NOVEMBER THIRD WETTEST MONTH IN 74 YEARS

November 1991 was one of the wettest months in nearly 75 years in Cape Girardeau. And depending on the time of the month, it was unusually warm and wet, or very cold and wet.

Al Robertson, professor of earth science and climatologist at Southeast Missouri State University, said last month was the third wettest November in 74 years.

Precipitation at the airport during November amounted to 8.36 inches, 4.57 inches above the long-term, 74-year average of 3.79 inches.

"If the airport had received another .02 of an inch of precipitation, it would have been the second wettest November here in 74 years," said Robertson.

Cape Girardeau's wettest November occurred in 1921, with 9.88 inches. The second wettest was November 1942, with 8.37 inches.

The greatest rainfall last month came on Nov. 19, with 6.05 inches. Robertson said there were 11 other rainy days in November, nearly all with less than half-inch accumulations.

For year-to-date totals, precipitation at the airport now measures 47.56 inches, compared to the long-term average of 41.7 inches, an increase of nearly six inches.

It is also 2.5 inches above the total average annual precipitation (45.03 inches) at the airport.

After a cold start during the first 13 days of the month, Robertson said temperatures moderated by mid-month, with the warmup continuing through the final third of the month.

The November average monthly temperature was 44.6 degrees, down 2.1 degrees from the long-term average of 46.7 degrees. But Robertson said it could have been much colder had it not been for the warmer weather during the middle and latter part of the month.

The first 13 days of November were highlighted by four new record low temperatures. Three of them occurred on consecutive mornings.

On Nov. 4, the overnight low of 16 degrees broke the former record of 21 degrees, set in 1951. A low of 15 degrees on Nov. 8 replaced the previous record low of 17 degrees, set in 1961. On the following morning, a low of 12 degrees shattered the 22 degree record for the date, which was set in 1961.

On Nov. 10, the morning low of 20 degrees broke the old record low of 21 degrees, set in 1960, and tied in 1973.

"At one time, we were running nearly 17 degrees below average during the first 10 days of the month," Robertson said.

The unusual cold snap was reflected in the 10-day average temperatures, said Robertson.

For the period Nov. 1-10, the average temperature was 32.2 degrees, down nearly 17 degrees from the long-term average of 50.1 degrees.

During the second 10-day period, Nov. 11-20, the average temperature was 53.7 degrees, up over 20 degrees from the Nov.1-10 average, and up 5.9 degrees from the long-term average of 47.8 degrees for the mid-month period.

The warm weather continued during the final 10-day (Nov. 21-30) period with an average temperature of 48.9 degrees, up 6.4 degrees from the long-term average of 42.5 degrees.

Robertson said the average temperature this fall was about normal, down .2 of a degree from the long-term average of 58.7 degrees.

However, precipitation during the same period was anything but normal, he added. During the three-month period, 16.13 inches of rain fell at the airport, compared to the long-term average of 10.66 inches. "Most of that came in October and November," said Robertson. "That made the fall of 1991 the eighth wettest here in 73 years."

The December long-term average temperature is 37.1 degrees. Last year, the average was 37.9 degrees. The high for the month was 66, on Dec. 10. The low was 8, on Dec. 24.

December 1990 was also a wet month, Robertson said, with 9.16 inches of precipitation, including 5.7 inches of snow. Under that snow cover was several inches of freezing rain and sleet that plagued the area for many days until it was finally washed away by a warm, late December rain.

With the arrival of winter, the question many are asking now is: How much snow will fall this winter, and will there be a white Christmas?

Robertson said the odds of it actually snowing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day are very slim in this area. "But if you consider a white Christmas to be snow cover on the ground on those two days, then the odds go up considerably," he said.

The National Weather Service 30-day weather outlook for December calls for above normal precipitation and normal to below normal temperatures in the Cape Girardeau area.

"With that kind of outlook, the chances of seeing some snow this month are pretty good," said Robertson. "I'm not sure many adults will like that, but I know the kids will love it."

The weather service's long-range, 90-day outlook, which includes the winter months of January and February, calls for near to slightly below normal temperatures and near to slightly below normal amounts of precipitation in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.