For an eighth consecutive month, the Junction City area recorded above normal temperatures. For a change, however, the area ALMOST received average monthly precipitation. And for some, a nice post Thanksgiving surprise of significant snowfall!
The average daily high during November was 57.6, 3.3 degrees above normal. The average daily low was 35.7 degrees, 3.2 degrees below normal. This gave us a monthly mean temperature of 36.7, 3.3 degrees above normal. The month would have been even warmer if not for the influx of cold weather over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The highest temperature for the month was 73 degrees on the 15th. The lowest temperature was 17 degrees on the morning of the 27th. There were no daily temperature records set during the month.
While the month was above average in temperature, it was quite a ways from being a record setter. The warmest November on record was in 1999 when the monthly mean temperature was 51.8. The coldest November on record was in 1985 with a chilly monthly mean temperature of 35.2 degrees. November came very close to normal precipitation thanks to a couple of significant precipitation events. A few days before Thanksgiving nearly an inch of rain fell in the area and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving a significant snowfall event occurred. According to reports filed with Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) 5 to 7 inches of snow was recorded in the region. The one Geary County report was 6.2 inches near the town of Milford. The snow arrived with very little wind which allowed it to settle very evenly across the region and then slowly melt, soaking in to the benefit of soil moisture.
Average November precipitation is 1.42 inches and 1.33 inches was recorded, or 94% of normal. Year to date we have received 24.27 inches of liquid precipitation, only 75% of the year to date average 32.40 inches. The 6.2 inches of snowfall was the first measurable snowfall of the year and 620% of the long term average November snowfall, which is only 1 inch. That snowfall provided more snow than the area had for all of last winter (4.9 inches) and the largest 24 hour snowfall accumulation since we received 7.5 inches on February 5, 2014.
December brings the start of astronomical winter, the end of the year and dreams of snowy holidays. Average daily highs for December start the month at 46 and by New Year’s Eve are down to 39 degrees. Overnight average low on the 1st is 26 and by the 31st, 20. Although daylight starts to increase after December 21st, average temperatures don’t start to warm up until about the middle of January. Average December liquid precipitation is 1.17 inches and average snowfall is 3.7 inches. While many folks dream of a White Christmas, it actually only happens less than 25% of the time.-30-
By Weather Consultant Chuck Otte [email protected]