So how chilly was November 2014 in Putnam County?

The National Weather Service reports that it was the sixth coldest November on record in the area since 1871.

The majority of November was cold for central Indiana, with many locations exceeding 60 degrees on only four or five days during the month.

The month began on a cold note after one of the colder Halloweens in recent memory. The entire area finally received the initial hard freeze for the fall, with lows into the middle and upper 20s on Nov. 1 and 2. Temperatures warmed quickly however after the cool start with many areas experiencing their warmest highs of the month on the third in the middle and upper 60s.

Subfreezing highs occurred on multiple days, highlighted by the coldest day in November for many in nearly 40 years on Nov. 18 when some locations couldn't even make it to 20 degrees. Lows fell into the single digits across much of the area on the morning of the 18th as well, the first occurrence of such a cold morning in the month of November since 1986. For Indianapolis, the average temperature of 14 degrees experienced on the 18th was the coldest daily average temperature in November since Nov. 29, 1976. Even more impressive, Indianapolis experienced six days in November with highs at or below 32 degrees, the most in November since 1950.

Despite the brief stretches of warmer temperatures, the region generally saw temperatures average six to nine degrees below normal for the month.

For the Indianapolis area, it was the coldest November since 1976, and the fourth coldest November since 1950. There were nine days with above normal average temperatures and 22 days with below normal average temperatures.

November liquid precipitation ranged from below normal in western and southern Indiana to above normal in portions of northeast Indiana. Monthly totals measured from 1.5 inches in southeast Indiana to 4.5 inches in extreme north central Indiana. Much of the state received between 2 and 4 inches of rain.

Snowfall during November was above normal for almost all of Indiana. Monthly snowfall totals ranged from less than an inch to near 19 inches in the South Bend area. Away from Lake Michigan, snowfall ranged from a trace to five inches in southern Indiana. Central and southern Indiana received much of their snowfall late on the 16th and early on the 17th.

Barring snowfall, Indiana was on the dry side through Nov. 21. Much of the rainfall during the month fell Nov. 23-24 with 2.23 inches recorded in the Greencastle area.

Rainfall of 1 to 3 inches caused lowland flooding along portions of the Wabash River in western Indiana, bankfull conditions to the Tippecanoe River downstream of Oakdale Dam in north central Indiana and elevated to near flood stage levels in the White and East Fork White Rivers in central and southern Indiana.

The maximum wind gust at Indianapolis International Airport was 47 mph out of the west-southwest on the afternoon of Nov. 24 as strong winds impacted the region in the wake of the passage of a strong cold front. Fog or haze was reported at Indianapolis on 15 days during the month.

Meanwhile, the official December 2014 outlook from the Climate Prediction Center indicates a greater chance of above-normal temperatures for central Indiana. At Indianapolis, the average temperature is 31.6 degrees.

The average precipitation for December in the area is 3.17 inches with 6.9 inches of snowfall.

According to the National Weather Service, the official outlook for the 2014-15 winter season (December-February) indicates greater chances for below-normal temperatures and precipitation across central Indiana. At Indianapolis, the average temperature for the winter season is 30.5 degrees, and the average precipitation is 8.15 inches with 22 inches of snowfall.

It is important to note that below-normal precipitation does not always equate to less snowfall. As an example, Indianapolis recorded 26.9 inches of snow last January, well above the average of 8.6. Total monthly precipitation of 2.34 inches, however, was nearly a third below the January normal.

Local studies with similar conditions to those expected over the upcoming winter support colder-than-normal temperatures and above-normal snowfall for central Indiana, the Weather Service noted.