November 8-14, 2011
Midwest Weekly Highlights - November 8-14, 2011
Another Warm Week
The second week of November was warmer than normal across the Midwest. Temperatures ranged from 2°F to 10°F above normal
(Figure 1). Daily temperature records were set each day of the week, with a handful of record lows on the 11th and 12th and dozens of record highs on the other five days of the week.
Good Rains from Missouri to Upper Michigan
Precipitation spread from Missouri to Upper Michigan the first three days of the week as a low pressure system moved across the Midwest (Figure 2). More than 350 daily precipitation records were set or tied in the first three days of the week. Late in the week thunderstorms dropped rain from Illinois to Ohio
(Figure 3). Precipitation totals from Missouri to Upper Michigan were more than twice normal with totals topping five times normal in northwest Missouri (Figure 4). To the northwest and southeast totals dropped off to less than 10% of normal. Some areas in drought at the beginning of the week
(Figure 5) picked up good rains but others were left lacking. Both improvements and degradations for the Midwest are likely in the next release of the US Drought Monitor.
First Snow
Many stations picked up their first snow of the season early in the week (Figure 6). Ninety daily snowfall records were set during the week. Multi-day snow totals included 5" in Des Moines, Iowa
(Polk County), 4" in LaCrosse, Wisconsin
(LaCrosse County), and 14" in Marquette, Michigan
(Marquette County).
Severe Weather
Severe thunderstorms formed ahead of a cold front on the 14th. Tornado watches and warnings were issued
(Figure 7) with severe weather reported from central Illinois to southeast Missouri eastward through Ohio (Figure 8). A tornado was reported in Mahomet, Illinois
(Champaign County) early in the afternoon with damage to trees and one home. A second tornado, rated EF1, touched down near Paoli, Indiana
(Orange County) in the evening with a track two miles long. Extensive damage along the path included homes and businesses as well as the county courthouse and Paoli Police Department.
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