those extremes. The average summer temperature was merely the 37th warmest in St. Cloud records. There were only 6 90-degree highs, well below the 11.4 average. However, the prolonged warmth, noted by the warm statistics for April through October and May through October were supported by the large number of "springtime" warm highs. St. Cloud ended up with 84 highs of at least 80 degrees, the 8th most in St. Cloud records. That included 3 80-degree highs in October, including the 82 degree high on October 21. There were 14 days with a high of at least 70 degrees, tying for the 5th most October days. For the entire warm season, the persistent warmth has produced 158 days with at least a high of 70 degrees, the second highest total behind 1900 (see table below).

Of the years with the most 80-degree highs above , only 2012, 2021, and 2024 did not appear in the top 12 ranking for 90-degree highs. Only 2024 had fewer than average 90-degree highs (6 days, compared to the 11.4 average).

St. Cloud broke record temperatures during the warm stretch on October 28 and 29, including the 77 degree high, which broke the October 28 record high by 5 degrees. There was also a warm period during the first half of the month, including 80-degree highs on October 2 and 10. However, this was cooler than last year's start of October, which produced a pair of 90-degree highs and broke the October monthly high temperature record.

Drier weather allowed low temperatures to drop more frequently, so there were much fewer days with lows persisting over 50 degrees or above. Still, St. Cloud managed that trick on October 29, breaking the daily record warm low. That also marked St. Cloud's 123rd low of 50 or warmer, tied for the 6th most days on record (see table below).

Still, the drier weather finally allowed temperatures to bring the growing season to an end. The first frost was on October 14 with a low of 32 degrees. That frost was about 2 weeks later than average. The first hard freeze (first low of 28 degrees or colder, widely regarded as the end of the growing season) happened the next morning with a low of 26 degrees. This left 176 days without a frost and 202 days without a freeze, both in the longest 10 percent of years.

Precipitation Lacking Until Halloween

St. Cloud and most of Minnesota shared in the severe rain shortfall that began in September and continued through much of October. The bulk of Minnesota, except the Border Area, had less than an inch of rain (gray or light blue) during the 60 days ending on October 30. Except for the hurricane stricken areas in Florida and the Southeast, most of the Continental US shared in this rain shortfall (yellow at least half an inch behind; red at least 4 inches behind). The short-term shortage reversed the trend seen since December, when St. Cloud's precipitation was the second highest Dec-Aug on record. However, a heavy precipitation event, including quite a bit of wet snow hit on October 30 and 31, hit northeastern, central, and southern Minnesota (set date to November 1 and the accumulation to Last 2 days) with more than an inch of liquid in a strip from south central to northeastern Minnesota. The precipitation turned to wet snow from this maximum area north and west. Only from the northwestern fringe of the highest precipitation areas to the edge of the precipitation band was the air cool enough to support a slushy accumulation. St. Cloud State University picked up 2.5 inches of snow (the second straight year with 2.5 inches of snow on Halloween) and 0.88 inch of precipitation.

This brought the October precipitation total to 1.16 inches, still 1.45 inches below average. The combined September-October precipitation total was 1.51 inch, 4.11 inches below average. That's St. Cloud's 5th driest September-October behind 1952 (0.14 inch). The total of 2.5 inches of October snow tied 2023 for the 11th snowiest October on record, behind the October record of 7.8 inches in 2020. While about 1 in 3 Octobers produce measurable snow in St. Cloud, 6 of the last 8 Octobers have produced measurable snowfall. In 2020, an October 20 snowstorm, as well as a November 10 snowstorm produced more than one third of the entire seasonal snowfall (15.8 inches in Oct-Nov; 45.2 inches in all of 2020-2021.

    October 2024 Statistics

Last Update: 4 November 2024