A Transition to Winter

November 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 4°F below normal to 2°F above normal.

Average temperatures during the first half of November ranged from 4°F below normal to 2°F above normal, with a large portion of the Northeast being cooler than normal. At the region’s 35 major sites, November 1-15 average temperatures ranged from 3.4°F below normal in Rochester, NY, to 1.2°F above normal at Philadelphia, PA, and Dulles Airport, VA, with 26 of the sites experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures.

This November 1-15 period was cooler than normal for 26 of the Northeast’s 35 major sites.

November 1-15 precipitation ranged from less than 25% of normal to over 200% of normal.

Much of the Northeast saw below-normal precipitation so far this November, with the driest locations such as eastern West Virginia, western/southern Maryland, south-central Pennsylvania, and southeastern New Jersey seeing less than 25% of normal precipitation. Conversely, some northern areas have been wetter, with spots like northern New York and northwestern Vermont seeing over 200% of normal precipitation. This wetter weather chipped away at drought conditions in these northern locations. At the region’s 35 major sites, November 1-15 precipitation ranged from 10% of normal in Atlantic City, NJ, to 201% of normal in Syracuse, NY, with 28 of the sites being drier than normal. This first half of November ranked among the 20 driest on record for six major sites but was the seventh wettest for Syracuse.

This first half of November ranked among the 20 driest on record for six major sites but was the seventh wettest for Syracuse, NY.

A few northern and interior areas saw a snowfall surplus of 3 or more inches.

Cooler temperatures allowed some of the precipitation so far this month to fall as snow, with a snowfall surplus of 3 or more inches in places like northwestern Vermont, northern/western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and southern/eastern West Virginia. At the region’s 35 major sites, November 1-15 snowfall ranged from 2.6 inches below normal in Caribou, ME, to 4.8 inches above normal in Burlington, VT, with nine sites being snowier than normal. This first half of November ranked among the 20 snowiest for four major sites, with Charleston, WV, having its fifth-earliest first inch of snow, arriving a month early.

This November 1-15 period ranked among the 20 snowiest for four major sites.