STEVE'S "WILD" WORLD OF WEATHER....

THE LONGEST RUNNING WEATHER SERVICE:

Hindrich's first observatory on Church and Clinton Streets in Iowa City

On October 1, 1875, the Iowa Weather Service began taking weather observations. It was organized by Professor Gustavus Hinrichs at the University of Iowa with 60 initial observers. Functions of this agency are largely maintained by the State Climatological Office. Iowa has the oldest continuously operating state weather program in the nation. Professor Hinrichs is also the one who coined the term "derecho".

First plotted map of derecho crossing Iowa 1877

Gustavis Hindrichs

A LATE SEASON HEAT WAVE:

On October 5-6, 1963, unseasonably hot weather across the western two-thirds of the state with the temperatures tying or breaking all time records for the month. On the 5th Shenandoah and Forest City tied all time highs for the state with the thermometer hitting 97 degrees. It was 96 at Allison and Webster City. On the 6th, record highs of 96 at Columbus Junction and 95 at Grinnell and Waterloo were recorded.

It was just 28 years earlier that record lows of 12 at Humboldt, 14 at Belmond and 15 degrees at Decorah were recorded on October 6th.

WASPS AND SNOWFALL:

There is an old saying that states - " A summer of many wasps will bring a winter of much snow". This is my 3rd year of testing this folklore.

In 2018 there were a greater number than normal of wasps around and that winter saw well above normal snowfall.

 Last year there was the normal number of wasps around and we had near normal snowfall.

 This year the wasp numbers are higher again so we should see more snow again.

WOOLLY BEARS AND WINTER:

According to the Old Farmers Almanac calendar we should start seeing the woolly bears around the 3rd of October. I have 2 reports so far and they are showing a colder winter. I will need more of the critters before I make any kind of a forecast.

One thing I noticed the past couple of years is that in 2018 the first bunch of caterpillars were showing a warmer winter and then the last batch was showing a colder winter. That winter the first half was warm with little snow and the 2nd half was colder with a lot of snow.

 Last year the first caterpillars that I saw were showing colder and later on they were showing a warmer winter. We had that early cold and snow in October and November and then the rest of the winter was warmer. Maybe a person needs to watch these trends a little closer? I always went by the average number of bands for all of them. We will see what they are saying this year.

MY OCTOBER LUNAR WEATHER FORECAST:

The dates to watch foe some unsettled weather (wind and rain) are: 1st, 3rd, 7th, 9th, 15-16th, 20-21st, 23rd and the 29-31st

That's all for this weeks addition. On the "wild" side of weather, I'm Steve Gottschalk