As we enter October, we begin what is generally the most laid-back month on the weather calendar. For much of our area, it's the driest month of the year, with rainfall averaging between two and a half and three inches.

Another sign of October's weather tranquility is that it can have some rather foggy mornings. Fog forms most easily when skies are clear overnight with light winds, certainly two characteristics of tranquil weather. Those conditions allow the air near the ground to cool rapidly at night - and by the end of October, nights will have lengthened to thirteen and a half hours. Decreasing amounts of daylight, of course, lead to lower temperatures. And indeed, average highs drop from the low to mid 70s in late September to the low 60s by the end of October.

Tropical systems are about the only major fly in the October weather ointment. With it still being hurricane season, the door is at least partially open for tropical trouble. That not only can mean heavy rain, but also strong winds: it was October 1954 when Hurricane Hazel brought 90-mph winds to the region, the strongest on record in both Wilmington and Philadelphia.