November’s rainfall around southcentral Kentucky was well above average, ranging from just above 6 inches in Allen County to 9.7 inches in Mammoth Cave National Park.

The extra rain gives the soil added moisture entering what typically are drier months. It also is beneficial to the area’s winter wheat crop.

The outlook for the rest of the winter suggests average temperatures and above-average precipitation. But then again, that’s what the Climate Prediction Center forecast for last winter and it didn’t materialize, according to state climatologist Stu Foster.

The higher-than-average rainfall in Mammoth Cave National Park caused the park to close both of its ferries, according to Public Information Officer Vickie Carson.

Carson said Tuesday that the river level at the Green River Ferry crossing was 26 feet. The park had measured 3.2 inches of rain in three days. Through Tuesday, the park had received 62 inches of rain, about 10 inches above a normal annual average.

That’s the case in Warren County as well, according to Foster.

Warren County had 58.32 inches of rain through Wednesday, compared with a preliminary new normal for 1981 to 2010 of 46.35 inches a year, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Foster said the previous normal was much higher because of a wetter 1970s.

In November, Warren County at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport received 7.62 inches, which is nearly the same as was measured at the Kentucky Mesonet site. That makes it the ninth wettest November on record. The record was 10.94 inches in 1900.

At Mesonet sites around the region, Allen County received 6.02 inches, Barren County received 8.75 inches, Hart County received 9.54 inches and Logan County received 9.32 inches.

As for the winter, the region is still in a La Nina pattern, which should mean more moist and warm air.

“But there is uncertainty how the severe drought in the southwest will impact us,” Foster said.

Last November’s average daily temperature was 48.8 degrees. This November, at least through Tuesday, was about 4 degrees higher than that.

“December last year was cold, with an average daily temperature of 32.4 degrees, or 6 degrees below normal,” Foster said.

December 2010 had just 1.93 inches of precipitation, which included 8.3 inches of snowfall. There was a white Christmas, with 4 inches of snow on the ground that day. It’s too early to tell what this Christmas might hold.