November 2014 National Climate Report

National Overview:

• Climate Highlights — November



November 2014 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation ranks
• The average contiguous U.S. temperature during November was 39.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20^th century average. This ranked as the 16^th coldest November in the 1895-2014 record, and was the coldest November since 2000. The average maximum (daytime) November temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 50.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20^th century average and ranked as the 21^st lowest on record for November. The average minimum (nighttime) November temperature was 28.3°F, 2.4°F below the 20^th century average, the 15^th coldest on record.
• Locations from the Rockies to the East Coast were cooler than average, where 18 states across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Southeast had a top 10 cool November. No state was record cold, but Alabama and Mississippi each had their second coldest November. The Southwest was warmer than average, where California had its ninth warmest November on record. No state was record warm during November.
• Alaska had its fifth warmest November in its 1918-2014 record, with a temperature 7.7°F above the 1971-2000 average. Several locations across the state had their warmest November on record, including King Salmon and Homer. In fact, this marked the fifth month of 2014 that Homer has been record warm. The warm temperatures limited snow cover and depth across Alaska. Ski resorts near Anchorage were not able to open for the Thanksgiving holiday for the first time in over a decade.
• The average contiguous U.S. precipitation was 2.07 inches, 0.16 inch below average, and ranked near the median value in the 120-year period of record.
• The Northern Rockies and parts of the Southern Plains, Southeast, and Great Lakes were wetter than average. The Southwest, Central Plains, Northeast, parts of the Midwest, and most of Hawaii were drier than average. No state had a top 10 wet or dry November.
• According to the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the November snow cover extent for the contiguous U.S. was 400,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average and the largest November snow cover extent in the 49-year satellite record. This bested the previous record large November snow cover extent that occurred in 2000. Several major snow events occurred during November, including the back-to-back lake effect snow events that brought over 65 inches of snow to the Buffalo, NY region and a Thanksgiving Nor'easter that snarled holiday travel along the East Coast.
• According to the December 2 U.S. Drought Monitor, 29.1 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down from 29.6 percent at the end of last month. Drought conditions improved across parts of the Southern Plains and Southeast, but worsened across parts of the Northern Plains. Despite light precipitation in parts of the West, nearly all of California and Nevada remained in drought due to long-term precipitation deficits.
• Based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI), the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during November was 44 percent above average and the 14^th highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.
• During November, there were about 9,197 record cold daily high (4,955) and low (4,242) temperature records. This was 3.5 times as many (2,657) record warm daily high (1,337) and low (1,320) temperature records.
• Climate Highlights — autumn (September-November)



September-November 2014 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation ranks
• During autumn, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 54.1°F, 0.6°F above the 20^th century average. This ranked near the median value in the 120-year period of record. The average maximum (daytime) autumn temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 66.0°F, 0.2°F above the 20^th century average. The average minimum (nighttime) autumn temperature was 42.3°F, 1.0°F above the 20^th century average, the 25^th warmest on record. The cold November was roughly balanced by the warm September and October.
• Above-average temperatures were observed in the West and Northeast. In the West, six states had a top 10 warm autumn, including California that was record warm. Below-average temperatures were observed across the Midwest and through the Mississippi River Valley. Illinois and Indiana each had a top 10 cool autumn. No state had its coldest autumn on record.
• The total autumn precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 7.12 inches, 0.24 inch above the 20^th century average. This ranked near the median value in the 120-year period of record. Much of the country recorded near-average precipitation for the season. Above-average precipitation was observed in parts of the Northwest, Southwest, central Great Lakes, and the Southeast. Below-average precipitation was observed in the Northern Plains and the eastern Great Lakes. No state had a top 10 wet or dry autumn.
• The U.S. Climate Extremes Index (USCEI) for autumn was 25 percent below average, ranking as the 33^rd smallest autumn USCEI on record. The component that examines extremes in warm nighttime temperatures was above average and ranked as the 11th highest value on record. On the regional scale, the West had its sixth highest CEI on record, driven largely by warm daytime and nighttime temperatures and the spatial extent of drought. The USCEI is an index that tracks extremes (falling in the upper or lower 10 percent of the record) in temperature, precipitation, drought, and land-falling tropical cyclones across the contiguous U.S.
• Based on NOAA's REDTI, the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during autumn was 19 percent above average and the 39^th highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.
• Climate Highlights — year-to-date (January — November)



January-November 2014 Statewide Temperature and Precipitation ranks
• During January-November, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 54.0°F, 0.2°F above the 20^th century average. This ranked near the median value in the 120-year period of record, but was the coldest year-to-date since 1997. The average maximum (daytime) year-to-date temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 54.0°F, 0.2°F above the 20^th century average. The average minimum (nighttime) year-to-date temperature was 41.9°F, 0.2°F above the 20^th century average.
• Continuing the pattern observed during much of 2014, the western U.S. was much warmer than average, while the East was much cooler than average. In the West, eight states had one of their 10 warmest January-November periods on record, including Arizona and California which were record warm. The Arizona statewide average temperature was 2.9°F above average, while the California statewide average temperature was 4.1°F above average. In the East, 12 states had one of their 10 coldest year-to-dates on record, mostly from the Midwest through the Mississippi River Valley. No state had a record cold January-November.
• Alaska had its second warmest year-to-date on record, with a temperature 3.7°F above the 1971-2000 average. The warmest January-November occurred in 1926.
• The January-November total precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 28.22 inches, 0.63 inch above the 20^th century average. This ranked near the median value in the 120-year period of record.
• Above-average precipitation was observed across the northern tier of the country. Michigan and Wisconsin each had a top 10 wet January-November period. Below-average precipitation was observed in the Southwest, Southern Plains, and parts of the Ohio Valley and New England. No state had a top 10 dry year-to-date.
• The USCEI for January-November was 45 percent above average, and ranked as the 11^th highest value on record. Extremes in both warm and cold maximum and minimum temperatures, 1-day precipitation totals, and days with precipitation contributed to the elevated 11-month USCEI value. The Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and West each had CEI values for the January-November period that ranked among the five highest on record.
• Based on NOAA's REDTI, the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during the year-to-date was 30 percent above average and the 21^st highest in the 1895-2014 period of record.

**A comparison of the national temperature departure from average as calculated by NCDC's operational dataset (nClimDiv), the U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN), and the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is available on our National Temperature Index page.**

Alaska Temperature and Precipitation:

• Temperature
• Alaska had its 5th warmest November since records began in 1918, with a temperature 7.68°F (4.27°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
• Alaska had its 11th warmest September-November since records began in 1918, with a temperature 3.65°F (2.03°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
• Alaska had its 2nd warmest January-November since records began in 1918, with a temperature 3.66°F (2.03°C) above the 1971-2000 average.
• Precipitation
• Alaska had its 32nd driest November since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was -17.21% below the 1971-2000 average.
• Alaska had its 17th driest September-November since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was -14.80% below the 1971-2000 average.
• Alaska had its 40th driest January-November since records began in 1918, with an anomaly that was 3.25% above the 1971-2000 average.

For additional details about recent temperatures and precipitation across the U.S., see the Regional Highlights section below and visit the Climate Summary page. For information on local temperature and precipitation records during the month, please visit NCDC's Records page.

Regional Highlights:

These regional summaries were provided by the six Regional Climate Centers and reflect conditions in their respective regions. These six regions differ spatially from the nine climatic regions of the National Climatic Data Center.

• Northeast
• Midwest
• Southeast
• High Plains
• Southern
• Western

• Northeast Region: (Information provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center)
• November was a chilly month in the Northeast. With an average temperature of 36.3 degrees F (2.4 degrees C), it was 3.2 degrees F (1.8 degrees C) colder than normal. All twelve states saw below-normal temperatures, with West Virginia having its 7th coldest November on record. Departures ranged from 5.9 degrees F (3.3 degrees C) below normal in West Virginia to 1.4 degrees F (0.8 degrees C) below normal in Vermont. Autumn ended with near-normal temperatures. The region's average temperature of 50.0 degrees F (10.0 degrees C) was 0.1 degrees F (0.1 degrees C) warmer than normal. Nine states had above-normal temperatures, with three ranking the season among their top 20 warmest: Vermont, 17th warmest; Maine, 18th warmest; and Rhode Island, 20th warmest. Departures for the warm states ranged from 1.2 degrees F (0.7 degrees C) above normal in Vermont to 0.1 degrees F (0.1 degrees C) above normal in New Jersey. As for the cold states, departures ranged from 0.3 degrees F (0.2 degrees C) below normal in Maryland to 1.5 degrees F (0.8 degrees C) below normal in West Virginia.
• Receiving 2.84 inches (72.14 mm) of precipitation, 73 percent of normal, the Northeast returned to drier conditions in November. Eight of the twelve states were drier than normal, with departures ranging from 64 percent of normal in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to 94 percent of normal in Connecticut. Departures for the wet states ranged from 104 percent of normal in Massachusetts up to 120 percent of normal in New Jersey. Autumn also ended up drier than normal. The region picked up 9.42 inches (239.29 mm), 81 percent of normal. All states were drier than normal, with Pennsylvania seeing its 19th driest autumn on record. Departures ranged from 71 percent of normal in Pennsylvania to 96 percent of normal in West Virginia.
• According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 14 percent of the Northeast was abnormally dry and 2 percent of the region was experiencing moderate drought at the start of November. Conditions deteriorated slightly during the month so that by the end of November, 21 percent of the Northeast was abnormally dry and 2 percent of the region remained under moderate drought conditions.
• At the start of November, a Nor'easter brought up to 21 inches (53 cm) of snow and wind gusts to 60 mph (27 m/s) to parts of the region. Caribou, ME, had its earliest snowfall that was greater than 10 inches (25 cm). More than 140,000 customers lost power in Maine, and coastal flooding occurred in Massachusetts. A major lake effect snow event occurred in the Buffalo, NY, area from November 17 to 21. Up to 88 inches (224 cm) of snow fell, making it one of the Buffalo area's largest snow events in history. Extreme snowfall rates of up to 5 inches (13 cm) per hour occurred. The storm resulted in 13 deaths. All major roadways, including 140 miles (225 km) of the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90), were shut down for over three days, with up to 150 vehicles stranded on the Thruway alone. Driving bans were in place for up to five days. The weight of the snow caused more than 100 roof collapses. Several towns spent their entire snow removal budget in one week. Three school districts were closed until December 1 due to road and sidewalk conditions. A State of Emergency was declared for 10 New York counties, including Erie, allowing transportation equipment and personnel, along with the National Guard, to be sent to the area to assist with recovery efforts. Rapid snowmelt due to warmer temperatures and rain caused minor flooding. A Nor'easter on November 26-27 dropped up to 20 inches (51 cm) of snow from Maryland to Maine, causing travel problems the day before Thanksgiving. Numerous vehicle accidents occurred, and hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled. More than 300,000 customers in New England lost power due to the storm.
• For more information, please go to the Northeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.
• Midwest Region: (Information provided by the Midwest Regional Climate Center)
• November temperatures were below normal across the Midwest. On the backside of a strong storm that swept across the northern half of the region from the 10th to the 12th, cold air poured across the Midwest spreading record lows across the region. The cold air persisted through the remainder of the month, with an area wide average temperature of 31.4 degrees F (-0.3 C). This was 7.1 degrees F (3.9 C) below normal, the coldest November since 1996 and ranked as the 6th coldest dating back to 1895. Fall, September to November, temperatures were also cold across the region, ranked as tied for 17th coldest. Year-to-date temperatures for the region continued to rank among the coldest 10% of cases dating back to 1895, with 2014 ranked as the 5th coldest on record. All nine Midwest states were cold for November (eight states, all except Minnesota, among their coldest 10%), fall (2 states, Illinois and Indiana, among their coldest 10%), and year-to-date (8 states, all except Minnesota, among the coldest 10%).
• November precipitation was below normal for most of the Midwest. The northern regions were the exception with above normal precipitation totals in central Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and much of Michigan. Despite the meager precipitation totals, snowfall totals were well above normal for much of the region. In the Ohio River Valley, totals were several times normal due to normal being very low in November. The northern regions were also well above normal, exceeding twice normal as storms and lake-effect snows combined to bring several feet (60 to 150 cm or more) of snow to some locations. Totals topping 60 inches (152 cm) were reported at multiple locations in Wisconsin and Michigan. Fall, September to November, precipitation totals were a mixed bag of above and below normal conditions. Areas of 2 inches (51 mm) or more above and below normal were scattered across the region.
• In mid-November, snow cover in the United States reached extents unmatched in the previous 30 Novembers. The snow cover included all of the Midwest at times during the month. This large extent of snow is unusual so early in the season. Median dates of first measurable snow in the southern third of the Midwest are not until early to mid-December.
• For details on the weather and climate events of the Midwest, see the weekly summaries in the Midwest Climate Watch page.
• Southeast Region: (Information provided by the Southeast Regional Climate Center)
• Mean temperatures in November were well below average across much of the Southeast region. The greatest departures were found across Alabama, Georgia, and northern Florida, where monthly temperatures were 5 to 8 degrees F (2.8 to 4.4 degrees C) below average. Mean daily minimum temperatures were 7 to 10 degrees F (3.9 to 5.6 degrees C) below average across portions of this region, while mean daily maximum temperatures were 4 to 7 degrees F (2.2 to 3.9 degrees C) below average. Indeed, many locations within this region observed their coldest or second coldest November on record, including Macon, GA (1899-2014), Mobile, AL (1872-2014), and Gainesville, FL (1890-2014). Mean temperatures were near average in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during November. The warmest weather occurred on the 24th of the month, as a cold front associated with an unusually strong Great Lakes cyclone approached the region from the west. Daily maximum temperatures reached the middle to upper 70s F (24 to 26 degrees C) from northern Florida to Virginia, and portions of central and southern Florida exceeded 85 degrees F (29 degrees C). In contrast, the coolest weather of the month occurred from the 18th through the 20th, as a continental polar air mass connected with an exceptionally deep upper-level trough blanketed the region. On the 19th, daily mean temperatures plunged 15 to 20 degrees F (8.3 to 11.1 degrees C) below average across nearly the entire region, and Charlotte, NC (1878-2014) observed its coldest minimum temperature (14 degrees F; -10 degrees C) on record for this early in the cool season. In addition, at least one major city in every state across the region observed its coldest or second coldest daily mean temperature on record.
• Precipitation was highly variable across the Southeast during November. The wettest locations were found across a small portion of the region, including northern and central Florida (excluding the western Panhandle), southern Georgia, and coastal South Carolina. Monthly precipitation departures exceeded 2 inches (50.8 mm) above normal for most locations within this area. One of the wettest locations was Ocala, FL (1896-2014), which observed its 3rd wettest November on record with 6.23 inches (158 mm) of precipitation. On the 15th, Daytona Beach, FL (1923-2014) recorded its second wettest 1-day total for November with 6.22 inches (158 mm) of precipitation, which is greater than 200 percent of the average total precipitation for the entire month. In contrast, the driest locations were found across the western Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, where monthly precipitation was 50 percent to as low as 10 percent of normal. Precipitation was near-average for much of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, though San Juan, PR (1898-2014) did record 11.47 inches (291 mm) of precipitation during November, which is about 175 percent of normal. It is also important to note that the earliest trace of snowfall was recorded in Columbia, SC (1887-2014) on the 1st of the month, with several locations observing 2 to 5 inches (50.8 to 127 mm) of snowfall just a few miles from the city. In addition, Asheville, NC (1869-2014) recorded its fourth highest 1-day snowfall total for November (3.2 inches; 81 mm) on the 1st.
• There were 118 severe weather reports across the Southeast throughout November, and all but two of these reports occurred on just three days during the month (16th, 17th, and 23rd). Nearly 92 percent of these reports were for damaging thunderstorm winds. The most significant of these events occurred on the 17th, when a vigorous squall line produced damaging straight-line winds exceeding 60 mph across northeast Florida. Two tractor-trailers were overturned on Dames Point Bridge near Jacksonville due to these strong winds, with one truck driver taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. Eleven tornadoes were confirmed across the Southeast in November, including 2 EF-0s, 7 EF-1s, and 2 EF-2s. The tornado activity was confined to the southern portion of the region, as no tornadoes were confirmed in the Carolinas and Virginia. On the 17th, an EF-2 tornado touched down near Blountstown, FL and remained on the ground for approximately 22.3 miles, resulting in the longest tornado path in the state of Florida since February of 2007. On the 23rd, an EF-2 tornado touched down in Barbour County, AL and tracked northeastward on a 119-mile semi-continuous path until finally lifting in Newton County, GA. No fatalities or injuries were reported with this long-lived tornado.
• A modest improvement in drought conditions was noted for the Southeast region during November. The percentage of the region under drought-free (less than D1) conditions increased slightly from 91 percent on the 4th to 97 percent on the 25th. The most significant amelioration of drought conditions occurred in southwestern Georgia and north-central Florida. The small area of severe drought (D2) in extreme southwestern Georgia was eliminated, and the coverage of moderate drought (D1) conditions across Georgia decreased from 14 percent on the 4th to 3.5 percent on the 25th. Despite the development of a localized area of severe drought around Mobile Bay, drought conditions continued to improve across portions of western and southern Alabama, as the statewide coverage of moderate drought decreased from 25 percent on the 4th to 11 percent on the 25th. Agricultural impacts were relatively minimal across the region, but the planting of winter pasture grasses in northern Florida was disrupted by the unusually cold temperatures during mid-November.
• For more information, please go to the Southeast Regional Climate Center Home Page.
• High Plains Region: (Information provided by the High Plains Regional Climate Center)
• November 2014 was a month of extreme temperatures. The warmth of October carried over into the first part of the month and this was followed by an Arctic blast which brought record-breaking cold to the region and beyond. In the end, the cold weather dominated as most of the region had average temperatures which were well below normal. Some of the largest temperature departures occurred in the Dakotas where average temperatures were 6.0-8.0 degrees F (3.3-4.4 degrees C) below normal. Isolated areas even ranged from 8.0-10.0 degrees F (4.4-5.6 degrees C) below normal. Even with these impressive departures, most locations only ranked in the top 20 coldest Novembers on record. However, there were some locations across South Dakota which ranked in the top 10 coldest Novembers. These included Rapid City (4th), Aberdeen (5th), Pierre (6th), Huron (9th), and Sioux Falls (10th). Huron had an average temperature of 24.5 degrees F (-4.2 degrees C), which was an impressive 8.1 degrees F (4.5 degrees C) below normal (period of record 1881-2014). The coldest November on record occurred back in 1896 with an average temperature of 13.5 degrees F (-10.3 degrees C). The Arctic blast mentioned above brought bitterly cold temperatures to the region. The week of the 11th-17th was particularly cold with temperature departures greater than 20 degrees F (11 degrees C) below normal for a majority of the region. A large area from central Montana through Wyoming, western South Dakota, the panhandle of Nebraska, and eastern Colorado had temperature departures exceeding 25 degrees F (13.9 degrees C) below normal! Thousands of records were set across the country, many of which occurred here in the region. Casper, Wyoming set a new record for coldest November temperature. The minimum temperature of -27 degrees F (-32.8 degrees C) on the 12th easily beat the old record of -21 degrees F (-29.4 degrees C) set on November 23, 1985 (period of record 1939-2014). Three days this November were ranked in the top 10 coldest November temperatures in Casper, including the new record of -27 degrees F (-32.8 degrees C), the 2nd coldest of -26 degrees F (-32.2 degrees C), and the 5th coldest of -19 degrees F (-28.3 degrees C). These occurred on the 12th, 13th, and 11th respectively.
• Precipitation varied across the High Plains Region this month. Generally, the driest areas were to the south, while the wetter areas were to the north and west. A large area of central and eastern Nebraska, as well as eastern Colorado and most of Kansas received at best 25 percent of normal precipitation. One of the driest locations was Goodland, Kansas which only received 0.02 inches (1 mm) of precipitation. This amount was only 3 percent of normal and ranked as the 6th driest November on record (period of record 1895-2014). Although some areas received near to just above normal precipitation, there were very few locations receiving much above normal precipitation. One area receiving ample precipitation was northwestern Wyoming. Sheridan, Wyoming received 1.49 inches (38 mm) of precipitation, which ranked as the 8th wettest November on record (period of record 1907-2014). Precipitation during the fall (September, October, and November) also varied with some areas receiving well above normal precipitation and others receiving little precipitation. A large area of the eastern Dakotas received 25-50 percent of normal precipitation and this ongoing dryness led to the development of abnormally dry conditions. Meanwhile, the area encompassing the Black Hills and the panhandle of Nebraska had totals which exceeded 150 percent of normal. Other wet areas included central Colorado, western Wyoming, eastern Kansas, and a swath running from southeastern Colorado to the northeast through Kansas and into eastern Nebraska and central Iowa.
• According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, there were only slight changes to drought conditions in the High Plains Region since last month. The total area in drought (D1-D4) remained at about 11 percent with only a slight expansion of moderate drought (D1) from northeastern South Dakota into southeastern North Dakota. Drought conditions in the southern part of the region, across Colorado and Kansas, persisted. The most notable change to conditions occurred in the eastern halves of the Dakotas and south-central Nebraska where abnormally dry conditions (D0) have emerged. These areas have been experiencing dryness over the past three months. Luckily, at this time of the year any impacts from these areas would be minor. According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook released November 20th, drought conditions in the small area of the Dakotas and across Kansas through eastern Colorado are expected to persist through winter. However, some drought conditions in southern Colorado may improve or be removed.
• For more information, please go to the High Plains Regional Climate Center Home Page.
• Southern Region: (Information provided by the Southern Regional Climate Center)
• November was a cold month across the board for the Southern Region, with temperatures averaging between 5 to 8 degrees F (2.78 to 4.44 degrees C) below normal in the northeastern portion of the region and between 3 to 6 degrees F (1.67 to 3.33 degrees C) below normal throughout much of Texas and Oklahoma. For the region as a whole, it was the sixth coldest November with a region-wide average temperature of 48.96 degrees F (9.42 degrees C). The statewide temperature averages are as follows: Arkansas averaged 44.80 degrees F (7.11 degrees C), Louisiana averaged 52.80 degrees F (11.56 degrees C), Mississippi averaged 48.80 degrees F (9.33 degrees C), Oklahoma averaged 44.30 degrees F (6.83 degrees C), Tennessee averaged 42.20 degrees F (5.67 degrees C), and Texas averaged 51.40 degrees F (10.78 degrees C). The state of Mississippi recorded its second coldest November on record (1895-2014). Both Arkansas and Louisiana experienced their third coldest November on record (1895-2014), and for Tennessee, it was their fourth coldest November on record (1895-2014). Oklahoma recorded its ninth coldest November on record (1895-2014), while for Texas, it was their seventeenth coldest November (1895-2014).
• For the majority of the Southern Region, November was a dry month, with many stations in Louisiana and Arkansas experiencing extended periods without any measurable rainfall. Throughout much of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, precipitation totals for the month varied between 25 to 75 percent of normal precipitation. The only areas in the region to experience wetter than normal conditions was in the south and southwestern counties of Texas, and a small handful of counties in southern Oklahoma. The Tran-Pecos climate division of Texas reported the highest precipitation anomalies with stations reporting between two to four times the monthly normal. The state-wide average precipitation totals are as follows: Arkansas reported 2.59 inches (65.79 mm), Louisiana reported 3.45 inches (87.63 mm), Mississippi reported 3.06 inches (77.72 mm), Oklahoma reported 1.87 inches (47.50 mm), Tennessee reported 3.18 inches (80.78 mm), and Texas reported 2.73 inches (69.34 mm). For Texas, it was the twenty-second wettest November on record (1895-2014). All other state-wide rankings fell within the two middle quartiles.
• Despite some welcomed precipitation in Texas and southern Oklahoma, drought conditions for those two states, which dominate the drought story for the Southern Region, did not change significantly. Elsewhere, dry conditions allowed for a continuation of moderate drought designations in northeastern Arkansas and in southern Mississippi.
• Due to persistent dry conditions, there was not a lot of severe weather in the month of November. Severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front on November 16, 2014 spawned four tornadoes in southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Two of these occurred in Louisiana's Livingston parish, and the other two occurred in Walthall County Mississippi, and Jones County Mississippi. Fortunately, no fatalities or injuries were reported.
• In Texas, the cold weather had a drastic effect on the cotton harvesting. Cotton ran about two weeks behind normal due to cooler than average temperatures over the month. The areas of Texas that received above normal precipitation (Southern, Central, some Eastern regions) had adequate to good soil moisture. In the Panhandle where temperatures were extremely cold and windy, some of the cotton crop were lost. Fortunately, dryland grain sorghum crops were above average in yield. For ranchers, most the livestock remained in good condition and made it through the abnormal cold spell. However, horn fly populations fell (Information provided by the Texas Office of State Climatology).
• In Texas, the cold weather had numerous impacts. This was a part of the system that brought early winter weather to portions of north Texas where roads were iced over. Lubbock reported over 100 accidents in a 12-hour period and in four of those accidents there was a fatality. A week later, parts of Texas were dealing with flash flooding. In Austin, three people had to be rescued from the flooding waters. In El Paso, over 5 inches (127 mm) of rain fell in a 4-hour period (Information provided by the Texas Office of State Climatology).
• In Louisiana, the dry weather provided optimal conditions for sugar cane harvesting. The harvesting of sugar cane is ahead of schedule and will continue into January.
• For more information, please go to the Southern Regional Climate Center Home Page.
• Western Region: (Information provided by the Western Region Climate Center)
• Several storm systems impacted the northern tier of the West this month, with a few systems pushing southward into California. Temperatures this month averaged cooler than normal for the northeastern half of the West and warmer than normal in the southeastern half of the region. Significant temperature variability was observed throughout the month, especially in the north, with the passage of strong cold fronts.
• Another month of above normal temperatures helps maintain 2014 as California's warmest calendar year on record to-date. Temperatures have been above normal for a majority of the state since January 2014. Slightly above normal temperatures were also observed in Arizona and much of the Great Basin. Further east, daily average temperatures fell to more than 20-40 F (11-22 C) below normal in areas east of the Rockies with the passage of a cold arctic front mid-month, warmed to several degrees above normal in the latter half of the month, and dropped significantly again with another cold front at end the month. Casper, Wyoming saw a temperature drop of 27 F (15 C) in roughly 30 minutes on November 29 with the late month cold front. Many stations in Montana saw 24 hour temperature decreases of 50-75 F (28-42C), bottoming out at -20 to -30 F (-29 to -34 C). Billings, Montana observed its 8th coldest November with an average 37.0 F (2.8 C). Records at Billings began in 1937.
• Much of the northern tier of the West observed near to above normal precipitation this month. Monthly totals in the inland Northwest and northern Rockies were not necessarily large in quantity but anomalously high for November. Missoula, Montana recorded its 3rd wettest November on record with 2.88 in (73 mm), 1.88 in (48 mm) above normal. Some Northwest locations, many along the coast, observed below normal precipitation this month. The 2.99 in (76 mm) observed at Portland was only 53% of the November normal. Further south, drier conditions dominated. Over the last few days of the month, the first of a series of storms brought precipitation to a large area of California with 0.5-2 in (13-51mm) observed throughout much of the state and over 2 in (51 mm) of water reported in the northern Sierra Nevada. In spite of this and other storms earlier in the month, precipitation was still less than 75% of normal throughout much of the state. The Southwest deserts remained nearly dry this month, not unusual for this time of year. This month's storms helped to establish snowpack in western mountains, with 1-2 ft (30-61 cm) observed in the Sierra and southern Cascades by the end of the month and 2-4 ft or more (61-122 cm) in the northern Cascades as well as the northern and central Rockies. With the exception of a small area at the Oregon-Washington-Idaho border, drought conditions did not worsen in the West this month, though severe to exceptional drought persists for a large area of California, Nevada, and southeastern Oregon.
• Many locations in Alaska observed one of their top-10 warmest Novembers on record this month with average temperatures 6+ F (3.3 C) above normal in all but the southeast and far southwest portions of the state. Temperatures at King Salmon averaged 36.5 F (2.5 C), the warmest in a 98-year record. McGrath and Anchorage recorded their 5th warmest Novembers at an average 16.1 F (-8.8 C) and 31.3 F (-0.4 C), respectively. McGrath also set a monthly record high temperature of 50 F (10 C) on November 12; this location had previously never seen a temperature of 50 F (10 C) or greater past October 22. Further south, precipitation in Kodiak totaled 13.00 in (330 mm) for the month, 189% of normal and the 4th wettest November since records began in 1931. Elsewhere in the state, precipitation was near normal along the southern coast, below normal throughout the interior and above normal along the North Slope. At much lower latitudes, precipitation was below normal for much of Hawaii. Several stations of the windward side of the Big Island reported above normal rainfall.
• November 11-12: Strong winds in Washington, Oregon: Strong easterly winds downed trees and caused power outages for tens of thousands in western Washington and Oregon. Gusts of 60-70 mph (97-113 kph) were reported east of Portland and 50-70 mph (80-113 kph) near Enumclaw, south of Seattle.
• November 13-14: Ice storm in eastern Oregon: An early season ice storm impacted travel along Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon and central Idaho.
• November (all month): Alaska ski resorts unable to open for Thanksgiving holiday: Warm, snow-free conditions keep popular Alaska ski resorts Alyeska and Hilltop near Anchorage from opening over the Thanksgiving holiday. Not only was natural snowfall not sufficient, temperatures were too warm for manual snow making to occur. The last time Hilltop ski resort did not open for Thanksgiving was in the early 2000s.
• For more information, please go to the Western Regional Climate Center Home Page.

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