Seven Things You Might See in November's Weather

This transition means accumulating snow is a possibility in some cities, while others might contend with severe thunderstorms, heavy rain or intense winds. We also have to keep our eyes on the tropics for another month.

With that in mind, here are seven things we may see in November.

1. First Measurable Snow For Many Cities

For many cities in the Northeast, Midwest and West, the average first measurable snow – defined as 0.1 inches or more – has historically arrived in November.

A few of the cities that, on average, see the first accumulating snow of the season in November are Boston (Nov. 29), Chicago (Nov. 16), Cleveland (Nov. 10), Pittsburgh (Nov. 14) and Salt Lake City (Nov. 5).

The date shown for each city is the historical average for the first date of measurable snow. Any given season can produce the season's first snowfall either before or after that date, depending on weather patterns.

2. November 'Witch' Storms

As temperature contrasts increase from north to south across the country, storm systems that develop are stronger in fall. The more intense those low-pressure systems become, the stronger the winds they can produce.

Early November – and late October, for that matter – have a long, notorious history of intense Midwest windstorms. If you live in that region of the country, you might have heard the phrase "Witches of November" used to describe these storms that often pack powerful winds.

Those low-pressure systems can have winds so strong that they cause tree damage and power outages. One such November Witch struck parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes in early November 2015, downing trees and causing power outages.

The storms are a major hazard for shipping on the Great Lakes. One of the most well-known storms sank a huge iron-ore ship called the Edmund Fitzgerald while it was on Lake Superior in November 1975.

3. Lake-Effect Snow Season Ramps up

The potential for lake-effect snow bands to develop downwind of the Great Lakes increases significantly as we head into November.

Cold air masses flowing over the top of the relatively warmer waters of the Great Lakes are key for bands of snow to develop. Although lake-effect snow can occur in October, the chances increase in November given that cold air is generally more abundant the later we get into fall.

The week before Thanksgiving 2014 featured an epic lake-effect snow event in the eastern Great Lakes. Localized snowfall totals of more than 70 inches were measured in the Buffalo Southtowns; an astonishing 88-inch total was reported in Cowlesville, New York.

4. Second Tornado Season

November can often be part of the so-called second season for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, which occurs in the fall months.

With cold fronts and jet stream winds becoming stronger in the fall, and warm, moist air available at times, the atmosphere can become unstable. As a result, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hail and occasional tornadoes can develop.

Most of the time, second-season tornado outbreaks are in the Gulf Coast states, where warm, moist air is more common, but they can sometimes spread farther north.

One such outbreak that occurred far from the Gulf Coast was on Nov. 17, 2013. Damaging tornadoes were spawned in several Ohio Valley and Great Lakes states.

In November 2016, more than three dozen tornadoes hit the South during the final two days of the month. Three of the tornadoes were rated EF3, and two of them killed a combined six people.

The largest fall tornado outbreak struck the South Nov. 21-23, 1992. A total of 105 tornadoes touched down in the three days, killing 26 people.

5. Hurricane Season Ends, But We Still Need to Watch

Hurricane Kate made landfall in Florida just days before Thanksgiving 1985, marking the latest hurricane landfall in U.S. history.

More recently, Ida in 2009 became the first hurricane since Kate to move into the Gulf of Mexico during the month of November. Ida became a post-tropical storm shortly before reaching the Alabama coast Nov. 10.

By early Nov. 12, the remnants of Ida had transformed into a powerful non-tropical low-pressure center near the coast of the Carolinas. The Weather Channel dubbed this storm "Nor'Ida," given it's nor'easter-like characteristics.

Nor'Ida then lashed southeastern Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina with coastal flooding, heavy rain and damaging winds as it stalled near the coast.

(MORE: The Latest U.S. Hurricane Landfalls on Record)

November averages about one named storm every two years in the Atlantic.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30, but tropical storms and hurricanes can still develop after that date.

6. Atmospheric Rivers Begin Their Occasional Flow to the West Coast

November also marks the intensification of the wet season along the West Coast.

For Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, November averages more precipitation than any other month during the year, although December and January aren't far behind.

As Pacific storm systems plow inland, they can occasionally tap into a so-called atmospheric river, a narrow plume of moisture extending into the tropics or subtropics.

The atmospheric river provides extra juice to storm systems taking aim at the coasts of Washington, Oregon and/or California. Sometimes, the extra moisture can be overwhelming, with heavy rain causing flooding while feet of snow pile up in higher terrain.

(MORE: Atmospheric Rivers Explained)

Although these atmospheric river events can bring hazardous impacts, they are also beneficial since they help replenish the water supply in the West.

7. Florida Begins Its Dry Season

Floridians enjoy the arrival of the state's dry season by November, just as more northern locations are trending colder.

Florida typically dries out by late October, and it stays dry through the winter months into early spring as cold fronts return to the Sunshine State. Days could still be warm, but by November, the humidity is lower and temperatures typically cool down at night.

Behind these fronts, cooler air near the surface stabilizes the atmosphere, suppressing the almost daily showers and thunderstorms seen in the summer months.

Florida's wet and dry seasons are very distinct.

Miami, for example, receives about 15 inches of rain, on average, in the six-month period from November through April. That's about 26 percent of its average annual rainfall.

Conversely, about 47 inches of rain is recorded, on average, during the wet season from May through October.