Twin Cities November: Snowless, 2nd warmest on record.

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November temperatures running well above average over most of the U.S. this month.

It's a once in a lifetime November to remember in Minnesota.

This final day of November marks the 26th consecutive day of above average temperatures in the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota. It will also go down as the second warmest November in 118 years of records in the Twin Cities.

So far this month the average temperature in the Twin Cities is 42.9 degrees. That's about 10 degrees warmer than the monthly average of 33.1 degrees. Only November of 2001 was warmer. (46.4 degrees)

According to records from the Minnesota Climatology Working Group this is only the 3rd November with monthly average temperatures above 40 degrees in the past 118 years.

First "snowless" November In 46 Years:

Only a trace of snowfall was observed in the Twin Cities this month. This is the first snowless (no measurable snow) Twin Cities November since 1963. There have been 5 years with a trace to 0.2" of snow in the metro in November.

The lack of snowfall this month is an important contributing factor to our mild temperatures. Without snow cover, sunlight is available to heat the lower atmosphere over bare ground. With snow cover, temperatures often run about 10 degrees cooler, especially at night as radiational cooling is increased.

Nationwide Warmth:

The unseasonably warm weather this month has covered most of the nation, and is most pronounced in the Midwest. Some average monthly temperatures include:

-Seattle: +1.3 degrees

-Los Angeles: +2.0 degrees

-Tucson: +6.0 degrees

-Dallas: + 4.5 degrees

-Kansas City: +7.3 degrees

-Atlanta: +0.4 degrees

-Boston: +3.8 degrees

-New York City: +3.9 degrees

This fall also marks the latest freeze dates on record for the Kansas City area. As you can see below, many locations from the south side of Chicago to Missouri still have not recorded a hard freeze.

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Fall freeze locations as of November 25th. (Courtesy Midwest Regional Climate Center.)

It should be noted that the unseasonably warm weather this month is just that. It's weather, not climate. It is not evidence of global warming, just as our cool October was not evidence of global cooling. It is simply short term variability.

As a whole however, this looks as if it will be the 5th warmest year on record globally. That fits the emerging pattern of continued global warmth over the past 25 years. There has not been one cooler than average year globally since 1984.

Enjoy the mild start to December tomorrow. It will feel like winter with the season's coldest air on the way by Thursday.

PH