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October 2018 Weather Recap: Started Out Like September, Ended Like It Was November
Early Snowstorm Takes New York City By Surprise: What Happened?

November 2018 Characterized By An Early Taste of Winter

 

November placard

 

After a mild start, with highs of 70°, 72° and 65° during the first three days of the month, the rest of November contended with unseasonably cold temperatures.  Overall, the month was 3.3 degrees below average, making it the coldest November in six years and the fifth coldest since 1960.  (Excluding the mild readings of Nov. 1-3, which were 11 degrees above average, the rest of the month was nearly five degrees colder than average.)

 

In addition to the unseasonable cold, November 2018 was also unusually wet, with half of its days reporting measurable precipitation.  With 7.62" measured this was the wettest November in 30 years - and the seventh wettest on record.  It was also the third month of 2018 to have more than seven inches of precipitation (the other two months were July and August), joining eight other years that have had three or more months with this much precipitation.  The crowning achievement of the month's rainfall occurred on 11/26 when the day's rainfall was enough to place 2018 among New York's ten wettest years (going back to 1869).  

 

Besides this excessive rainfall, the month will also be remembered for two other weather events: 1) the surprise afternoon/evening snowstorm of 11/15, which dumped 6.4" of snow, and 2) the bone-chilling cold on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. 

  • The snowstorm of 11/15, the earliest date on record for a snowfall of six inches or more, snarled the evening rush hour in a big way for most commuters.  This was the greatest snowfall in November since 1938 (when 8.8 inches fell on Nov. 24-25).
  • One week after the snowstorm Arctic air descended upon the region.  The high/low of 28/17 on Thanksgiving Day made it the coldest holiday since 1901.  And the following day the low fell to 15°, the coldest reading in November since 1932.  These cold readings, which would be well below average even during mid-winter, came near the end of a sixteen-day streak (Nov. 9-24) with below average readings that were nearly nine degrees colder than average.

 

Chart - coldest novembers since 1960

Other November recaps:

2017

2016

2015

 

 

Comments

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William

this month had fifteen days with measurable precipitation, tying five other years as the most ever for November. by contrast, the Novembers from 2009 to 2016 each had less than ten such days. this brought 2018's total # of such days, so far, to 145. if next month has at least eight such days, this will surpass 1996 as the year with the most days of measurable precipitation. this was the tenth rainiest fall month (Sep-Nov) since 1976. this was the fourth month this year to rank among their respective month's top fifteen rainiest. August ranked ninth and February & July each ranked thirteenth.

William

on a temperature note, this was the tenth coldest November since 1940. this month had sixteen days with highs that were colder than 50°. since 1970, only four other Novembers have had as many as this year's. 1976, which had 18, and the three Novembers from 1995 to 1997, each of which had 17. this was just the eleventh year with 16+ highs colder than 50° in November but no such chilly highs in October.

William

CORRECTION: it was the twelfth rainiest August that occurred in 2018, not the ninth.

Guttmana9

November was only 2.4 degrees warmer then February. Is this the closest the two months, and has a February EVER been warmer then a December?

Rob

You may already have the chart whose link is below that shows average temperatures of every month going back to 1869 (except for 2022 and the last eight months of 2o21), but if not please take a look. With it you'll be able to research many of the questions you have about how monthly temperatures compare.
https://www.weather.gov/media/okx/Climate/CentralPark/monthlyannualtemp.pdf

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