Posted by Scott Rozenbaum (Rozewood Environmental Services, Inc.)
Lopez Island
Nov 3, 2025
Lopez Island
Nov 3, 2025
360.468.4448
360.202.0096 (cell)
360.202.0096 (cell)
Lopez Weather Summary - October 2025
Nov 3, 2025
As can often be the case for our Octobers, the first half of October (actually this year the first 60% of the month) was rather dry. The islanders relying on rain catchment were uneasy with our continued drought, and landscapers installing shrubs, trees, ferns, and other perennials were concerned or dismayed that the soils were still bone-dry just an inch or two under the slightly dampened top layer. People planting were not so accustom to needing to water-in new plant installations in mid-October.
Our first decent fall rainfall occurred on Oct. 18th and into the morning of the 19th, with three-quarters of an inch (some places getting near an inch) of rain occurring. Rainfall was still hit and miss for most of the remainder of the month, leaning on the drier side overall. As of mid-day on October 31st, the attached CoCoRaHS network cumulative rainfall map (first image) shows somewhat drier than normal amounts across Lopez (cumulative through 7 AM on 10/31/25). An “atmospheric river” event came in by around 2:30 pm on October 31st and dropped about a third of an inch (plus or minus) prior to midnight, and then more rains came at 3-6 AM on Nov. 1st. The second map is an extrapolation, looking at the Nov. 1st rainfall amounts across the island, and extrapolating (educated guessing) what fell prior to midnight, and post-midnight to calculate rainfall through midnight on Oct. 31st. This second October cumulative rainfall map is likely accurate to within plus or minus 0.10 of an inch. It can be even more accurate with beer, wine, or other indulges.
At my north-central gauge off Cross Road, I had 3.28 inches of rainfall. My 29-year October average is 3.04”. The 30-yr average derived by PRISM (OSU) climate model for my location is 2.83 inches.
I did spend a good amount of time looking over the computerized, digital, online (Weather Underground) weather stations’ data during my above extrapolation/teasing out efforts. It seemed like there were higher variation of working stations, partially in-operational stations, and likely some computer glitches or malfunctions. Cumulative October rainfall amounts varied from 0.04” to 3.45 inches; and I have a feeling that the smaller cumulative amounts (under 2 inches) may have had some rain collection difficulties, or likely computer issues.
Because of our late rains on Oct. 31st, many gauge collection spots were at or exceeded their likely average October rainfalls (typically varying from 2.5 to 3 inches), however, for the books, I’d have to say that October was mainly a drier than usual month, and our prolonged ‘plant-stressed’ drought did indeed continue through most of the month. Conditions are better now, and improving from a moisture perspective.
Temperatures were fairly close to typical. Many locations had monthly extremes that varied from 68° to 40°. My own location’s extremes were 66° down to 34°. I had my first (and so far only) patchy light frost on the morning of October 15th, 2025. In the Village, on the 15th, the frost was a bit better developed and covering most surfaces, but still light and temporary. Many other locations across Lopez did not have the frost, and are still awaiting their first frosts.
Cumulative evapotranspiration for October 2025 was 0.60 inch.
Our first decent fall rainfall occurred on Oct. 18th and into the morning of the 19th, with three-quarters of an inch (some places getting near an inch) of rain occurring. Rainfall was still hit and miss for most of the remainder of the month, leaning on the drier side overall. As of mid-day on October 31st, the attached CoCoRaHS network cumulative rainfall map (first image) shows somewhat drier than normal amounts across Lopez (cumulative through 7 AM on 10/31/25). An “atmospheric river” event came in by around 2:30 pm on October 31st and dropped about a third of an inch (plus or minus) prior to midnight, and then more rains came at 3-6 AM on Nov. 1st. The second map is an extrapolation, looking at the Nov. 1st rainfall amounts across the island, and extrapolating (educated guessing) what fell prior to midnight, and post-midnight to calculate rainfall through midnight on Oct. 31st. This second October cumulative rainfall map is likely accurate to within plus or minus 0.10 of an inch. It can be even more accurate with beer, wine, or other indulges.
At my north-central gauge off Cross Road, I had 3.28 inches of rainfall. My 29-year October average is 3.04”. The 30-yr average derived by PRISM (OSU) climate model for my location is 2.83 inches.
I did spend a good amount of time looking over the computerized, digital, online (Weather Underground) weather stations’ data during my above extrapolation/teasing out efforts. It seemed like there were higher variation of working stations, partially in-operational stations, and likely some computer glitches or malfunctions. Cumulative October rainfall amounts varied from 0.04” to 3.45 inches; and I have a feeling that the smaller cumulative amounts (under 2 inches) may have had some rain collection difficulties, or likely computer issues.
Because of our late rains on Oct. 31st, many gauge collection spots were at or exceeded their likely average October rainfalls (typically varying from 2.5 to 3 inches), however, for the books, I’d have to say that October was mainly a drier than usual month, and our prolonged ‘plant-stressed’ drought did indeed continue through most of the month. Conditions are better now, and improving from a moisture perspective.
Temperatures were fairly close to typical. Many locations had monthly extremes that varied from 68° to 40°. My own location’s extremes were 66° down to 34°. I had my first (and so far only) patchy light frost on the morning of October 15th, 2025. In the Village, on the 15th, the frost was a bit better developed and covering most surfaces, but still light and temporary. Many other locations across Lopez did not have the frost, and are still awaiting their first frosts.
Cumulative evapotranspiration for October 2025 was 0.60 inch.
