It’s probably best that the last two weeks in November were the polar opposite of the first two record-drenching weeks. However, I must admit, it was interesting – exciting even – to watch the rain gauges rise.
Each of the sub-basins exceeded its monthly average early on but quickly fizzled out.
Still, that early precipitation was enough to propel the sub-basins into record highs for November: Russell received 9.4 inches, besting its previous record of 8.9 inches set in 1948; for perspective, its monthly average is just 3.6 inches.
Likewise, Thurmond and Hartwell collected 7.4 and 9.0 inches, respectively, posting third place numbers for the past 67 years. (Thurmond, which averages 3.4 inches, saw its wettest years in 1992 (8.6 inches) and 1957 (7.8 inches), while Hartwell, which averages 4.6 inches, received a whopping 12.7 inches in 1948 and 9.8 inches in 1992.
Probably more intriguing than the record-setting precipitation is that these “anomalies” weren’t even part of climatologists’ El Niño-related, wetter-than-average-winter predictions, which are expected to begin later this month.
If those predictions are realized, though, the water managers aren’t the only ones who will be thankful for the relative dry spell in late November.
– See more at: http://balancingthebasin.armylive.dodlive.mil/2015/12/02/nov-precipitates-like-its-1948/#more-2241