November begins on a warm record pace

November’s getting off to a warm start in the Hawkeye State. Several cities have set record high temperatures in the 70s Wednesday. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide average thus far is 11 degrees above normal, and he says that’s not likely to change. He says there are not any signs of a long-term shift to cold weather anytime soon.Hillaker says November 2001 might seem warmer after what Iowans endured last year.Last year was colder and snowier than normal, while this year is on a pace to break the record for the warmest November ever set in 1999. While it’s not an official weather designation, Hillaker says this spell of warm weather could be characterized as an “Indian Summer.”Hillaker says we’ve seen very little precipitation in the first week of this month, something he says is good for the moment for farmers in the fields.