November: more cold, less rain

Not much rain but lots of cold temperatures last month. The 13 days of frost bookended November: Five of the first eight mornings saw lows below 32 degrees as did eight of the last ten days. The coldest temperatures were recorded Nov. 25-30. Nov 29-30 were the coldest mornings, at 24.2 and 21.6 degrees. Nov. 25 was the last day above 46.5 degrees and the high was 40.0 degrees on the 29th.

The average low last month was 35.3 degrees, three degrees below the century average. The average daily high was 43 degrees, 1.2 degrees below the average this century.

Rain was as much an idea as a reality in November. The 2.1” last month made 2019 the third driest November this century and only one of four with less than 3”. Rainfall was 2.3” below the 4.4” average for November the last 20 years.

It didn’t rain the first eight days or the last six days last month. And there were six days of less than one-tenth of an inch of rain. Over half of November’s rain, 1.25”, came Nov. 17-18: 0.75” and then 0.5”.

There is no simple pattern to November precipitation since 2000. At least 3.5 inches of rain has fallen 15 years. Less than two inches came down only twice, in 2000 and 2002.

More than four inches of rain fell 10 times. In seven years, over five inches fell and six inches or more has fallen four times.

The 7.8 inches in 2015 is the most November rain this century. The 1.61 inches in 2000 was the least rain for the month the last 20 years.

Dec. 2 broke the seven day streak of frosty mornings.

There is no data for 2003.

Data summary is in sidebar.

Measurements and data are at Washington State University’s Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.