The major weather story in November was the abrupt arrival of winter weather, including extremely cold temperatures. The chill started on the 11th, when highs were in the 70s and 80s. In western Kansas, Tribune went from a high of 76 degrees F on the 11th to a high of 13 degrees on the 13th. Low temperatures below zero were common in the western third of the state, with low temperatures in the single digits reaching as far as Columbus in southeast Kansas. State-wide this year ranks as the 15th coldest November since 1895. The warmest reading for the month was 86 degrees at Ashland on the 11th. The coldest reading for the month was -6 degrees, which was reported at multiple locations, the latest occurrence of which was at Mankato on the 18th.
After a wetter-than-normal October, precipitation dropped dramatically in November. The statewide average precipitation for November was 0.28 inches, which is a 1.16 inch deficit for the month. The total is just 16 percent of the normal precipitation for the month, and is tied for the 22nd driest of 120 years. Northwest Kansas fared the worst, with an average of just 0.02 inches or 2 percent of normal. The North Central Division fared only slightly better with an average of 0.05 inches or 3 percent of normal.
There was one snow event, but amounts were not troublesome. The highest daily total reported was 3.7 inches at Johnson, in Stanton County, on the 16th. Unfortunately, the moisture from the snow was limited, with just 0.21 inches of liquid equivalent from the event.
Drought conditions persist across the state, particularly in the west. There was some degradation in the eastern portions of the state. At the end of October the drought-free area had increased to almost 33 percent. By the end of November, the drought-free area had shrunk to 29 percent. The colder temperatures during this month and the residual moisture from October moderated some of the negative impact from the lack of moisture in November. However, the continued dry pattern is likely to result in further expansion of drought in the North Central Division.
The likelihood of an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) continues to diminish. It is still expected to switch to an El Niño event before winter, but it also remains to be seen what impact will be felt. Other global circulation patterns, including the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), can have significant impacts on the winter season. The December temperature outlook is for warmer-than-normal temperatures for the entire state. The precipitation outlook is neutral, with precipitation equally likely to be above normal, normal or below normal.
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Table 1 |
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Nov 2014 |
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Kansas Climate Division Summary |
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Precipitation (inches) |
Temperature (oF) |
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Nov 2014 |
2014: Jan through Nov |
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Monthly Extremes |
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Division |
Total |
Dep. 1 |
% Normal |
Total |
Dep. 1 |
% Normal |
Ave |
Dep. 1 |
Max |
Min |
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Northwest |
0.02 |
-0.80 |
2 |
16.04 |
-4.75 |
77 |
36.3 |
-2.7 |
80 |
-6 |
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West Central |
0.05 |
-0.74 |
7 |
19.29 |
-0.85 |
94 |
38.0 |
-2.5 |
83 |
-5 |
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Southwest |
0.19 |
-0.47 |
32 |
17.28 |
-1.95 |
88 |
40.8 |
-2.1 |
86 |
0 |
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North Central |
0.05 |
-1.18 |
3 |
22.15 |
-4.98 |
81 |
36.3 |
-4.9 |
79 |
-6 |
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Central |
0.08 |
-1.16 |
5 |
24.69 |
-3.67 |
87 |
38.8 |
-4.0 |
80 |
1 |
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South Central |
0.44 |
-1.05 |
27 |
24.04 |
-6.16 |
79 |
39.5 |
-5.0 |
84 |
0 |
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Northeast |
0.15 |
-1.62 |
8 |
27.61 |
-6.17 |
81 |
36.3 |
-6.0 |
72 |
7 |
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East Central |
0.25 |
-1.92 |
11 |
25.84 |
-10.68 |
70 |
37.4 |
-6.2 |
73 |
4 |
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Southeast |
1.05 |
-1.54 |
39 |
29.47 |
-10.21 |
74 |
39.1 |
-6.7 |
77 |
0 |
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STATE |
0.28 |
-1.14 |
16 |
22.86 |
-5.49 |
81 |
38.1 |
-4.5 |
86 |
-6 |
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1. Departure from 1981-2010 normal value |
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Source: KSU Weather Data Library |
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Mary Knapp, Weather Data Library
mknapp@ksu.edu
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