Good Question: Why is November so despressing?
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — If you enjoyed the mild weather and bits of sunshine during this recent stretch, don't take it for granted.
This generally is a time of year many do not relish. Why is November considered a depressing month? Good Question. Jeff Wagner explains the challenges ahead and how to manage them.
Many people love the fall season. There's a crispness in the air and the leaves start to change. But then it gets downright cold, and the color leaves the trees. Next, you have to clean up the brown, crunchy mess on the ground. Act quickly, you're also running out of daylight.
Why might some consider November depressing? "(It's) when the sky kind of turns concrete colored," described Chloe as she walked her dog in Minneapolis.
That concrete color is thanks to a plentiful amount of overcast this time of year.
"We're coming from an October where you have almost 10 clear days in the month and then you come into November which is about 5.5 clear days in a month," said Pete Boulay, a climatologist with the MNDR. November is the cloudiest month of the year. And even if you get sunshine, your time to enjoy it is running out quickly.
"We're losing about 19min of sunshine a week. So we're entering a darker period for sure," Boulay added. The darkness is amplified by Daylight Saving Time, quickly speeding up that loss of daylight in the evening.
What is leading to the gloomy weather? "What happens is we have a lot more moisture in the air. The sun isn't as strong so it's harder to burn off fog and we have low stratus during the month," Boulay said. That climate increases storm chances while cooler air and a lack of sunshine keep things soggy.
On November 1, the average high temperature for the Twin Cities is 50 degrees. On Nov. 30, that average drops down to 35 degrees.
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"November is one of those months that you could divide into two halves. The first half feels like fall. The second half feels like winter," said Boulay.
"I think there's this kind of aspect of dread that it's going to be the next six months of your life," said Jessica as she went for a walk with a friend.
Some might call her description SAD, as in Seasonal Affective disorder. That's when shorter days and a lack of sun can make someone depressed.
"I know a lot of people struggle from it. I used to myself. I had a little lamp that I actually turn on for about maybe 10min a day," said Chloe.
Sun lamps can literally warm your spirit a bit by imitating the sun, but so too can getting your body moving outside despite the gloomy challenges. Chloe enjoys snowboarding and snowshoeing.
"I have fond memories of hunting for pheasants with my dad this time of year," said Boulay.
On a positive note: It's a great time of year to slow the drought. Trees no longer draw in water, so the ground can soak it up until it freezes.
