The majority of November was uneventful and mild, only becoming cooler and less settled towards the end, 'Storm Arwen' providing an event of note (and not just the rarity of a northerly storm) on the 26-27th; whilst our eastern part of Cumbria avoided the worst of the conditions, elsewhere in the county took a windy battering.

  Up to the 21st there had only been the one frost, but they would become frequent through to the month's end, and on the tail-end of 'Arwen' the 28th was a very cold day as the wind veered NW'ly, bringing a spell of snow, temperatures only just above freezing which saw that cover of snow remaining into the 29th.

  However, for most of the month temperatures had been above average and it was only those final 9-10 days that ensured the month finished closer, but still above, the average. Curiously and helped by a couple of really cold nights, 28-29th, which included the lowest November temperature for this site, the mean minimum temperature for the month finished marginally below average.

  Rainfall was never excessive or even heavy with daily totals being quite insignificant (only three days topped 5mm and just one topped 10 mm). Driest during the 1st - 10th and then again 13-24th, but direct sunshine wad at a premium in the first half of the month, but did improve during the second half.

  MSLP of 1016.3 Mb was +5.5 MB above the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 2.78°c and a mean maximum of 9.96°c saw the temperature 0.44°c above the twelve year average for this site.

  It was the coldest November since 2019 and since 2009 when the record began, six have been warmer and six have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded during the month being 14.0°c (9th + 18th), the lowest minimum -6.8°c (29th).

  Rainfall of 51.7 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 55.2 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 74.7 mm) was 39.3% of average for 2007-20, making it the driest November yet recorded at this site.

  During the month the following was recorded: snow fell on four days and lay on the ground on one (29th) - the wind speed averaged 6.60 mph, with a maximum gust of 54 mph (26th).

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 2.2°c and a mean maximum of 9.4°c saw the monthly mean temperature 0.7°c above the average and made it the coldest November since 2019. In a complete record back to 2001, eight have been cold, eleven warmer and one had the same mean temperature.

  Rainfall of 84.0 mm represents 42.2% of its average. It was the driest November since 2004 and in a record that commenced in 1989, it is the fourth driest overall.

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 49.1 mm represents 56.8% of its average (1856-2020) and made it the driest since 2007 - in a record that commenced in 1856, 26 have been drier, 137 wetter and one was exactly the same.

  Acroos the county rainfall was below average and in a few locations dropping below 50% of the norm', Shap having the largest departure with just 42.2%. Seathwaite was only just drier than the norm with 95.3%, but was the only site to venture above 90% with averages more broadly in the range of 60-80% and with no obvious pattern as to location.

  Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

  Kirkby Thore 53.8 mm (80.9 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 71.85 mm (91.9 mm)

  Brothers Water 181.23 mm (271 mm)

  Orton (Shallowford) 107.2 mm (180 mm [average for 1967-2020]) - making it the driest since 2013 and since the record commenced in 1967, 44 have been drier and 10 have been wetter.

  343.0 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 360 mm [average for 1845-2020]) - making it the driest since 2019 and since the record commenced in 1845, 87 have been drier and 89 have been wetter.

  General Synoptic Report for the Month

   Low pressure (LP) from the end of October cleared north during the 1st and would ultimately be replaced by high pressure (HP) from the Atlantic through to the 6th. Up to this point temperatures were close to the seasonal norm', the 3rd and 4th in a NW'ly flow falling below the norm with day-time maximums of 7.8°c and 7.1°c and then the 5th began with an air frost. However, rainfall was negligible and it was a case of a mix of cloudy skies and a few sunny intervals.

  Even a frontal system associated to a deep area of LP off Iceland on the 6th didn't bring any meaningful rain (1.4 mm), albeit it was a windy day. HP would build behind the those fronts as they cleared east, but then the 8-10th saw a succession of fronts associated to another very deep area of LP SW of Iceland move west-east across the UK. However, once again rainfall totals were light and such as the 10th saw some sunny spells behind the clearing fronts.

  Those fronts had approached on a SW'ly breeze and accordingly the air was mild, providing temperatures well above average with 14.0°c recorded on the 9th. And it stayed mild with day-time maximums well into double figures. In fact from the 5-20th every day attained double figures with a good number of night-time minima well above 5°c and 14.0°c was attained again on the 18th (jointly the month's warmest day) with a night-time minimum of 10.9°c overnight into the 19th.

  From the 21st it became cooler and night-time frosts were common - HP in the Atlantic saw the UK on its eastern edge and consequently subject to a N'ly flow. The HP would become dominant for the next few days and in some respects this saw the best of the month's weather with some decent sunny spells and no rain.

  And then it was the turn of 'Storm Arwen' - the severity and impacts of this storm cannot and should not be down-played, but here in our mid-eastern part of Cumbria, we largely got away with it. The 26th was a very windy day, with gusts up to 54 Mph (but a mean speed of 17.9 mph for the entire day is not out of the ordinary and a gale wasn't recorded [10 minute mean speed of 39 Mph]). However, elsewhere in Cumbria wasn't so lucky and unfortunately there was also one death when a man was hit by a falling tree. Otherwise the main impact came from toppled trees bringing down power lines which saw many in the Coniston area without power for some considerable time.

  Come the 27th and with the fronts having cleared Cumbria we actually saw some sun as well - Arwen had only giving us 9.5 mm of rain, some of which fell as snow or sleet.

  However, on the southern edge of Arwen on the 28th we had a good old wintry blast - the day started with a severe frost of -5.8°c and would only rise to 0.5°c still with that NW'ly wind. Snow fell steadily throughout the morning to leave a cover of 3 cms which had not melted come the 29th as the frost overnight fell even more severe at -6.8°c (19.8°f), this being the lowest November temperature yet recorded at this site.

  That snow on the 29th would melt during the day as the wind backed W'ly with the approach of fronts from the Atlantic and with temperatures climbing back into double figures. Whilst the 29th was a decent enough day with good sunny spells, the 30th was overcast with rain arriving in the evening, continuing overnight into the 1st to give 15.1 mm and make the 30th the month's wettest day.