From NWS
1917: Unseasonably cold weather brought temperatures all the way down into the teens across much of Iowa, with most locations in the state setting daily records that still stand today. In fact, in many areas of Iowa this remains the coldest morning ever recorded in the first half of October. Reported low temperatures ranged down to 14 F at Keokuk, Marshalltown, and Webster City, 13 F at Corning and Fayette, and 12 F at half a dozen stations including Ames, Guthrie Center, Keosauqua, and Oskaloosa. There was considerable damage to late fall crops including apples, corn, and potatoes.

1909: Unseasonably cold air settled across Iowa on October 11-13 causing rain to mix with light snow at times on the 11th and 12th. Most locations only reported a trace of snow but at Boone an observer wrote that “the ground was covered on the evening of the 11th”, and at Estherville and Keokuk half an inch of snow was reported. Temperatures fell steadily during this time, bottoming out on the morning of the 13th when Washta reported a low temperature of 10 F. Other lows that morning included 11 F at Pella, 12 F at Inwood and Sheldon, 13 F at Massena and Sioux Center, and 14 F at Audubon and Denison. The hard freeze did severe damage to apple and potato crops and soon afterward many trees shed their leaves which were still green without their usual fall coloring.

13 October 1846 → A hurricane that roared across Cuba and Florida a couple of days earlier continued its path through Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Pennsylvania inflicting damage along its entire route. Philadelphia and Boston suffered damage. 13 October 1966 → Denver experienced six inches of wet early-season snow that caused extensive power outages as tree limbs broke under the weight of the snow.

Posted under Weather History