November 2017
Monthly Overview - November 2017
Both Dry and Wet
The Midwest saw a mix of dry and wet weather in November. Only Michigan saw near-normal precipitation in November, while six states were on the dry side and two states were on the wet side. Precipitation totals ranged from less than 0.10 inch near the Iowa-Minnesota-South Dakota border to more than 6.00 inches in Ohio
(Figure 1). Viewed as a percentage of normal, most of Indiana and Ohio and parts of Michigan were above normal with a large area receiving over two times normal, while the rest of the region was below normal with areas receiving less than a quarter of normal stretching from Missouri to southern Minnesota (Figure 2). The region as a whole averaged 1.83 inches, which was nearly an inch below normal for November. The driest states were to the west with Iowa (20% of normal), Missouri (26%), and Minnesota (34%) well below normal. To the east, Ohio (154% of normal) and Indiana (121%) were the two states with above normal precipitation while Michigan (96%) fell just below normal. Missouri ranked 11th driest in its history (1895-2017), Iowa 13th driest, Wisconsin 14th driest, and Minnesota 17th driest. Ohio ranked as the 9th wettest in its history and Indiana ranked 24th wettest.
Temperature
Temperatures in November were below normal in the upper Midwest and slightly above normal in parts of Missouri
(Figure 3). The coolest readings were around Lake Superior where monthly averages were 3° to 4°F below average, while parts of Missouri were 1° to 2° above normal. Temperatures in the region were coolest in the days around the 10th of the month and climbed above average by the last week of the month. The temperature records set during November followed a similar pattern, with a peak in record lows early and a peak of record highs late in the month (Figure 4).
Harvest Nears an End
The fall harvest of corn and soybeans largely wrapped up in November. Soybean harvest was near the 5-year average but corn harvest was running behind the average much of the fall
(Figure 5). Corn harvest was later due to some late planting, but also due to the desire to dry the corn in the field before harvest and late rains that prevented field work. The first freeze for much of the region was also a couple weeks later than the median date.
Tornadoes in Early November
November 5th saw strong convective systems ahead of a cold front (Figure 6). The severe weather extended from the St. Louis area to Ohio. There were 21 tornadoes ranging from EF-0 to EF-2. The total of 17 tornadoes in Ohio was nearly the average annual total of 20 for the state. There were also reports of hail and wind damage associated with the thunderstorms. An EF-2 tornado tracked for 39 miles from west central Indiana into west central Ohio and was responsible for eight injuries. Storm surveys confirmed winds of 70-90 mph in many locations, while winds topped 100 mph in a couple Ohio counties.
Missouri Drought
Much of the Midwest drought in November was in Missouri. The area affected remained largely unchanged, but conditions degraded from moderate drought to an equal mix of moderate and severe drought during November
(Figure 7). Smaller areas of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois were also affected by drought throughout November, but the pocket of drought in northeastern Ohio was ameliorated during the month.
Fall Recap
Fall precipitation in the Midwest was mixed. Drier than normal conditions stretched from Missouri to Wisconsin and mostly wetter than normal conditions were observed elsewhere (Figure 8). For the region, September was the 13th driest, then October was the 5th wettest, before returning to drier conditions in November. Illinois and Missouri ranked 5th driest and Michigan ranked 7th driest in September. Then Michigan had its wettest October with Iowa (4th), Wisconsin (8th), Kentucky (9th), and Illinois (10th) also ranking among the wettest in their histories. November, while drier than normal in seven states, was wet in Indiana and especially Ohio (ranked 9th wettest).
Fall temperatures were slightly above normal for much of the Midwest
(Figure 9). From Missouri to Michigan, Temperatures were 1°F to 3°F above normal. A few pockets in Kentucky and Minnesota were a degree or two below normal. The warmest period in the fall was mid-to-late September with cool periods in early September, late October, and early-to-m id November. October ranked as the 8th warmest in Michigan and the 9th warmest in Ohio. For the region as a whole, September and October were warmer than normal and then November was the coolest month with slightly below-normal temperatures.
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The Iowa Climatology Bureau also contributed to this report.
The Minnesota State Climatology Office also contributed to this report.
The Missouri Climate Center also contributed to this report..