NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

 

NOVEMBER 2011

 

1st-5th,,In early November, widespread precipitation arrived across the West and quickly spread to the central Plains. Cheyenne, WY, received 9.5 inches of snow on November 1-2, boosted by a daily record total of 7.7 inches on the 1st. Precipitation later spread into parts of the Ohio Valley and the Midwest, with daily-record totals reported in locations such as Cincinnati, OH (2.26 inches on November 3), and Traverse City, MI (1.09 inches on November 2). Cincinnati also surpassed an annual precipitation total of 60 inches for the first time (previously, 57.58 inches in 1990). By November 4, rain shifted into the southern Mid-Atlantic States, where Greensboro, NC (1.51 inches), collected a daily-record amount. Toward week’s end, rain and snow showers returned to the West. Daily-record snowfall totals reached 4.0 inches in both Ely, NV (on November 4), and Billings, MT (on November 5). Cold air trailed both Western storm systems. Daily-record lows for November 3 included 4°F at Utah’s Bryce Canyon Airport and 24°F in Lancaster, CA. The following day, records for November 4 dipped to 21°F in Ponca City, OK, and 31°F in Victoria, TX. A record setting chill returned to the West by November 5, when lows dipped to 0°F in Ely, NV, and 14°F in Klamath Falls, OR. High winds preceded the cold weather, with gusts to 82 mph reported at both Laguna Peak in Ventura County, CA (on November 2), and Taos, NM (on November 5). Warmth had briefly overspread the southwestern and south-central U.S. in advance of the cold spells, with highs soaring to daily-record levels in locations such as Santa Rosa, CA (81°F on October 30); El Paso, TX (84°F on November 1); and San Angelo, TX (87°F on November 2). Cold, occasionally stormy weather engulfed much of Alaska. In both Fairbanks (-2°F) and McGrath (-4°F), the season’s first sub-zero reading occurred on October 31. On November 3, daily-record precipitation totals were established in locations such as King Salmon (0.66 inch) and Bethel (0.55 inch). Bethel also received 9.8 inches of snow from November 2-5, including a daily-record amount (5.2 inches) on the 3rd. Similarly, 6.0 inches of snow blanketed Juneau on November 4-5, aided by a daily record total (5.3 inches) on the 4th. Farther south, drought easing rainfall soaked much of Hawaii. Daily-record amounts included 0.73 inch (on November 1) in Honolulu, Oahu, and 2.68 inches in Lihue, Kauai. November 1-5 totals reached 6.11 inches in Hilo, on the Big Island, and 3.64 inches in Lihue. Kauai’s famously wet Mt. Waialeale netted a weekly rainfall of 22.12 inches.

 

6th-12thHeavy rain fell from central and eastern portions of Kansas and Oklahoma northeastward into parts of Michigan, boosting moisture. Weekly rainfall totaled 4 inches or more from south-central Oklahoma into southeastern Kansas and southwestern Missouri. Across the remainder of the Plains and Midwest, little or no precipitation fell. Toward week’s end, rain briefly soaked parts of New England. Elsewhere, cold weather accompanied occasional rain and snow showers in the West. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10°F below normal from southern California into the Four Corners region. In Arizona, Flagstaff received its second significant snowfall in 3 days, with 6.8 inches on November 7 coming on the heels of a 5.7-inch total on November 5. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation erupted across the nation’s mid-section, where daily-record rainfall totals in Kansas for November 7 included 2.77 inches in Chanute and 2.05 inches in Topeka. The following day, record-setting amounts for November 8 reached 2.92 inches in Russellville, AR; 1.91 inches in Joplin, MO; and 1.66 inches in Tulsa, OK. November 6-8 rainfall totaled 3.04 inches in Tulsa; 4.05 inches in Fayettevile, AR; and 6.16 inches in Muskogee, OK. Farther west, November 8-9 snowfall topped a foot in parts of the southern Rockies, with 19 inches reported in Eagle Nest, NM. Heavy precipitation also spread into parts of the Midwest. Green Bay, WI, received 2.20 inches of precipitation on November 8-9, including 2.0 inches of snow. Daily-record snowfall totals for November 9 reached 8.9 inches in Rhinelander, WI, and 3.7 inches in Des Moines, IA. The last time Des Moines experienced a more significant early-season snowfall was October 26, 1997, when 6.6 inches fell. Late in the week, windy weather accompanied some precipitation across the Northwest. In northwestern Montana’s Glacier National Park, a wind gust to 87 mph was reported at Logan Pass on November 11. The following day, Big Sky, MT, received 6.8 inches of snow, a record for November 12. Warmth prevailed early in the week across the South. In fact, highs soared to daily-record levels on November 8 in Texas locations such as McAllen (95°F) and Harlingen (92°F). Record-setting warmth also briefly affected the Northeast, where highs climbed to 70°F (on November 8) in Buffalo, NY, and 68°F (on November 9) in Burlington, VT. In contrast, cold air trailed the Western storminess. Bishop, CA, posted consecutive daily-record lows (13 and 15°F, respectively) on November 8-9. Other daily-record lows for November 8 included 7°F in Flagstaff, AZ, and 30°F in Redding, CA. Elsewhere in California, Stockton notched consecutive daily-record lows (34 and 32°F, respectively) on November 9-10. Toward week’s end, a record-setting chill shifted into the Deep South. Harlingen (37°F on November 11) collected a daily record low, just 3 days after soaring to 92°F. On November 11, Gulf Coast cities reporting daily-record lows included Corpus Christi, TX (32°F), and Mobile, AL (31°F). A day later, records for November 12 fell to 22°F in Tallahassee, FL, and 27°F in Macon, GA. An unusually vicious storm over the Bering Sea battered western Alaska with high winds, heavy precipitation, and a coastal storm surge. Even before the storm arrived, unsettled weather covered parts of the state. For example, Anchorage received record-setting precipitation (0.49 inch) and snowfall (6.1 inches) totals for November 6. On November 8-9, the Bering Sea storm produced Alaskan wind gusts to 76 mph in Kotzebue and 66 mph in Nome.

During the same period, snowfall totaled 7.9 inches in Kotzebue and 6.4 inches in Nome. Meanwhile, weekly snowfall reached 27.7 inches in Valdez, aided by a 9.5-inch sum on November 6 and a 9.0-inch total on November 10. In Kodiak, the 4.7-inch snowfall on November 11-12 included some thunder and a wind gust to 62 mph on the latter date. Farther south, occasional heavy showers and gusty trade winds continued in Hawaii’s windward locations. On the Big Island, for example, Hilo received a weekly rainfall total of 7.10 inches. Other weekly totals on the Big Island included 9.40 inches in Piihonua and 8.44 inches in Glenwood. Elsewhere, a wind gust to 54 mph was reported at the Lanai Airport on November 10.

 

13th-19thThe most active weather in the country on Monday was along a cold front as it moved through the Ohio Valley. This front generated strong thunderstorms that had the potential of becoming severe into the evening. Tornado Watches were posted from central Illinois through Ohio due to this threat. In addition, at least one tornado was spotted in Indiana in the afternoon west of Indianapolis. Residents should continue to monitor local weather conditions and be prepared for severe weather into the evening. This same front stretched into southern Michigan where over an inch of rain fell in areas around Detroit. Elsewhere, snow showers continued through Montana and northern Idaho as Winter Storm Warnings were posted for elevations above 5,000 feet. Aside from some minor showers in Texas, the rest of the country remained mostly dry.

Cool autumn temperatures continued in the north as temperatures rose into the 30s and 40s in the Intermountain West and Northern Plains. The Northeast rose into the 60s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 70s. The Northwest rose into the 40s and 50s.

The western U.S. saw another wet and snowy day on Friday, while the East saw dry and quiet conditions. A large trough of low pressure continued to cover the Northwest, as it stretched from the Pacific Northwest, over the Intermountain West, and into the Northern Rockies. A cold front associated with this system moved southeastward, and extended from northern California and into the Northern Plains. While this system pulled in cold air from western Canada and moisture from the Pacific Ocean, heavy rain and snow showers developed across the region. Rainfall totals at lower elevations ranged less than a half of an inch across Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Heaviest rain was reported in Roseburg, Oregon with a mid-day total of 0.72 inches of rain. Meanwhile, the Cascades and northern Sierra Nevadas saw 2 to 6 inches of new snowfall. The Intermountain West and Northern Rockies saw over a foot of snow at highest mountain peaks. To the east, the leading edge of this frontal boundary moved into the Dakotas, where it also triggered snow showers due to prevailing cold temperatures. Snowfall accumulation ranged from 1 to 2 inches. Across the western U.S., a ridge of high pressure built from the Mississippi River Valley and to the Eastern Seaboard. This brought sunny and dry conditions and chilly conditions overnight. A lingering front over the southern Florida triggered a few more scattered showers and thunderstorms.

 

20th-26thActive weather continued in the southeastern quadrant of the nation on Monday as a frontal boundary extended from the Mid-Atlantic through the Southern Plains. Moisture pooling along this front aided in producing another round of rain and thunderstorms in these regions and the Eastern Valleys through the afternoon. Rain over the already saturated areas raised flood concerns from eastern Oklahoma through the western Tennessee Valley and southwestern Ohio Valley. Meanwhile, strong storms in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana had the potential to turn severe with damaging wind gusts, hail, and even tornadoes. As of this afternoon, 3 events of quarter sized hail (1.00 inch in diameter) were reported in the Texas Panhandle. In the West, the first in a series of frontal systems moved into the Pacific Northwest today. This system created strong coastal wind and spread light to moderate rain and mountain snow across the region. Meanwhile, the storm that brought wet weather activity to California this past weekend moved into the Southwest with showers. Finally, moisture over the Great Basin mingled with a lingering frontal disturbance and produced areas of light rain during the afternoon.


Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com



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