After coldest morning of the season, Monday to mark 30th day without rain in Philadelphia area
Monday was the coldest morning of the season around the area, with many spots falling to near the freezing mark. We just briefly dipped into the 30s at Philadelphia International Airport.
Even though not everyone went below freezing, the cold was widespread enough that the National Weather Service has declared the end of the growing season. This means no more frost or freeze warnings will be issued this season.
After the cold start, we'll warm up to a seasonable high of 64 today - a beautiful fall day. But with no rain expected, today will be the 30th day in a row without rain, which will break the record of 29 days straight from 1874, which we tied yesterday. And a dry, warm stretch is underway to finish out October!
The big question this week may revolve around the Halloween forecast and whether we could set a new record. It will feel more like summer than the last day of October as we will be chasing a record high of 82 set in 1946.
Beyond that, the lack of rain remains the top headline in weather for the region. Much of the area is now under a moderate to severe drought, which will likely be elevated to extreme drought for parts of the area next week when the next update arrives.
It's likely that we October 2024 will go down in the record books as the driest month EVER in Philadelphia history since records were started in the 1870s - currently, our driest month is October of 1924 with only 0.09" of rain. This month, we have only had a trace and it doesn't look like we'll see much, if any, more.
There is a chance for showers Friday to start November as a cold front comes through - we will keep you posted.
Here's your 7-day forecast:
Monday: Sunny and chilly, high of 64
Tuesday: Cold start to the morning, high of 70, low of 42
Wednesday: A few clouds, high of 76, low of 52
Thursday: Halloween heat! High of 82, low of 58
Friday: AM shower possible, high of 73, low of 66
Saturday: Sunny and cooler, high of 62, low of 45
Sunday: Sunny skies, high of 66, low of 44