November is a cool to cold and dreary month. Temperatures are falling as we get into to full winter season. As days become shorter, with more frequent morning frost, sunset is noticeably earlier, especially as it falls back abruptly by an hour with the annual change from daylight to standard time on the first weekend of the month.
November is definitely late fall and a colder cloudy interlude from the colorful tree colors of September and October before much colder weather of full winter. While sometimes a snowless month, snow sometimes occurs, but usually in small amounts of just a few inches.
As folks are generally spending more time indoors, winters sports are quite popular. Basketball predominates at most high schools, and many closely follow Syracuse University. However, Utica is a hockey town with a long history in Utica and Clinton. The American Hockey League Utica Comets and the Utica University Pioneers are both very popular, but more schools are adding hockey in recent years.
The various regional arts and theater groups are active in November. This includes the Stanley Theater, and various stage productions by local theater groups in Utica, Rome and Ilion. There are also a wide variety of classica, jazz and folk music concerts at the Other Side in Utica, Munson in Utica, and other outlets in Clinton, Rome, Holland Patent, Barneveld and Remsen.
Election day occurs in early November, this year primarily local elections. These are not usually as high a turnout for these as in even years of Congressional elections and especially Presidential elections every four years.
November highlights include Veterans’ Day on November 11th. Locally, there is a major observance locally with 1000 American flags on display on the Memorial Parkway east of Genesee Street in early November.
Holidays and Observances in November
November 1
November 2
November 3
November 4
November 10
November 11
November 12
November 19
November 27
November 28
November 29
November 30
The Holiday Season Begins
Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November is a popular time for visiting relatives, near and far. It is a long weekend of travel for many. Most, though not all, celebrate these family reunions with turkey dinners with traditional fixings of cranberries, dressing, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, beans and other favorite vegetables, and pumpkin or apple pies.
The hugely popular televised Macy’s Parade in New York is in the morning, an early prelude to weekend of college football. The week or two before and after is also the time for the Christmas sales and the arrival of Santa Claus at many commercial sites and city or village parks. Most stores, restaurants, hotels, and nearly all business offices join with at least some type of seasonal decorations.
In most Christian churches, this pre-Christmas period is known as Advent. This period before Christmas is second only to Lent as a period of preparation to the celebration of the birth of Christ. Many churches have special Christmas pageants including children from their religious education programs, and perhaps special Christmas concerts.
Most homes, whether religious or not, decorate with a Christmas tree and lights or candle. Many also set up home a set of Advent caldles, and maybe a creche, representing the manger to signify where Christ was born.
These activities, along with the common display of Christmas lights by cities and villages, commercial centers and many private homes make an evening’s drive a colorful affair, helping offset what is otherwise a dark and dreary month.
In the Night Skies
Rise and Set times of Sun, Moon and Visible Planets, November 2, 2020
First day of Eastern Standard Time (EST) and one hour earlier than Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on November 1
Sun
Waxing Gibbous Moon Rises 3:11 P.M., E Sets 2:50 A.M. W
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter Rises: 10:30 P.M., NE
Saturn
Uranus
Moon Phases for November
November 5 Full Beaver Moon Rises 4:32 P.M., NE Sets 6:53 A.M., NW
November 12 Last Quarter Rises 11/11 Sets 1:26 P.M., W
November 20 New Moon Rises 7:37 A.M., SE Sets 4:21 P.M. SW
November 28 First Quarter Rises 12:52 P.M., E Sets 11:19 P.M. W
Early in the month, Venus is a brilliant morning star in the east but disappears by mid month. Uranus is in opposition and provides the best view since the 1990s, appearing pale green below the Pleiades star cluster at midnight. Best seen with binoculars. Saturn and the Moon are in conjunction on the 28th and 29th, Saturn to the Moon’s left on the 28th and to its lower right on the 29th.
We change back to Eastern Standard Time (EST) from Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) at 2 A.M. Sunday November 2. Sunrise and more noticeably sunset comes before 5 P.M., an hour earlier than while on EDT the day before.
