November 8-14, 2024

Temperature

Average temperatures were above normal across the region for another week. Most areas were 5-7°F above normal (Figure 1). Northwestern Minnesota and southeastern Kentucky were near or at 10°F above normal.

Minimum temperatures averaged just as anomalous. The most above normal temperatures were again in western Minnesota and southern Kentucky, averaging 10°F or more above normal (Figure 2). The Ohio Valley was the least anomalous this week, averaging minimum temperatures that were 2-4°f above normal. November 10 proved the warmest day of the week, with minimum temperatures in much of the Upper Midwest up to 20°F above normal. Daily records were set in Marquette, Michigan; Pipestone, Minnesota; and Madison, Wisconsin.

Maximum temperatures were also above normal by 4-8°F for most of the region (Figure 3).

Precipitation/Drought

The warmer temperatures were accompanied by precipitation in some spots. Notable precipitation was observed in western Minnesota and western Iowa, where some spots eclipsed 300 percent of normal precipitation (Figure 4). Along the Ohio River, over 400 percent of normal precipitation was observed. Louisville, Kentucky measured more than 0.75 inches of rain two consecutive days, November 13-14, which were the wettest November days since 2011.

Slight improvements were made across all drought categories from November 5 to November 12. D0 conditions (abnormally dry) were removed from much of the southern areas of the region, though a lack of precipitation in the Kentucky Coalfields caused D1 (moderate drought) expansion there (Figure 5). D3 (extreme drought) and D4 (exceptional drought) conditions generally persisted in southeast Ohio, as they have for months, though there was some slight improvement there. There were minimal improvements for areas along and north of I-80.

Severe Weather

There were 4 storm reports this week—2 tornado reports and 2 wind reports—and both were in Michigan (Figure 6). An EF-0 tornado was confirmed in Gratiot County, Michigan by the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. Another EF-0 tornado with winds estimated at 70 mph touched down near Holly in Oakland County, Michigan, causing damage to a construction site and several homes.