November 2008 Climate Summary

Region Breakdown
Overall, November was warmer than normal across the region. Monthly average temperature departures from normal generally ranged from 2-6°F, however several locations exceeded 8˚F above normal. Record setting locations include Northglenn, CO, Clark 3 NE, WY, Lander Hunt Airfield, WY, and Chugwater, WY. Northglenn, CO had an average temperature of 46.8˚F which was the 2nd warmest November on record. Clark 3 NE and Lander Hunt Airfield both recorded the 3rd warmest November with each location having an average temperature of 38.8˚F and 38.6˚F, respectively. Meanwhile, Chugwater, WY had an average temperature of 42.1˚F which was the 4th warmest November on record.
Much of the region had below normal precipitation, however most of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and a small portion of Wyoming and Nebraska had precipitation in excess of 200% of normal. This precipitation helped ease the drought in western North Dakota and conditions are forecast to continue to improve.

Precipitation Summary
Dry locations across the region included Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and eastern South Dakota with less than 50% of normal precipitation. The Perry Stokes Airport in Trinidad, CO did not record any measurable precipitation and tied the record for driest November (last set in 1965).
Areas that received above normal precipitation include North Dakota, the western half of South Dakota, and a small portion of Nebraska and Wyoming. Drought conditions have improved across western North Dakota where many locations received over 200% of normal precipitation. On the other side of the state, many locations received over 300% of normal precipitation. One particularly wet location was Cavalier 7NW, ND which received 2.97” of precipitation, or 437% of normal. This was the third wettest November on record for Cavalier.

Climate Outlook
ENSO conditions remain neutral and are expected to persist through early 2009. NOAA forecasters are predicting chances of above normal temperatures for Kansas, much of eastern Colorado, most of Nebraska, and southeast South Dakota this winter. Equal chances of above, near, or below normal temperatures are predicted for the remainder of the region. Equal chances of above, near, or below normal precipitation exist for all but a portion of eastern Colorado, southern Nebraska, and all of Kansas where there are chances for above normal precipitation. This winter outlook is produced by scientists at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center. More information can be found here: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/.

Thanks to abundant precipitation (over 200% of normal precipitation at several locations), drought conditions have improved in western North Dakota as severe drought (D2) has been downgraded to moderate drought (D1) and conditions are forecast to continue to improve. Moderate drought conditions persist in southwest Wyoming and southeast Colorado. While conditions are expected to improve in southeast Colorado, a new area of abnormally dry conditions (D0) have developed in southwest Colorado.