tamarack

Hiked Oquossoc Bald (2,400') today with grandkids and some friends (10 in all), saw yesterday's IP as we hit about 1900 then SN on the spruce and fir above 2000, about 1/2" on top - enough to make the obs tower steps slippery. Probably 30-32 on top with gusts 20+ and spitting snow. Met 35-40 others on the trail, including 20-25 from Carrabassett Valley Academy. Not bad for mid-November in questionable wx, though Bald is one of Public Lands' most heavily used trails and it was a Saturday.

62/34 yesterday for 7 days of 60+, though yesterday's high and low were at opposite ends of the day, with morning/afternoon 50-52. Down to a frosty 20 this morning.

Only our 23rd November here but this week (Today's max will be about 61, recorded last evening about 10) now dominates the month's warmest days. However, 6th warmest was the 11th in 2002 and with low of 50, that day's mean of 58 remains #1. 11/6: 63/31 +10 11/7: 69/44 +20 11/8: 61/36 +12 11/9: 67/38 +16 11/10: 70/33 +16 11/11: 69/35 +17 Warmest November temps: 71 1/2003 70 Tuesday 69 Saturday 69 Yesterday 67 Monday 66 11/2002 63 4 times, including last Friday.

March 2010 was milder for most Maine sites north of PWM. Farmington only got to 66 that month but hit 83 in 3/12. The 2 months had vastly different temp sequences: 3/12 was like terrain that was below sea level at the start then climbed a tall mountain and finished on the beach after the incredible peak. 3/10 was more of a high plateau with a single narrow valley during the final week. Since we were -8 after 4 days and +3 (and climbing) thru today, the profile would look like 3/12 if it's cool in late month.

That spot is really catching the warmth for that latitude and elevation. I'm a bit farther north and 1100' lower and here's my past 5: 11/5: 54/27 11/6: 63/31 11/7: 69/44 morning low about 50. 11/8: 61/36 11/9: 67/38 estimated - haven't checked the max-min yet. However, in 22 years I've recorded 16 November minima of 60+ and never had 2 in a row - closest was 10/31-11/1 last year. Now I've had 2 in a row twice in succession (and may bag a 3rd pair, for a run of 6.)

Reached 69 here yesterday. Only the 71 on 1/2003 has been warmer, though the 66/50 on the 11th in 2002 had the biggest positive departure at +23.

Horrible month in a terrible winter. Most incredible stat IMO was NYC recording 72/63 on 12/24, with the minimum more than 20+ higher than the normal max and departure of +32. I can find no greater positive departure in their 150-year POR.

Not sure if it dropped below 50 today. Average low for the date is 27. Heard some calendar-challenged spring peepers this morning while waiting in vain for a deer.

Low 60s here, with more to come. Prior to this year, we've had 60+ in November 16 times in 22 years with only 1999 hitting the mark as many as 3 times. Reached 71 in 2003 and 66 the year before while 63 (4X) is 3rd. I'd guess that frequency will be eclipsed this month - might have 5-6 reach 60 - and we might get to the 66 but I doubt 71 is in play here.

"Either you forecast weather the way I want it to be, or YOU'RE FIRED!!!"

Iceland was beautiful when we were there in 2017 but Norway even moreso, in part because it has trees. On the "Golden Circle" tour in Iceland, one of the hosts said, "If you're lost in an Icelandic forest, stand up!" Lots of 5-foot-tall birches. Our Norway itinerary included the 3 cities where my wife's grandparents were born (Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim) plus the western fjords. Outstanding!

Same for Gov. Mills. Fortunately the "public settings" definition for outdoor spaces lists places where people gather, though it also has the inevitable "not limited to" phrase. Keeping one's mask in place while bushwhacking thru the Maine woods would require attaching the mask with duct tape.

BDL hit 83° on Nov. 2, 1950 and 80° on the same date in 1982. 3rd place is a 3-way tie at 78.

That winter also had Farmington being bumped out of 1st place for Maine's deepest snowpack (94", 10" above Farmington's in 1969(), though it's no shame to be topped by Chimney Pond at 2,920'.

Different location, different outcomes. (Duh!) Last year my 2 biggest snows came after the equinox and the bigger one was a modest 10.3". 16-17 brought 4 events with ~2" LE with 3 of them all snow. The late January one was 5" of mix'n'mess, but the other 3 totaled 57.5" with the smallest (Pi Day, 15.5") being only my 4th storm in 22 winters here to meet blizzard criteria for the required 3 hours - had 2 hr extra.

My federal tax returns post-Trumptax are $600-$800 lower than before. Of course my federal tax deductions are $1200-$1400 lower. Seems like a small win. (Thanks to my wife and I being well into SSI age, our household income is a bit above the Maine median, though close to the national. The endlessly repeated commercials in Maine's senate race claiming that the 2017 tax law hammered the middle class were a bit hyperbolic.) There is a very real scenario where this all comes down to that split electoral vote in Nebraska that went to Biden. Offset by Maine's 2nd district. Last I looked, 213 electors had been called for Trump. Electors in undecided PA, NC, GA, AK total 54 which would leave him 3 short if he wins those states. (Why is AK in doubt? Sure there's only 50% counted but Trump is up 66%/34% in a reliably red state.) If Nevada also finishes red, the White House stays that color. Some big "ifs" however. Edit: That PHL ballot "recovery" has a bad odor. Unless the election officials are putting Trump and Biden ballots in separate boxes (and why would they do that?) rather than merely recording and storing them, having a stash of 20,000+ ballots with every single one voting for the same candidate is beyond mere suspicion, even from a bright blue city center.

May not matter much, at least if one looks at the Farmington co-op. For all election years 1896 on, snow seasons averaged 96% of average, 99% for Republican victories. For just those in which I was old enough to vote (started with Nixon-Humphrey) it's 115%, 114% for R wins. The most recent 7 presidential election years have been great, all AN and 125% of average, 136% for R wins. (Meaning? Nothing.)

1st measurable 3-6:30 this morning, 0.6" on just 0.02" LE despite mostly small flakes. Probably most will evaporate during the day.

Same here, but 11F, my coldest in 23 Octobers, 1F colder than 10/31/2002. Month finished 1.3F BN thanks to the final week's cooldown. Precip was 5.32", 0.38" BN on my wettest month of the year but enough to boost the level in our dug well by 3/4 ft. Traces of frozen 26th and 28th.

Deer hiding in the conifer swamps to avoid heatstroke, as they can't remove their winter coats.

That's a late winter tradition in the St. John Valley, though usually done by snowblower so they can cover both lanes. A few flakes sailing by in the wind here. We've remained comfortably between the echoes to our west and those to the northeast. A few flickers on the lamp as well - waiting for a full blink to cut off my link to the state network.

Wife's a flight attendant. Planes are the cleanest they've ever been. Study compared risk of covid between planes, subway, being in a car and others. Planes had the least risk and was extremely low. Tests have shown that air circulation patterns in jetliners help to prevent possible spread of germs/viruses. I'd be more concerned with the terminal/security processes.

Some great hikes in that general area - Acadia to the west, Cutler coast to the east, Tunk and Black Mountains west of Cherryfield.

Where I grew up in NJ 1950-71 (moved there when I was 4) was a lake community and our place was at about 700' - the town had some hills 900+ but for 1000 one has to be several towns west or north. After the Feb 3-4, 1961 blizzard we had perhaps 45" pack while Oak Ridge and Canistear Reservoirs reported 50" and 52", respectively, by far NJ's greatest depths on record. Our current residence in the W. Maine foothills is death valley for upslope but one of the better CAD locales in NNE.

Low was 11 here, coldest (by 1°) morning I've had in 23 Octobers here. Even in Fort Kent e never got below 7° in this month.