December 2016 Weather and Climate Summary and Forecast

Well after an October that felt more like November, we just finished a November that felt more like October! Temperatures during the month of November were warmer than normal across the west ranging from 0.5-1.0°F in portions of California to nearly 12°F above normal in the northern Rockies (Figure 1). All-time records were set for the month of November in many locations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. The records were generated not from record daytime temperatures, which were close to normal, but from record nighttime temperatures. As a result, agricultural areas over the majority of the west did not see a frost during the month and many have not seen a frost yet this fall. After a relatively wet October, especially in the northern half of the western US, November was near normal to moderately dry over the west (Figure 1). Areas receiving more than normal precipitation during the month were largely confined to the coast and into portions of the desert SW, while much of the interior Basin and into the northern Rockies were much drier than normal. Nationwide the rest of the US except Florida and along a portion of the eastern seaboard was substantially warmer than normal. Preliminary data is pointing to November 2016 being the warmest November on record for the US. During the month, most of the cold air from the Arctic was shifted toward Siberia with up to 40-60 degree below normal conditions for nearly the entire month. Precipitation amounts nationwide were mostly lower than normal, especially in the extremely dry southeast and mid-Atlantic states where fire dominated the news in November. Wet conditions during the month were confined to portions of the desert SW into Texas and in the upper Great Plains (>200% of normal) (not shown).

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