November 2001 Weather Summary

 

 

            November 2001 was the 4^th warmest in Pennsylvania history out of the last 107 years of record keeping.  It also ranked in the lowest third as one of the drier months as well.  Overall, November was the 2nd warmest on record for the northeast and the 2^nd warmest overall for the United States.

            The first weekend of November was quite warm across the Commonwealth, with temperatures spiking into the 60’s and 70’s in many places Thursday through Saturday.  A cold front moved across the eastern US Saturday the 3rd, bringing a tenth to half inch of rain across Pennsylvania. 

            Behind the system, the first full week of the month was quite benign weather-wise.  Temperatures dropped below normal on Tuesday, but quickly returned to the 50’s and 60’s Wednesday through Friday the 9^th.  Another weak front produced light showers on Friday, and only brought slightly cooler conditions for the weekend—but reading remained near normal throughout most of the Commonwealth.

            The week of November 12^th to 18^th was quiet as well.  Temperatures moderated back to above normal levels again by midweek.  Friday and Saturday’s highs in the mid 60’s were almost 15 degrees above normal.  Light showers again accompanied a weak frontal passage Friday, but amounts were below a tenth of an inch in most places.  By Sunday, temperatures had cooled back to seasonal levels, with highs near 50 and overnight lows in the low to mid 30’s.

            Variable weather visited for the first time of the month the following week.  There were two bouts of widespread rainfall:  one on Tuesday the 20^th and a second on Sunday the 25^th, which lingered into Monday across eastern parts of Pennsylvania.  Amounts for each event ranged from one third to three quarters of an inch for each rainfall.  Temperatures fluctuated in between events.  Highs ranged from near 40 on the 21^st to the mid and upper 60’s on the 25^th.  The highs on the 25^th were 20 to 25 degrees above normal, the greatest departure from normal for the month.  Lows in the mid 20’s on the 21^st were the coldest of the month, but were only a degree or 2 below normal in most locations.

            The final week of November featured measurable rainfall everyday as a series of storm systems passed west and east of the region.  This was quite a change from such a dry month.  Rainfall amounts topped an inch in southwest parts of the Commonwealth, while amounts were much lighter across the rest of Pennsylvania.  The month closed out with temperatures well above normal, as highs soared into the mid 50’s and 60’s every day. 

 

--Gordon Strassberg

Monthly Extremes for November 2001