Midwest Weekly Highlights - November 1-9, 2014

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Dry Start to November

November got off to a dry start from much of the Midwest (Figure 1). Precipitation totals were less than 25% of normal from southern Minnesota to northern Missouri and eastward into northwest Illinois. Only parts of northern Michigan and southeast Kentucky were above normal for the period. Snow during the period topped an inch in parts of northern Minnesota and totals of 3 to 5 inches fell in Upper Michigan and northern Wisconsin (Figure 2). After the region became drought free just last week, a small area of moderate drought was introduced in west central Minnesota in the November 4th US Drought Monitor. Much of Minnesota was noted as abnormally dry along with a small area along the Indiana-Michigan border (Figure 3).
 

Temperatures Drop Below Normal

Temperatures ranged from just above normal in the western parts of Iowa and Minnesota to below normal for most of the region (Figure 4). Departures from normal ranged to as much as 6°F below normal in southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky. The first freeze (Figure 5) and first hard freeze (Figure 6) hit the remaining areas in the southeast portion of the Midwest in the early days of November.
 

-MST-