November continued the wetness

November brought more rain and a touch of snow, which put us over the mean precipitation in November by nearly a half inch, at 0.49 inches. We ended the month with a total of 1.73 inches as compared to our mean of 1.24 inches.

As I write this, we have had a total 11.97 inches of precipitation for the year, compared to our annual average of 10.55 inches. Just a few weeks left in the year and we will likely go over the 12-inch mark.

We did experience a short-term hard drought this summer, which has passed. Yet, the U.S. Drought Monitor is still showing us in an “Abnormally Dry” condition.

Our low temperature in November was 10 degrees occurring at the end of the month; our high was 59 degrees on the Nov. 6.

There have been numerous reports about our “warm” start to winter. Actually, winter hasn’t officially started yet, at least not until Dec. 21. Some examples: Daily high temperature records for November — Pullman (68°F), Chief Joseph Dam (63°F), Wenatchee (63°F) and Omak (60°F). As long as it continues, enjoy.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center is currently showing an above-normal chance of higher temperatures and a below-normal chance of precipitation for the remainder of the year.

The weather seems to always be one of the topics in our daily conversation. So, with weather on our minds, let’s explore words used though possibly not really understood. First, a brief look at the words “weather” and “climate.” Weather is defined: “the meteorological day-to-day variations of the atmosphere and their effects on life and human activity.” Climate is defined: “the prevalent long term weather conditions in a particular area.” I use the word “precipitation” a lot in this column. It covers everything, “liquid or solid water that falls from the atmosphere and reaches the ground.”

I also want to share a term used in some of the data I gather for a national organization. “Snow Water Equivalent” (SWE) means, as you may have guessed, the amount of water in snowpack. The volunteer work I do, though, uses SWE to measure water in snowfall over a 24-hour period as well as the long-term snow on the ground. The organization I gather data for is called, Community, Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). If you are interested in volunteering your time, do a Google search or contact me.

Our next full moon will occur on Jan. 6, 2015. Meanwhile, and when it’s clear, watch for Ursids Meteor activity Dec. 17 -23. It’s not as active as the Geminids, whose peak we’ve already witnessed, but they are meteors nonetheless.