Temperature

The average November temperature for the Midwest was 39.8°F, which was 1.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal. Temperatures were normal to slightly below normal in the east, warming to 1-5°F above normal in the west (Figure 1). Statewide average temperatures ranged from 0.1°F below normal in Ohio to 2.7°F above normal in Minnesota. The average fall (September-November) temperature for the Midwest was 2°F above normal, with the western Midwest 1-4°F above normal and temperatures near to slightly above normal in the east (Figure 2).

Precipitation

November precipitation totaled 0.86 inches for the Midwest, which was 1.68 inches below normal, or 34 percent of normal. Final rankings indicate the Midwest had the 4th driest November dating back to 1895. Dry conditions affected the entire region, with a large swath of the south-central Midwest achieving 2-4 inches of precipitation deficits (Figure 3). Statewide precipitation totals ranged from 0.94 inches below normal in Michigan to 2.63 inches below normal in Indiana. Final rankings indicate Indiana had the 3rd driest November on record, while Illinois and Missouri had the 8th driest. Fall (September-November) precipitation for the Midwest totaled 6.35 inches, which was 2.71 inches below normal.

Snow

Snowfall ranged from less than 1 inch to over 15 inches across the Upper Midwest during November, with lake-effected areas in Michigan and northeast Ohio measuring the highest amounts (Figure 4). Totals were within a few inches of normal for most locations across the Great Lakes, except along the south shore of Lake Superior where snowfall was 5-25 inches below normal for the month (Figure 5). Central Minnesota, which typically receives about 5-10 inches of snow in November, had a half-inch or less for the month. Most of the lower Midwest had no measurable snow during November, which is fairly typical for this time of year.

Drought

Drought conditions expanded during November, with the most notable increases in severity and extent across the lower Midwest (Figure 6). The month concluded with about 74 percent of the Midwest affected by dryness or drought, up nearly 10 percent from the start of the month. Locations across southern Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky had 2-3 class degradations on the US Drought Monitor map during November (Figure 7). Drought persisted along and west of the Mississippi River, with a wide swath of extreme (D3) drought parked over eastern Iowa.