November 2014 Climate Summary

For a printable version of the climate summary which includes more figures, data tables, and state summaries, click here. 

Temperature Summary

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 Summary

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.

Climate Outlook

ENSO-neutral conditions continued this month, however El Niño is still favored to begin at some point this winter. The temperature outlook through February indicates a higher probability of above normal temperatures for much of the western United States including the western half of Wyoming and portions of western Colorado. The southern US has a higher probability for below normal temperatures and this includes much of Kansas and the far southeastern corner of Colorado. Meanwhile, the precipitation outlook shows equal chances for most of the region, with a higher probability for above normal precipitation in far southern Colorado and southwestern Kansas. All other areas in the Region have equal chances of above, near, or below normal temperatures and precipitation. The seasonal outlooks combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and when applicable, the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO). More information about these forecasts can be found here.

Drought Watch

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.