U.S. Has Its Most Expansive November Snow Cover in Almost 3 Years

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Early on Nov. 13, the area of the U.S. covered by snow was 29.4 percent which was the greatest area of the U.S. covered by snow in November in almost three years, based on analysis from NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center.

The last time there was a greater area covered with snow in the U.S. in November was in 2015 when Nov. 27-30 saw more than 30 percent of the U.S. with snow on the ground.

Many snow-covered areas are where you would expect for mid-November, including the Rocky Mountains, northern Plains, Great Lakes and northern New England.

However, the snow also extended farther south into the central and southern Plains with snow on the ground as far south as the Texas Panhandle.

Odd November Snow

The snow in the more southern regions has been unusual.

This year is only the third year on record in Kansas City that three measurable snowfall (at least 0.1 inches) have occurred by Nov. 12. 

The 4.4 inches of snowfall in Amarillo, Texas, on Nov. 11-12 was accompanied by thunder and is a little earlier than the average first snowfall of Nov. 24.

On Tuesday, Houston saw a trace of snow/sleet and broke the record for earliest observed snow there. A dusting of snow was also seen at Big Bend National Park. 

In addition, sleet was reported as far south as McAllen, Texas near the Mexican border on Tuesday.

Early Wednesday, the earliest measurable snow on record was observed in Monroe, Louisiana, breaking the previous record by 10 days.

The U.S. snow cover is almost double what it was last year on Nov. 13 when just 16.5 percent of the U.S. was covered in snow. In mid-November 2017 the snow cover was mainly confined to the northern tier and stretched into the central Rockies.

Season-to-date snowfall has been noticeably more widespread this year compared to last year.

The reason for the difference in snow cover is the upper-level weather pattern that has dominated the U.S. recently.

The jet stream has generally taken a southward dip over the central and eastern U.S., allowing colder-than-average temperatures to plunge southward. This pattern has also allowed several disturbances to track across the U.S. and with cold air in place, snow has resulted at times.