Phenology

Observations by Gary Fewless for Green Bay WI (Lat.N 44.51° Long. W 88.02° ), except as noted. For flowers lacking conspicuous petals or sepals I define "anthesis" as release of pollen by mature anthers.

November 2012 Mouse-over the photo for the identity of the subject
Green Bay Shore

Date

Observation (Click on links for photos)

Nov 30

Ice cover is off or nearly so for small streams and ponds in the Green Bay area. Overnight lows remained above freezing overnight and warmer air is approaching, so any remaining ice will likely be gone in the next few days.

November 2012 was 2.1° F warmer than average, and the precipitation of 1.05 inches (as water equivalent) was about one half of "normal" for the month.

Nov 27

Green Bay's morning low temperature was 11° F, our lowest temperature of the season to date. There is now full ice-cover on the Prairie Pond.

Some ice has formed along the Green Bay shore at UWGB.

Nov 26

Cold weather arrives in Green Bay with a morning low temperature of 13° F, our lowest temperature of the season to date, and the first day that our temperature did not rise above freezing (high of 27°).

Nov 25

Our first measurable snow was on the ground this morning, a total of 1.5 inches of which 0.3" fell before midnight.

Nov 22

An unusually warm day for the season as Green Bay reached 61° F after a morning low of 40°, and the daily average temperature was 20° above "normal".

Marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) are normally a species that flowers in the spring, but the recent unseasonably warm weather has resulted in a few plants flowering in November, through today as shown here on the east side of the City of Green Bay, but cold weather looms.

Other plants are still flowering too, including this dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) at UWGB.

Nov 21

Water level continues to fall in Lake Michigan, as seen at a low period on UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Arboretum. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the water level is within a couple cm of the all-time low.

A live honey bee was found outside this morning on the UWGB campus (Tom Erdman). As of 3 p.m. the high temperature was 55° F.

Nov 20

Green Bay's high temperature reached 57° F today--the daily average was about 15° above " normal".

Nov 19

Pine Grosbeaks have been steadily moving into the state in small flocks. This is a taiga species which is considered an irruptive winter visitor across the Midwest and East. The last really large widespread movements into Wisconsin were in 1977 and again in 1985. They love to dine on crabapples, high bush cranberries, left over apples in orchards, sumac, mountain ash, and seeds of the box alder--stiff competition for Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings who also like the late fruits. Besides the Pine Grosbeaks, good numbers of Siskins, Redpolls, Purple Finch and flocks of Evening Grosbeaks are also being recorded. The Pine Grosbeaks will eventually be coming to feeders with black sunflower seeds, but for now, it is find the fruit trees first!!

Nov 18

The recent warm weather (highs of 46, 49, 44, 52 and 55) have prolonged the green leaves of some European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) plants in the Green Bay area.

Nov 17

The Wisconsin gun deer season began this morning with no snow cover and warm temperatures--the high temperature reached 52° F.

Nov 15

A little thin ice has formed on Lily Lake southeast of Green Bay. [subsequent warm weather has melted the ice, gf 11/17]

Nov 14

There is a little ice along the Green Bay shore on UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Arboretum.

Nov 13

	Full ice-cover this morning on Prairie Pond in UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Arboretum. There was partial ice-cover yesterday. The ice ended last spring on March 8, so the ice-free period was 250 days.
	Also ice on puddles again.

Nov 12

A few snow flakes in the morning (and again in the evening) in Green Bay and low temperature down to 26° F. There was some visible though brief accumulation of snow on north-facing surfaces, such as unheated garages and porches, City of Green Bay. Also ice on puddles.

Nov 11

For the second consecutive day the high temperature reached 64° F.

Nov 6

Some ice formed along the edge of Green Bay this morning at UW-Green Bay.
The low temperature was 26° F.

Nov 5

There was just a little snow this morning in Green Bay, very small flakes.

Nov 3

Low temperature of 25° F this morning in Green Bay, the lowest of the season to date.