Midwest Weekly Highlights - November 1-9, 2012

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Dry Start

November began with only light precipitation across the region. Totals were typically less than a half inch (Figure 1) or 10% to 50% of normal (Figure 2). Drought designations remained nearly unchanged from the previous week. The western half of the region remained in various stages of drought (Figure 3). Despite improvements to the east, concerns remain about deep soil recharge as stream flows and farm ponds remain below normal for the time of year. The shipping industry has expressed concerns about navigation in the coming month or two on the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri and Cairo, Illinois due to low flows from the Missouri River. Light snow fell in the northern tier of the Midwest (Figure 4) but nearly all of the snow had melted by the end of the week (Figure 5).
 

Cool Temperatures

Temperatures ranged from just above normal to several degrees below normal for the first nine days of the month (Figure 6). Near normal temperatures were recorded in the western third of the Midwest. The eastern two thirds of the region saw below normal temperatures with departures ranging to as much as 8°F below normal. Fewer than two dozen daily temperature records were recorded with all but one being record lows. Overnight temperatures dropped to 28F across the remaining areas of the Midwest that had not yet reached that level (Figure 7).
 

-MST-