PB, I lived many years in Southern CA, a shorter period in Northern, and don’t think Nov or Dec are that bad in NE. A cold day in Nov, in SF, is startling, I remember being cold in my apt all winter long. We always had a ski jacket or parka for the colder nights in S. CA.
In contrast, in parts of the south, people wear a winter coat when it hits 60.
Maybe OP can tell his experiences.