Weather officials say "un-November-like" weather -- unusually dry conditions and above average temperatures -- will likely persist until next month.
Last month was the driest month of the year so far and the driest October in the last eight years. That’s according to data from KentuckyMesonet, a network operated by the Climate Center at Western Kentucky University.
Calloway County only saw 0.68 of an inch of rain over the last 30 days, while on average October rain usually comes in at more than 4.6 inches for the area.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Chris Noles says much of the dryness is due to recent shifting weather patterns in other parts of the continent, which can draw storm systems to pass further north of our area.
“Earlier on, you had the effects of the hurricane with the system moving up the east coast and traditionally to the west of the hurricane track, you’ll often have an area where it remains fairly rain free," said Noles.
Although fall began September 22nd, temperatures in western Kentucky are forecast in the mid-80s for the rest of the week. Noles says it’s difficult to predict what current conditions will mean for the winter months.
“The correlations are pretty loose," said Noles. "I know for November, it does not look like we’re going to see a significant shift in the pattern. I think overall we’re going to be looking at temperatures at or above normal over the next 30 days and precipitation will probably continue to be below normal. And until we see a large-scale shift in the pattern, there likely won’t be much deviation from that.”
The presence of dry leaves and grass as fuels and heavier winds lead to increased fire hazards. Kentucky’s fire season began October 1, and a burning during daylight hours is banned until December 15th.
