Temperatures Divided

November started out with temperatures above normal in the northwest and below normal in the south and southeast portions of the region (Figure 1). Average temperatures were 1-6°F above normal across Minnesota, northwest Wisconsin, and northwest Iowa. The remainder of the region was 1-9°F cooler than normal, with the greatest departures in Western Kentucky and southern Illinois. The lower Midwest had their lowest fall temperatures so far this season. Average minimum temperatures were 8-11°F below normal through the Ohio River Valley (Figure 2). Nearly all locations across the lower Midwest reached their first 32°F freeze of the fall this week (Figure 3), which was 1-4 weeks later than the 1981-2010 median date. Except for western Missouri and other sporadic pockets across the region, most of the Midwest also reached their first 28°F hard freeze during the first week of November (Figure 4).

Widespread Dry, First Snow in the North

Dry conditions prevailed to start the month of November. Most locations in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and southern Minnesota received no precipitation (Figure 5). Locations in Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan, and northern Minnesota received 0.01-0.5 inches, with higher amounts in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan associated with the region’s first snowfall. Snowfall totals were 3-8 inches in the Upper Peninsula (Figure 6).

River Flooding Subsides

Minor river flooding that began in late October in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan subsided. Several streamflow gauges along the Wabash River in Indiana, the Illinois River in Illinois, and Saint Joseph River in Michigan remained near flood stage.

Harvest and Planting Progress

Soybean harvest was 4-14 percent behind the 5-year average across the southern and eastern Midwest, with harvest 2-8 percent ahead of average in the northwest portion of the region (Figure 7). Corn harvest was ahead of the 5-year average for all locations except Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky where progress was slightly behind average (Figure 8). Winter wheat planting (Figure 9) and emergence (Figure 10) were behind the 5-year average in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.