Quad Cities, IA/IL – The first week of October is shaping up to feel more like late summer than fall, with forecasters calling for unusually warm and dry weather across Iowa and Illinois.
According to the National Weather Service Quad Cities, there is an 80% or greater chance that temperatures will trend above normal across the region beginning next week. Typically, early October brings daytime highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Instead, residents may see temperatures climb into the upper 70s and even low 80s, particularly in the Quad Cities metro.
The weather service notes that October usually brings only one to four days with highs of 80 degrees or warmer, with three such days being the local average. On record, the latest first 80-degree day occurred on October 12, while the longest stretch of October warmth in the Quad Cities came in 1963, when the area saw 14 days in the 80s.
Meteorologists emphasize that this pattern favors mild, dry conditions, meaning outdoor events and harvest activities may benefit from the stretch of favorable weather. However, the warm spell could also prolong allergy season and delay typical fall foliage changes.
The warmer-than-normal outlook extends across much of the Midwest, with cities including Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Minneapolis also likely to see temperatures run well above seasonal averages.
Residents are encouraged to enjoy the extended warmth, as more seasonable fall weather is expected to return later in October.
