Monarch Butterflies

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Terrible Weather at the Sanctuaries

Dear Friends,
This winter, we have had perhaps the worst weather in our region than any previous cold front season.

After snow on Wednesday, March 11th and sun the day after, our Friday forecast announced the coming of the ninth winter storm for the whole central part of the country, combined with other meteorological phenomena in the Pacific. Temperatures dropped to around 4° C and were accompanied by uninterrupted rain for 48 hours. There was no snow, but wind gusts were constant, too. Monday was a holiday and the whole highly anticipated weekend got absolutely spoiled.

People in town could hardly leave their homes to go anywhere, and the sanctuaries were practically empty. The rain stopped yesterday late in the evening, and today, by 4 p.m., I went up to make my observations of the possible damage monarchs might have suffered with so much rain since last Friday.

Upon arriving, I realized it had been a bad day. Most tourists expected for the weekend cancelled their visits, so hotels, restaurants, and commerce up at the sanctuary looked deserted. Up I went, noticing the faces of some guides showing some worry at the affectation.

As I went up, I realized how lots of flowers, leaves, and small branches of trees were torn, broken, and fallen down on the ground reflecting the intense rain.

I arrived at the site, right behind Llano de los Conejos — exactly where monarchs were a week ago — and looked at the ground. I could see the floor carpeted with thousands of fallen monarchs on the ground, many dead, but many, many others still alive, though, I am afraid, fighting to survive. Monarchs were climbing any vertical surface they can find.

Mating, which was already starting the last two weekends, was nowhere to be seen. The way monarchs were on the ground either in small clusters at the light-small fallen branches of trees, or on rocks, or trunks of trees, immobile, was very unusual. In most of them, their wings were very wet. Let's hope the monarchs will come back to her mating phase once the weather improves. Their preparations for their main leave might be now postponed for days. On the other side, and fortunately, we have had no ice events overnights, so the weather is very wet-humid, a little cold, but not freezing at all. That can be perhaps some relief for the weather circumstances during these days.

The tourist season was to end in a few days. Now it may be extended as late as Easter weekend, March 29th.

Our weather forecast is predicting that several meteorological phenomena are coming one after the other, which should be delaying the monarchs' departure. What is concerning is the possible additional damage they might suffer if similar affectations happen within the next few days.

There were, however, around 40-50 trees with well formed, heavy, dense clusters. This was more or less the area under which the carpet of fallen monarchs was extended.

We cross our fingers that weather might at least improve a little bit, and that some sun will shine within the next few hours so fallen monarchs can survive.

Today's photos may show much more than my own words. I left the site concerned and wondering what the official estimates will be after all this storm activity. Let's hope it is not of great affectation to the optimistic situation of recovery of the population this year.

Many greetings,
Estela Romero
Angangueo, Michocán, México.