November 2021 Weather Recap: Dry & Chilly
With just 1.12" of rain, November 2021 was the driest November since 1976 (the driest November on record). The month was also 1.8 degrees chillier than average, making it the most below average month of the year (February and July were 1.7 and 1.5 degrees below average, respectively). This November was significantly chillier than last November (the mildest on record), as it was 6.8 degrees colder - the biggest temperature drop from the previous November since Nov. 2012. Only eight other Novembers have had a bigger drop in average temperature compared to the November immediately preceding it.
Despite its big difference from last November, Nov. 2021 was far from the ranks of the coldest, as it tied for 80th chilliest. (Fun Fact: Every November between 1869-1894 was colder than Nov. 2021.) Still, it had 14 days that were five or more degrees below average.
The month's warmest reading was 69° on 11/18, followed six days later by the coldest reading (30°). Although this was the latest date for a temperature this mild in six years, it was the first time since 2014 that the warmest November reading failed to be in the 70s. Of note is that this warmest reading didn't occur during the 6-day period Nov. 8-13, which was six degrees milder than average.
In October, the first low in the 40s wasn't until 10/18, which was the second latest date on record. In November, however, the fall's first reading of 32° or colder (32° on 11/23) was close to the average date of this occurrence.
Most of the month's 1.12" of rain fell during two rain events on consecutive days: 0.48" on 11/12, and 0.33" on 11/13. On the 13th, an uncharacteristic precipitation type for November, hail, fell for a few minutes during a quick-moving thunderstorm. Another type of frozen precipitation, snow flurries, was reported on the last three days of the month - but there was no accumulation in Central Park (Newark Airport reported 0.1" on the 28th).
Here are recaps of previous Novembers: