That is The driest November of my lifewith the rain receding whether we are warm or cool. Drought has expanded and increased after dry, warm autumn.
Dry weather prevails
Like an overcooked turkey in the oven, November gets extremely dry across North Carolina. According to the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), the statewide preliminary average rainfall is just 0.76 inches ranked as ours November 3 is the driest since 1895.
To find another dry November in North Carolina, we have to go 90 years back to 1931, a slightly worse time with an average of 0.75 inches of rain statewide. It’s part of a extremely dry autumn across the southern level of the United States corresponding to the beginning of Dust bowl in the Southern Plains.
Most states total less than an inch of rain last month, and some locations, particularly north and west of Piedmont, received just enough rain to dampen the dust.
In Caswell County, Yanceyville received only 0.14 inch, is the second driest month in that station’s 24-year reporting history, after September 2019. Next door in Rockingham County, Eden reported 0.20 inches for the second driest November since 1950.
Greensboro measured only 0.30 inches last month, making it the 3rd driest month there since 1903, and Hickory had the driest November in 71 years with a total rainfall of 0.35 inches.
One of the only wet spots in the state last month was Cape Hatterasmeasured total rainfall of 4.84 inches, mostly from offshore humidity in front of cold front on November 12, although that was only 0.06 inches above normal monthly rainfall, they were still better than the rest of the state.
Even though November is in terms of climate, one of our drier months, most areas were 2 to 3 inches lower than normal last month. That has increased our seasonal rainfall deficit and pushed many states into arid state.
Warm days mixed with cool nights
November brings us the first lingering feeling of autumn, though those cooler days have been balanced out by some warmer days in the middle of the month. As a result, it’s ours The best Friday 64-November over the past 127 years, with NCEI data showing a preliminary statewide mean temperature of 49.4°For 0.9°F below the recent 30-year average.
Our first cool down has arrived November 4 and 5as most locations across northern and western Piedmont recorded their first freeze of the season.
The following week saw a steady start as High pressure built over Southeastern United States – same style that eliminated most raincoats.
During that time, the temperature reaches some Impressive levels on Foothills. On November 10, Elkin Topped out at 82°F, making this only the third November in the past decade that the Surry County town had an 80 degree.
Cool weather soon returns, like a cold dry front moves through on November 13, bringing freezing temperatures across southern and eastern Piedmont next morning.
Just two days later on November 16, the temperature dropped below freezing in most of the Coastal Plainend of the growing season there about a week later than historical average first freezing day.
The month ends with mostly weather temperatures but also a return of high pressure throughout the areaThis prolongs our dry weather and worsens drought conditions.
Drought develops during dry autumn
As of November 30, the fall climate is complete and winter is upon us – though it won’t be like it this weekend. The seasonal stats confirm what you’ve probably felt for the past three months: we started off warm and pretty dry from September to November.
Preliminary data from the NCEI show that the seasonal mean temperature is 61.5°Fone degree warmer than the 1991-2020 average and The 21st warmest autumn in profile. The statewide average rainfall is 6.88 inches only 55% of the 30-year average. Rated like ours The 16th Dry Autumn since 1895 and driest since 2001.
A persistent lack of rain over the past few months, punctuated by our extremely dry November, has resulted in increased drought affecting North Carolina. On the latest US Drought Tracking map, released this morning, 64.8% of the states are classified as Drought, and Severe Drought (D2) has hit parts of Piedmont and Coastal Plains this week.
The last time a severe drought occurred at this time of year was in 2016, although at that time the drought in the southern mountains was beginning to improve with it starts to rain in december.
This year it looks like our drought has only just begun, especially as we enter the winter La Niña is so far making good on its promise. warmer and drier weather.
Here is a regional summary of current conditions statewide:
- The Mountain Almost all the effects of dry weather have been avoided this fall thanks to heavy rains from Tropical Storm Fred in August and other years immersion system in early October. However, some areas are starting to see flow drops below normalthis has allowed the condition to be Unusually Dry (D0) in half a dozen counties at our westernmost tip this week.
- The northwest Piedmont including the Triad which has now entered a Moderate Drought (D1), mainly escalated by short-term drought conditions over the past month. During that period, two big forest fires burnedincluding the ongoing Grindstone fire on Pilot Mountain already now burned 1,050 acres. Along the Virginia border, areas north of Caswell, Person and Granville counties were hit by a severe drought this week.
- Severe drought has also appeared in West Piedmont including Charlotte, already dry since late spring and early summer. Locally, it ranks as the 3rd driest fall in Gastonia dating back to 1931 with seasonal rainfall of just 3.04 inches there.
- The Sand Hill and parts of southern coastal plain has also been dry since early summer. Severe drought now covers Lumberton and Fayetteville as streams have fallen below their 10th historical percentile for this time of year, and dry soil several feet deep.
- The Central coastal plain including the Albemarle peninsula has also seen the arrival of Severe Droughts as part of a dramatic change in seasons. And after the wettest summer on record, Greenville recorded its fifth driest fall with 3.82 inches of rain. Underground wells in Pitt and Jones counties have also fallen below the 10th percentile, while the Grantham well in Wayne County has reached low value record for this time of year based on data from 1980.
Although declining flows represent an important flow for reservoirs, most lakes across the state are in slightly better shape thanks to the season. Lower irrigation needs and reduced evaporation will help reservoirs continue to supply water this winter.
However, with very little immediate rainfall reduction, some local and municipal water systems may soon begin implementing voluntary or mandatory conservation measures.
This may sound like déjà vu because we warned of similar impending effects later. The reappearance of Severe Drought in May. This was followed by a wet June in drought-affected areas that swept away all summer droughts.
With the hope that we are applying a jinx equivalent this time around, it looks like the drought we feared has finally arrived, just six months later than expected.
