LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Fall has arrived and that means those colder temperatures may arrive sooner rather than later. Meteorologist Nathan Kitchens lets us know what we can expect as we move deeper into autumn.
Nature is already showing signs of the season as leaves begin to turn. We're just a few weeks away from the peak of fall colors. This also coincides with the peak for harvesting corn and soybean crops across west-central Ohio.
The average first frost date is coming up on October 8th. The earliest date for our first frost occurred on September 21st. The latest date for our first frost is October 26, happening in 2021.
When it comes to freezing temperatures, the average first freeze hits on October 16th. Our earliest freeze date is September 22nd, while our latest on record is November 12th. Last year, our first freeze hit on October 20th.
Eventually, the first flakes of snow will fly as we move into late autumn. Our first "Measurable" snow of a tenth inch or more typically happens around November 15th. Our area has recorded measurable snow as soon as October 12th and as late as December 23rd.
How is the weather shaping up as we look ahead to October? The weather conditions over the past several weeks have been exceptionally dry. Parts of the area have only measured a few hundredths of rain over the past month.
Fortunately, a slow-moving weather system will bring some helpful moisture for the final days of September. This system will then move away for a warm and dry pattern for much of the first week of October. This will be a great window for harvest efforts.
The pattern does look more active by the second week of October and beyond. This will allow for larger "Swings" in temperatures. This should also allow for more consistency in rain chances than we've seen in some time. While rain is very much needed for our parched ground, the timing could inconvenience farmers getting out in the fields. The good news is that temperatures as a whole will wind up a bit warmer than normal. This will help dry things out in between weather systems.
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's 3-month outlook for October through December shows no major signal to lead to above or below-normal temperatures. We could see some colder risks enter the forecast in November, while December is more likely to end up milder than normal thanks to El Nino.
