Dry and Pleasant Start to November

So far, the November weather pattern has followed suit with what we've been experiencing the past month and change.  We are on day 16 with no rainfall, and of the past 46 days, only 0.54" of rain has fallen.  We haven't experienced this type of aridness since the summer of 2007.  There are currently no immediate impacts that I can forsee of our lack of moisture.  There are places in Missouri, however that are drier than us and are in need of groundwater recharge.

Oh, but the changes are a comin.  With the passage of a weak cold front tonight, the cards are set for a colder and more active weather pattern.  High temperatures will most likely stay at or below normal for most of the rest of the month, and we may even see our first flakes of the year.

Diurnal Temperature Variations

Thanks to a comment on Bob's blog, posted by OSNW3, I was curious to know what our diurnal temps do throughout the year.  I must admit, I never thought of it before.  Interesting stuff indeed.  Here's what I found out.

As expected, the transitional months of Mar/Apr, and Sep/Oct contain the highest amount, with the more steady temperatures occurring in the summer and winter months.  In winter, we can see days where the temperature doesn't move but a few degrees in a 24 hour period.  The dense air masses that invade the area, and prevalent cloud cover throughout no doubt have an impact on this.  I was a bit surprised with November, as there's a pretty extreme drop off from the beginning to the end of the month.  I'm sure the increase in cloud cover that occurs during this  month has a part in this equation as well.  Lots to think about on this one!