Salt Lake's October is the hottest on record — by far
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Erin's scrambles to replace the fall decorations that melted to her windows. Photo: Erin Alberty/Axios
With one week to go, this October is fast on its way to obliterating temperature records.
Why it matters: Warmer falls mean extended wildfire seasons, prolonged allergies and increased energy use for air conditioning — as well as a host of potential ecological disruptions.
By the numbers: The month's average temperature so far is 66.2 degrees — almost 10 degrees above normal, per the National Weather Service.
- 2024 brought the hottest October day in Salt Lake City history with a high of 92 on the fourth — the first time temperatures reached the 90s in the month.
- Overnight temps stayed above 50 until the 17th — the latest of any year since records began in 1874.
What they're saying: "It's not hyperbolic to [say] it's definitely a historic and unprecedented October so far in terms of temperatures," NWS meteorologist Alex DeSmet told Axios.
The intrigue: Fall is the least-studied season regarding the consequences of climate change — in part because other seasons pose such exigent hazards as precipitation loss in winter, floods in spring and heat deaths in summer.
- "It's fortunate we aren't having these departures [from normal] in June, July, August — that'd be a lotta days with extreme heat," DeSmet said.
Zoom in: Still, warming autumns could drastically disrupt wildlife patterns, change how diseases spread, and affect plant dormancy, germination and how they process carbon dioxide and oxygen.
The other side: Utahns without shelter are at less risk of succumbing to cold while temperatures stay warm.
- And some fun parts of fall stay fun longer; kids may not have to cover their Halloween costumes with coats, and veggie gardens are still producing.
- "I suppose we can hand out some fresh tomatoes for trick or treaters," DeSmet said.
Zoom out: This month's heat wave has extended to southern Utah, with St. George beating its record high average by almost 2 degrees and reaching 100° for the first time in October, DeSmet said.
The big picture: Fall temperatures have warmed by 2.5°F on average nationally since 1970, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central.
What we're watching: Whether Salt Lake breaks the record for the hottest October — 60.5° in 2015 — as expected.
- Daily averages would have to sink to around 46° for the rest of the month to fall below that record — highly unlikely given the forecast for weekend highs in the 70s and lows in the high 40s.