November 2025 Climate Summary

Regional Breakdown

Warmer temperatures continued into the beginning of November, before an abrupt shift to winter like conditions. The first winter storm of the year struck the region just after Thanksgiving, leading to havoc for those trying to travel. Outside of this, the region had a fairly quiet month.

Beginning on the 28^th, the eastern half of the region dealt with everything from freezing rain to blowing snow. Nearly 11 inches (27.94 cm) of snow fell in parts of the Dakotas, while eastern Nebraska received a layer of freezing rain before snow began to fall. Wind gusts also reached over 40 mph (64 km/h) in some places, reducing visibility significantly. Hundreds of car wrecks were reported, while in Nebraska State Patrol had to assist over 300 motorists trying to travel. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported despite the hazardous conditions. The opposite could be said for the west, where snowfall totals were nearly below what fell in North Dakota.

At the end of the month, corn harvest still had not concluded across the region. North Dakota was the furthest behind, with only 89 percent harvested compared to the normal of 96 percent. Sorghum harvest in Kansas and Nebraska was also well behind schedule. Soil moisture is also less than optimal heading into winter, with over 30 percent of subsoil moisture rated as short to very short in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Temperature and Precipitation Overview

Above: Departure from 1991-2020 normal temperature (left) and percent of normal precipitation (right) for November 2025 in the High Plains region. Maps
produced by the High Plains Regional Climate Center and are available at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current .

Precipitation

Precipitation was sparse outside of the snowstorm late in the month. The highest amounts were found in central and eastern Kansas, while much of Nebraska received less than 1.25 inches (3.18 cm). Looking at the numbers for fall, precipitation was hit or miss across the region.

Parts of Kansas received over 3 inches (7.62 cm) of precipitation, with the bulk of it falling on a single day. Beloit (northwest of Salina) reported 4.06 inches, with 3.50 inches (8.89 cm) falling on the 21^st. This would be the highest single-day precipitation amount for the town in November, while to the southwest Luray also broke their record with 2.10 inches (5.33 cm) of precipitation. Elsewhere in the state, other notable locations such as Lawrence, Manhattan, and Topeka all recorded over 3 inches (7.62 cm) of precipitation this month.

Just across the border in Nebraska, precipitation totals were not nearly as generous. Only three stations in the state recorded over 1.50 inches (3.81 cm) of precipitation, with all three stations being in a small area just northwest of Falls City. In the opposite side of the state, cities like Scottsbluff, Lexington, and Kearney all received less than 0.15 inches (3.81 mm).

For the fall, the most precipitation was surprisingly found in Colorado. Aided by an exceptionally wet October, two Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations recorded over 20 inches (50.8 cm) of precipitation with the highest being Upper San Juan with 21.90 inches (55.63 cm). In Kansas, a Community Collective Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) observer just outside of Beverly (north of Salina) observed 20.01 inches (50.83 cm) of precipitation while the nearby station in Barnard reported 19.73 inches (50.11 cm).

Regional Precipitation

Above: Total precipitation in inches (left) and departure from normal precipitation in inches (right) for November 2025. These maps are produced by
HPRCC and can be found on the Current Climate Summary Maps page at: http://hprcc.unl.edu/maps/current.

Temperatures

The overarching trend this fall was warmer temperatures dominating the region, with November being no exception. Much of the region of was over 4 degrees F (2.2 degrees C) above normal, while western Wyoming was the warmest. For the past three months, the entire High Plains were well above normal, including some areas reaching up to 8 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) warmer than usual.

Numerous stations in Wyoming recorded their warmest November, aided by the unseasonably warm temperatures in the middle of the month. A total of 26 stations ranked warmest, with 14 of those being SNOTEL (typically found at higher elevations). Notable locations that were record warmest included Rawlins, Afton, and Kemmerer. Both Torrington Airport and the town of Dayton (northwest of Sheridan) recorded the warmest temperatures for the month, hitting 79 degrees F (26.1 degrees C). For Dayton, this occurred on the 15^th, which is one of the warmest temperatures in the state for so late in the year.

To the east, South Dakota did not have any stations recording their warmest month, but 11 stations did record their warmest temperatures for this late in the year on the 15^th. Pickstown (west of Yankton) reached 85 degrees F (29.4 degrees C), which ties one of the warmest temperatures on record for this late in the year. The only other time that a station hit 85 degrees F (29.4 degrees C) after November 15^th was all the way back on November 18^th, 1908 in Spearfish. Notable locations including Rapid City, Mitchell, Vermillion, Gregory, Winner, Yankton, and Tyndall all eclipsed 80 degrees F (26.7 degrees C) on the same day.

Encapsulating just how abnormally warm it was these past few months, a whopping 94 stations in the region recorded their warmest fall. Wyoming led the way with 42 stations, most of which were located in the upper elevations at SNOTEL stations. Colorado came in second with 40 stations, while the other 12 stations were split between the rest of the states in the region.

Drought Conditions

Drought conditions didn’t change too much this month, with only a few small areas of up to two drought category changes. Nebraska and the Front Range in Colorado experienced degradation, while spotty areas of improvement occurred around the region. Overall, the percentage of the region in D0 to D4 (abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions) increased by roughly 7 percent.

Warmer temperatures and lacking precipitation in Nebraska led to a 12 percent increase in D1 (moderate drought), particularly in the northeast of Grand Island and in the panhandle. While things are not dire, it is a bit concerning to head into winter with nearly 66 percent of the state at least abnormally dry. Towards the middle of the month, a small pocket of D2 (severe drought) was introduced near Bridgeport.

In Colorado, the overall percentage of areas in drought didn’t change much, but rather, the areas impacted did. The northwestern part of the state remained largely unchanged; however, the southwestern portions improved after the heavy rains in October. The Front Range had abnormal dryness introduced in a stretch from Castle Rock all the way up to the Wyoming border. Elsewhere in the region, both improvements and degradation were observed. According to the Climate Prediction Center’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for December, drought is likely to improve or be removed in western Wyoming.

U.S. Drought Monitor	Drought Monitor 1-Month Change

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced as a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For current Drought Monitor information, please see: http://
droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

Climate Outlooks

According to the Climate Prediction Center, a La Niña Advisory is present.  For more information, visit: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evo-
lution-status-fcsts-web.pdf

The National Weather Service’s long-range flood outlook indicates minimal chances of flooding through the end of February. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fire potential will be limited through March.  

The seasonal temperature and precipitation outlooks presented below combine the effects of long-term trends, soil moisture, and, when applicable, the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle (ENSO). To learn more about these outlooks, please visit http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov.

Temperature

The three-month temperature outlook shows an increased chance of above-normal temperatures across the southern United States, while below-normal temperatures are favored across the northern portions. In the High Plains, warmer temperatures are favored in western Colorado, while cooler temperatures are possible in Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.

Precipitation

The precipitation outlook for the next three months indicates above-normal precipitation in the northern half of the country, while below-normal precipitation is favored for the southern United States. Above-normal precipitation is favored for the Dakotas and Wyoming.

Drought

The U.S Seasonal Drought Outlook released on November 30th indicates drought will likely improve in western Wyoming, while development is possible in eastern Colorado and western Kansas.