tamarack

Families, and there may be as many as 6 pups or more, though they usually get thinned out by fall. Multi-family packs like wolves are uncommon for coyotes. Didn't happen this year, but the usual sequence here would be hearing the pups singing soprano in May then working down to a low alto by September. This morning was 20°+ milder than yesterday's 14.

But very little since late August - many wildfires in the Northeast above Mason-Dixon.

1995-96 had 5 months, DEC-APR, with Jekyll-Hyde character. Data from Gardiner, Maine: Dates Avg Temp + or - Precip Snow 12/1-21 17.5 -5.4 3.99" 40.6" 1/1-16 8.3 -9.8 2.03" 27.5" 2/1-19 12.7 -6.3 1.17" 11.3" 3/1-11 17.5 -7.5 1.93" 24.5" 4/1-14 36.1 -3.5 2.44" 23.5" Avg/Tot 17.8 -6.4 11.56" 127.4" 81 days 12/22-31 25.6 +5.4 0.20" 2.6" 1/17-31 25.6 +6.6 4.75" 4.6" 2/20-29 34.7 +11.1 3.85" 0.0" 3/12-31 34.8 +2.4 1.06" 2.0" 4/15-30 46.6 +1.9 4.72" 0.0" Avg/Tot 34.2 +4.8 14.58" 7.6" 71 days 1995-96 produced 138.8", the most of our 13 winters in Gardiner and 30.4" more than #2 (92-93). However, 95-96 ranks only 5th for SDDs thanks to all the thaws.

From 14 to 50 here, maybe a 40-span? More cloud than blue now, so probably not.

Low of 14 here, IZG 12 and BML 9. A small cloud to our northwest, first one I've seen in 3 days. (November vies with December for the cloudiest month here.)

Depends on how it's measured. By numbers of TCs/canes/majors, which came in below the forecast. By impact, any season with a Helene and a Milton is high-end. (Reminds me of 1992, when the first named storm didn't come until August and the numbers were way low, but that #1 was Andrew.)

Currently running +4.2 here, which would be 5th mildest of 27 should November finish there - top quartile. After today the departure will be close to +3.6, for 7th mildest.

Maine, late October 1947. 200,000 acres and 15 fatalities New Jersey, late October into November 1963. The 4" splash on 11/6-8 knocked things back a lot, and the month had another 4 before the 30th. (The really big fire than year came on April 20, a windy Saturday - nearly 200,000 acres in the Pine Barrens, and ~17 homes burned in NYC [Staten Island] by a forest fire.) For folks like 'Fella and me, this is a significant but short-term drought.

About the same at our frost pocket - must not have fully decoupled. Low teens tonight?

A co-worker living several miles west from CAR had a banana plant growing in his greenhouse for 2 years, summering the thing outside. It failed to blossom so was left outside going into the 2nd winter. The lemon tree in the greenhouse was producing lots of fruit.

Only breezy here in the woods - top gusts might've reached 30. Saw a gust of 52 at Greenville, wind off Moosehead. This is the 3rd latest fall with no flakes observed here, and unless some come sailing thru this afternoon, we'll be in 2nd place (currently 11/14 in 2022.) Latest was 11/21 in 2004. Since both 2004-05 and 2022-23 had AN snow, no worries about the late start. Earliest trace was 10/4 in 1999, followed by a near-ratter.

Finally put the last of the 3/4 cord of basswood thru the stove. Now we can get some "real" cold as I'll be burning "real" firewood. Mostly cloudy, low 40s and breezy. The strong winds haven't gotten here yet.

And dews

Cape May gets the jackpot. Of course!

Does surface tension suffice in a real downpour? I would think that the heavier the rate, the greater chance of the flow overcoming it. (Merely an observation, as our 12 feet of no-end-caps gutter that protects the porch stairs hasn't caught many (any?) leaves.) My brown leaves are still hanging on as well. A lot of nut trees seem to have brown leaves hold on for weeks and months like oak and beech. I’m not sure what the normal tendency for American chestnuts is although I seem to recall them doing this in previous years. Even the understory oaks and beech have lost their leaves. usually some of those saplings hold brown/tan leaves all winter. Another November downpour - 3rd day with 0.04", month total up to 0.14" from 4 "events". Wildfire in NNJ (West Milford) has invaded NY, up to 3,000+ acres.