- Climate Highlights — November
- The November temperature was 41.6°F, 0.3°F below the 20th century average, ranking near the median value in the 119-year period of record.
- Below-average temperatures were present for a majority of the contiguous U.S. east of the Rockies. Above-average temperatures were present for the Southwest, as well as Florida. No state had November temperatures ranking among the ten warmest or coolest.
- The nationally-averaged precipitation total during November was 2.01 inches, 0.11 inch below the 20th century average, also ranking near the median value in the 119-year period of record.
- Below-average November precipitation totals were observed along the West Coast, and the Northern Rockies and Plains. Wyoming had its 11th driest November on record with a monthly precipitation total 46 percent of average.
- Above-average precipitation occurred in the Southwest, and parts of the Southeast and Great Lakes. Michigan had its seventh wettest November on record with a precipitation total of 4.12 inches, 1.68 inches above the 20th century average.
- According to analysis by the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, the November snow cover extent across the contiguous U.S. was the 12th largest in the 48-year period of record at 591,000 square miles, 116,000 square miles above the 1981-2010 average. Conversely, the Alaska snow cover extent was 11,000 square miles below average, and its 12th smallest November snow cover extent on record.
- According to the December 3rd U.S. Drought Monitor report, 30.6 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in drought, down from 34.7 percent at the end of October. Drought improved for the Lower Mississippi River Valley and parts of the Midwest. Drought conditions expanded in the Northeast, and abnormally dry conditions expanded in the Southeast. Extreme drought conditions expanded to cover 27.6 percent of California.
- There were nearly three times as many record cold daily highs (1539) and lows (699, or a total of 2238) as record warm daily highs (317) and lows (432, or a total of 749).
- Based on NOAA’s Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index (REDTI) , the contiguous U.S. temperature-related energy demand during November was 30 percent above average and the 26th highest in the 1895-2013 period of record.
