Weather systems so far in November have tended to be clipper systems -- fast-moving systems across the north that bring limited precipitation and strong winds. One of those clippers that moved through this past weekend was able to tap into some colder air descending through Canada to produce significant lake-effect snow and send temperatures plummeting across the eastern two-thirds of the United States.

Otherwise, warmer weather has been in place. However, a change is coming to the weather pattern that should bring through more systems across the U.S. for the second half of November. That should mean more widespread and heavier precipitation, thunderstorms, strong winds, and potential for more accumulating snow for the middle of the country.

The clipper pattern has been set up by an upper-level ridge of high pressure that has been situated mainly over the western half of the U.S. for the last two weeks. The ridge acts like a block, forcing storm systems to go over the top of it, through the Pacific Northwest and Canadian Prairies, east through the Great Lakes. That has been the storm track since the beginning of November and has resulted in minor impacts outside of those in the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. where bouts of precipitation and strong winds have caused some issues with travel and infrastructure.

But the ridge responsible will be on the move this week, situating more over the Eastern U.S. by this weekend. That will mean storm systems will move into the Western and Central U.S. Instead of clippers, which tend to be weaker, this sort of setup favors stronger, well-developed systems we typically associate with more widespread impacts.

This pattern will not be consistent, however. Storm development is uncertain as they move into the West and challenge the ridge in the East. The strength of both the storm and the ridge will be important to how the storm tracks, how wound up it will become, and what impacts that will produce at the surface. But there will be many of these storms in the pipeline that attempt to move through the U.S. for the second half of the month.

The first storm in the series starts this weekend and will come in two pieces. Because there are two pieces, models are having a difficult time with timing and impacts. The trend has been to keep them separate, with the first storm system racing through Canada Nov. 14 through Nov. 16.

Much of the impacts will be felt in Canada, but some showers and breezy winds will move through with a cold front across the northern half of the U.S. Milder conditions will follow behind the front as well, though not particularly cold for this time of year.

The second piece to that system will sit in the Southwest for several days before emerging into the Southern Plains this weekend and then moving eastward early next week. Timing on this system is more uncertain than the first piece, but the impacts may be greater. This system will have access to more moisture as it brings drought relief to the southwestern deserts and then be able to tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) as it moves across the southern tier next week.

Multiple disturbances will follow, after that system moves through, but their development and impacts are uncertain. However, this is the type of pattern that favors the potential for producing more widespread precipitation across the middle of the country, including thunderstorms, potential for areas of snow, and strong winds for the second half of November.

To find more weather conditions and your local forecast for free from DTN, head over to https://www.dtnpf.com/….

John Baranick can be reached at john.baranick@dtn.com

(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.