Early December 2024 was remarkably cold in the East U.S. The unexpected chill is due to an unusual weather pattern featuring highly amplified trough and ridge features from Northeast Asia to the East Coast of North America while most of Eurasia has a somewhat benign pattern. The leading climate diagnostic supporting the East U.S. chill is a streak of mid-latitude stratospheric warming.

November 2024 soil moisture analysis reveals limited drought areas mostly attached to the south and southeast coast. Wet soils dominate the western half of Australia adding parts of the North Coast and either side of the coastal Queensland/New South Wales border.