HAPPY VALLEY, OREGON WEATHER: OCTOBER 2023
TEMPERATURES
October 2023 averaged slightly above Normal but was rather typical in that the warmest weather occurred towards the beginning of the month. Of the three official Portland weather stations (Downtown, Airport, and Weather Forecast Office), the Average Maximum Departures ranged from +1.1° to +2.0°, Minimum Departures were from +1.9° to +2.5°, while Mean Temperatures were +1.4° to +1.9°. See detailed data for Portland’s official stations at the end of the post.
Here in Happy Valley, the first 4 days began rather chilly with Maximum Temperatures from the upper 50s to mid 60s but quickly warming into the mid 70s to low 80s from the 5th-8th before cooling to 60°-70° into mid-month, the 70.1° on the 15th being the final reading to reach 70°. By the 21st, not one Max. Temp. even reached 60° through month’s end. Overall, Max. Temps varied by 33.0°, from a high of 80.5° on the 7th to 47.5° on the rainy 25th.
Minimum Temperatures varied by 27.8°, ranging from mild 63.1° on the 7th to 35.3° on the 28th, the latter temp. accompanied by the season’s first frost. It likely would have gotten colder but a persistent north wind out of the Columbia River Gorge kept Minimum Temperatures from falling overnight – lower elevations out of the wind did manage to fall to or below freezing. Only 3 Minimum Temperatures managed to fall to ≤40° this month, all near month’s end.
Splitting the month in two, the Max/Min/Mean Temperatures for October were quite different: 1st-16th: 67.0°/53.4°/60.2°; 17th-30th: 57.3°/45.8°/51.5°. The Maximum Diurnal range was 21.6° (74.9°/53.3°) on the 8th, the least being just 4.3° (47.5°/43.2°) on the rainy 25th.
HAPPY VALLEY OCTOBER 2023 STATISTICS:
PRECIPITATION
Though there were rainy days spaced throughout this October (12 days with measurable precipitation), the total rainfall of 2.69″ was actually well below the Normal of 4.70″ (just 57% of that Normal). No big storms affected the area with the Monthly Maximum occurring on the two full days of the 24th-25th, totaled 0.95″, more than 1/3 of the monthly total.
- 2.69″ Manual Gauge (07:00-Hr Observation Time, covering the period 9/30/2023 beginning 07:01 AM into 10/31/2023 ending at 07:00 AM.
- 2.73″ Automated Gauge (Midnight Observation Time).
- 0.63″ Manual Gauge (25th, 07:00-Hr Observation Time).
- 0.56″ Automated Gauge (16th, Midnight Observation Time)
- 0.61″ Automated Gauge (24th-25th, Midnight Observation Time)
Total Monthly Snowfall: 0.0″.
Maximum Snowfall Depths:
- 0.0″ (at 07:00 AM Observation Time)
- 0.0″ (at Midnight Observation)
≥0.25″: 5
≥0.50″: 1
≥1.00″: 0
≥0.25″: 5
≥0.50″: 1
≥1.00″: 0
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
Sky Cover Days: 12 Clear, 9 Partly Cloudy, and 10 Cloudy.
Barometric Pressure: Average Maximum/Minimum readings were 30.13″/29.95″, with the Highest Daily Value of 30.49” (28th), the Lowest Daily Reading of 29.50” (10th).
Relative Humidity: Maximum/Minimum Averages were 91%/67%, having a Daily Maximum of 98% (5th); Daily Minimum of 41% (6th & 7th).
Dew Point: Averages were a Maximum/Minimum of 54°/45°, with a Daily Maximum of 65° (5th), Daily Minimum of 24° (29th).
Wind: The Daily Average Speed was 1.2 mph from the N, and the highest Daily Average was 5.2 mph from the N (30th); the Daily Average Gust was 11.8 mph and the Highest Gust reached 23 mph from the SE (10th).
HAPPY VALLEY MONTHLY WEATHER FORM: OCTOBER 2023 (click the month to access a pdf of the form).
For the three official Portland National Weather Service weather stations, here is Temperature and Precipitation data for each location for OCTOBER 2023:
Data Periods of Record for the three official Portland stations:
- Portland International Airport (PDX) – Period of Record: since 10/1940.
- Portland – Downtown (KGW-TV) – Period of Record: since 1/1871.
- Portland – National Weather Service Forecast Office (WFO) – Period of Record: since 2/1996.
For OCTOBER 2023, the 3 official Portland stations were near Normal temperature-wise, precipitation from a bit below to a bit above Normal:
OCTOBER 2023 Max/Min/Mean Temperatures (and Departures from Normal for 30-Year Period 1991-2020):
- PDX Airport: 66.4°/49.2°/57.8° (+2.0°/+2.5°/+2.2°)
- Downtown: 64.0°/49.8°/56.9° (+1.1°/+1.9°/+1.5°)
- WFO: 64.6°/48.3°/56.4° (+1.1°/+1.9°/+1.4°)
OCTOBER 2023 Precipitation (and Departures, Percentages of Normal for the 30-Year Period 1991-2020):
- PDX Airport: 2.49″ (-0.93″, 72.8%)
- Downtown: 3.19” (-0.77”, 80.6%)
- WFO: 2.62″ (-1.37″, 65.7%)
THE OCTOBER 2023 MONTHLY TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION RECORDS SET:
Portland International Airport (PDX):
- High Daily Maximum Temperature: 85° (7th).
- High Daily Minimum Temperature: 58° (9th, tied with 2010), 57° (13th, tied with 1940).
- High Daily Mean: 71.0° (6th) and is ranked #4 highest October Daily Mean Temperature (tied with 10/7/1984).
- Average Monthly Minimum Temperature: 57.8° is ranked #10 warmest for October.
- All-Time record Annual Number of Days with Maximum Temperatures of ≥80°: From 10/5 through 10/8 , PDX hit 81°, 86°, 85°, and 81°, now marking 95 days in 2023 reaching ≥80°, ranking #1 all-time, surpassing the previous record of 90 days from 2021.
- All-Time record Annual Number of Days with Maximum Temperatures of ≥75°: The 121 days ranks #1, surpassing 2015’s 116 days.
Portland – Downtown (KGW-TV):
- High Daily Maximum Temperature: 85° (7th).
- High Daily Mean Temperature: 71.5° (7th).
- Annual Number of Days with Maximum Temperatures ≥80°: On 10/6 and 10/7 of 2023, Downtown reached 82° and 85°, establishing 74 days in 2023 reaching ≥80°, now ranking #2 all-time behind #1’s 84 days in 1967 (and now ahead of the previous #2’s 73 days (tie) in 1958 & 2021).
Portland – National Weather Service Forecast Office (WFO):
- High Daily Maximum Temperature: 83° (7th).
- Low Daily Minimum Temperature: 30° (28th).
- High Daily Minimum Temperatures: 61° (7th); 55° (13th); 54° (14th).
- High Daily Mean Temperature: 72.0° (7th).
- Average Monthly Maximum Temperature: 64.6° is ranked #8 warmest for October.
- Average Monthly Minimum Temperature: 48.3° is ranked #7 warmest for October.
- Average Monthly Mean Temperature: 56.4° is ranked #7 warmest for October.
- Annual Number of Days with Maximum Temperatures ≥80°: From 10/5/2023-10/8/2023, WFO reached 80°, 82°, 83°, and 80°, now marking 90 days in 2023 reaching ≥80°, attaining its #1 ranking, surpassing the 88 days in 2021 and 87 days in 2015.
Cover photo: Sunrise at Mt. Hood_2023-10-09