WEATHER HISTORY 

Record High: November 15th, 1999, 70 degrees F.
Record Low: November 25th, 1952, -15 degrees F.

November has an average high of 47 degrees, and an average low of 20 degrees. Average precipitation is 1.42 inches, Average snow fall 8.1 inches.

PLANT HAPPENINGS

Wild
November is a tough month for plants, be they native or non-native landscaping. The cold winter nights and lack of snow cover offers means they receive little protection. Drying winds sap moisture, and browsing animals nibble on their now often bare twigs.

Garden
If you have not already done so, cover tender and not so tender perennials (plants that will come back year after year) with a deep protecting mulch of fallen leaves, straw, wood shavings or what have you. Make sure that your mulch is permeable to snow and rain fall. Dormant plants still need moisture to survive the winter and return in the spring. Store all outdoor equipment away for the winter to prevent rusting or bursting from frozen water left inside.


ANIMAL HAPPENINGS 

For some animals, we are "south for the winter". Many migrant birds have arrived, including common goldeneyes, buffleheads, and hooded mergansers. The bald eagles come out of the high country- see them on the northern end of Vallecito Lake, soon to be moving down into Animas Valley and other valleys. Mountain chickadees and nuthatches are migrating to lower elevations for the winter. In the pinon-juniper forest, the piñon and scrub jays, as well as the Clark’s nutcracker have been caching nuts for the cold season ahead. Wild turkeys are gathering in large flocks, roosting in high in the ponderosas at night.

Most snakes are underground for the winter, including rattle snakes.

Moose and elk complete the rut, and mule deer rut is in full swing!

Black bears are entering dormancy (not officially hibernation!). Bear dormancy facts:
. Body temp. drops only a few degrees (down from the normal 100° F). Metabolism is cut in half. They do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate.
. Breathing slows and heart rate drops from 40 to 8 beats a minute.
. They can (and do) become active during the winter a number of times, and may even emerge from their den periodically, especially if they are disturbed for some reason.
. They lose no significant skeletal or muscular strength, calcium, and very little protein (due to recycling of nitrogen from urea), but can lose up to 1/3 of their body weight.

True hibernators include ground squirrels, some bats, and the yellow bellied marmots. Ground squirrel heart rate drops from 350 to 2 beats/minute, and body temperature drops from 98 º F to 34 º F!

ASTRONOMICAL HAPPENINGS 

CELESTIAL HAPPENINGS 

The evening sky is now nearly empty of planets, with Jupiter reaching conjunction with the Sun on the 21st. Venus is technically back, but it is actually too low to be easily observed. One bright spot this month is Saturn, which now rises by 11:00 p.m. at mid month in Leo. However, the real highlight this month is the first transit of Mercury visible throughout North America in decades. Specially equipped solar telescopes or binoculars with strong appropriate filters (always use eye protection when viewing solar events) will show the innermost planet march across the Sun's face on the 8th. Orion and the brilliant winter stars return this month, rising well before midnight. (Based on the Old Farmer's Almanac).

OTHER HAPPENINGS 

There are three meteor showers in November, the Andromedids on November 14th and 15th, the Northern and Southern Taurids from November 1st through the 7th, and the Leonids on November 17th. The Leonids are the easiest to see by beginners.

The Leonids radiate out of the constellation Leo in the east, and originate from the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which makes an appearance in our skies every 33 years. The Leonids are fast meteors and they leave lots of trains (streaks that persist for a while after the meteor has vanished). Besides being fast, the Leonids usually contain a large number of very bright meteors. The trains of these bright meteors can last from several seconds to several minutes. Best time to observe is around 2:00 am. Dress warmly.