Contact: Rudy Bartels (rbarte1@lsu.edu)

Southern Regional Climate Center

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Southern Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | December 2017 

Southern Region

December 2017

Highlights for the Region

• It was a warmer-than-normal autumn 

(September–November) for the Southern 

Region, with all six states reporting 

warmer-than-normal temperatures for 

September, October, and November 

collectively. The year 2017, at this point 

(January–November), is the second 

warmest year on record for the Southern 

Region.

• Precipitation was below normal 

throughout the center of the region. 

Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and areas 

of Oklahoma and Texas had below-normal 

precipitation. Tennessee had areas of 

above-normal precipitation. 

• The main climatic impact for autumn 2017 

was the drier-than-normal conditions 

throughout most of the region. November 

was the driest month for the region 

collectively, with all states reporting 

below-average precipitation. 

National – Significant Events for November and Autumn 2017 

Regional – Climate Overview for September to November 2017

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

Sep 1–Nov 30, 2017

November Average Streamflow Compared 

to Historical Streamflow. 

Departure from Normal Temperature (°F) 

Sep 1–Nov 31, 2017

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies Streamflows

The above figure illustrates November average 

streamflow in the Texas Gulf and Lower 

Mississippi Basins as compared to historical 

streamflow. Streamflows in Texas are exhibiting 

near-normal flow, except for parts of the central 

and eastern counties where there are areas 

of stations below normal. Stations around the 

Gulf are reporting near-normal streamflow. 

Areas north of the Gulf (northern Louisiana, 

northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas) are 

experiencing below-normal stream flow.

Autumn precipitation was below normal 

for most of the Southern Region. Areas in 

Arkansas, Louisiana, eastern Texas, and 

southern Oklahoma reported 5% to 25% 

of normal precipitation. Most of Arkansas, 

Louisiana, and Mississippi reported 25% to 

50% of normal precipitation. In contrast, areas 

of Tennessee, central and western Oklahoma, 

and northern and southern Texas reported 

110% to 200% of normal precipitation, with 

two areas in Texas (one in the north and one in 

the south) reporting 200% to 300% of normal 

precipitation. 

Overall, temperatures throughout most of the 

Southern Region averaged between 1° to 4°F 

above normal for the period spanning from 

September to November 2017. There were 

areas of 4° to 5°F above-normal temperatures 

in western Texas. There were a few areas in 

southwestern Texas, southern Mississippi, and 

Tennessee that reported 1° to 2°F belownormal temperatures. The 2017 year still ranks 

second warmest for the Southern Region as a 

whole going into December. The overall yearly 

average temperature thus far for the Southern 

Region is 67.30°F. 

The average U.S. temperature during November was 45.1°F, 3.4°F above average, the seventh warmest on 

record. The autumn U.S. temperature was 55.7°F, 2.1°F above average, the 10th highest on record. The 

November U.S. precipitation total was 1.58 inches, 0.65 inch below average, the 19th driest on record. The 

autumn precipitation total was 6.43 inches, 0.45 inch below average. 

Material provided in this map was compiled from NOAA’s State of the Climate Reports. For more information 

please visit: www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc.
#regionalclimateoutlooks

Contact: Rudy Bartels (rbarte1@lsu.edu)

Southern Regional Climate Center

Southern Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook | December 2017

Regional – Impacts for September to November 2017

Earth Scan Lab at Louisiana State University

www.esl.lsu.edu

NOAA/NWS Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.noaa.gov

NOAA/NOS Gulf of Mexico Coastal Services Center

www.csc.noaa.gov

NOAA Gulf of Mexico Collaboration Team

www.regions.noaa.gov

NOAA/NESDIS National Centers for Environmental 

Information

www.ncei.noaa.gov

NOAA/NWS Southern Region 

www.srh.noaa.gov

Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program

www.southernclimate.org

Southern Regional Climate Center

www.srcc.lsu.edu

Gulf Region Partners

According to the Climate Prediction Center, January to March temperatures for the Southern 

Region are expected to be above normal in all six states, with the greatest chance for warmer 

temperatures being in west and south Texas. 

January to March precipitation for the Southern Region has a greater chance to be below 

normal for Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and southern Mississippi. In contrast, most of Arkansas, 

Tennessee, and northern Mississippi have a greater chance for above-normal precipitation. 

The Southern Region experienced a drier-than-normal autumn during September through November 2017. Autumn 2017 in the Southern Region 

ranked as the 12th driest, with a regional total of 5.58 inches of precipitation. Arkansas had its driest autumn on record (since 1895) and Louisiana 

had its fifth driest autumn on record. Three other states had drier-than-normal autumns as well, Texas (16th driest), Oklahoma (35th driest), and 

Mississippi (23rd driest). Tennessee was the only state in the Southern Region to report a wetter-than-normal autumn. Tennessee reported its 38th 

wettest autumn. Precipitation values for the month of September varied spatially throughout the Southern Region. The central part of the region 

received below-normal precipitation whereas parts of the western and eastern part of the region received above-normal precipitation. Central 

Louisiana, western Arkansas, southern Mississippi, eastern Oklahoma, and northeastern and southeastern Texas received below 25 percent of 

normal precipitation. Most of Louisiana and Arkansas received 25 to 50 percent of normal precipitation. Louisiana had its driest September on 

record, and Arkansas had its eighth driest September on record. Precipitation values for the month of October varied spatially throughout the 

Southern Region. Parts of western Tennessee, northern and central Mississippi, northeastern, central, and southern Arkansas, northern, central, 

and southwestern Louisiana, south-central Oklahoma, and central, southern, and western Texas received 50 percent or less of normal precipitation. 

There were a few areas of 5 percent or below of normal precipitation in central and western Texas and the panhandle of Oklahoma. Precipitation 

values for the month of November were below normal for most of the Southern Region. All of Arkansas and Oklahoma, most of Louisiana and 

Mississippi, and parts of Tennessee and Texas received 50 percent or less of normal precipitation. There were a few areas of 5 percent or below of 

normal precipitation in northern, western, and southern Texas, southeastern Louisiana, and northern and southeastern Oklahoma. In November, 

four states had one of their top ten driest Novembers ever recorded: Arkansas (fourth), Louisiana (tenth), Mississippi (third), and Oklahoma (fifth).

A La Niña advisory has been issued for the 

up-and-coming winter season. During a La Niña 

winter, the Southern Region experiences warmerthan-normal temperatures and drier-than-normal 

conditions. However, the exact effects can depend 

on the strength of the La Niña episode. The winter 

temperature and precipitation outlook reveal a 

higher chance for warmer and drier conditions 

during January, February, and March for most of 

the Southern Region. 

CPC Three-Month Outlook Winter La Niña

Temperature Precipitation 

A = Above normal temperatures 

B = Below normal rainfall

EC = Equal chances

N = Normal

Outlook for Jan–Mar 2018

Dry Autumn

Above: Percent of normal precipitation for September (left), October (middle), November (right).