GENERAL OUTLOOK

November 1, 2000

Precipitation and Temperature Summary

The month of October was drier than normal across southern British Columbia. Precipitation was at or above normal across the rest of the region. Temperatures were at or above normal across westside basins and below normal across eastside basins.

Early in the month, a series of storm systems bringing mainly light precipitation to the region gave way to high pressure and drier conditions. New record low temperatures were established across

western Montana as an usually strong area of high pressure dropped south from Canada. During the middle of the month, a slow moving upper level low pressure system caused locally heavy precipitation. Several cities broke daily precipitation records. Late in the month, the most significant precipitation fell across southern tier basins as an upper level low moved from northern California

into the great basin.

Pacific Northwest mean temperatures departed -0.1 degrees from normal relative to 1961-1990 normals (31 stations). Mean temperature departures ranged from -2.8 to 8.7 degrees.

No record high temperatures were reported during the month of October.

Record low temperatures reported during the month of October occurred on the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 23rd. On the 5th, the following records were broken, 16 at Butte (tie) and 20 at Great Falls. On the 6th, record lows included 12 at Havre, 15 at Kalispell, and 16 at Great Falls. On the 7th, Havre dropped to 9, which tied a record, and Kalispell fell to 15. On the 23rd, Eugene tied a record low at 28.

Daily precipitation records which were broken during the month of October included .90 inches at Missoula on the 1st, .36 inches at Missoula and .75 inches at Great Falls on the 12th, .49 inches at

Missoula, .43 inches at Portland, and 1.09 inches at Astoria on the 13th, and .30 inches at Butte on the 30th.

For October, precipitation is:

96 percent of normal (1961-1990) at Columbia above Coulee,

198 percent of normal at the Snake River above Ice Harbor,

And 118 percent at Columbia above The Dalles.

For the water suppply season, precipitation is:

116 percent of normal (1961-1990) at Columbia above Coulee,

113 percent of normal at the Snake River above Ice Harbor,

And 122 percent at Columbia above The Dalles.