Ely experiences a semi-arid climate and consistently remains much cooler than southern Nevada. Our symposium dates in October should deliver a very pleasant surface temperature... but it's always wise to be prepared for anything!
The Western Climate Center reports that average October temperatures are a maximum of 65°F and a minimum of 28°F.
Clear, with a low around 14. South southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunny. High near 49, with temperatures falling to around 41 in the afternoon. West wind 0 to 5 mph.
Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. North northwest wind around 5 mph.
Partly sunny, with a high near 52. West southwest wind 0 to 5 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 20.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
Mostly clear, with a low around 12.
Sunny, with a high near 43.
Mostly clear, with a low around 14.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.
Cave ecosystems are often dependent on organic material carried in by water, which serves as the primary food source for the environment. In arid climates with minimal surface rainfall, the input of organic matter and nutrients into caves becomes limited, affecting the overall energy flow within these environments. The intricate interplay between surface conditions and cave biota presents unique management challenges for modern cave biologists. Image courtesy of Dr. Jean K. Krejca, Zara Environmental LLC.
The official event schedule for the 2025 NCKMS has now been updated. Please check our schedule page or download a PDF to your mobile device.
Southwest Geophysical Consulting provides geophysical consulting to industry, ranchers, homeowners and government in karst and pseudo-karst areas of New Mexico and surrounding states,
One of the major ecological threats to the sagebrush-dominated Great Basin ecosystem is the introduction and spread of dozens of species of non-native plants. The most important of these, cheatgrass (or downy brome) covers the largest area: 25 million acres, one-third of the area of the Great Basin.
Troglodyte Playing Cards
We're not entirely sure what these will look like yet, but we couldn't think of hosting NCKMS in Nevada without offering some themed-out playing cards. There's a good chance the card backs will feature a cave critter of some kind, but we still have some time to figure it out.
Near the geographic center of Nevada, Diana's Punchbowl or the Devil's Cauldron, is formed in the geothermically active portion of the Great Basin. It is located in central-western Nevada, in the Monitor Valley, about 3 hours west of Ely. The spring is exposed through a cup-shaped depression about 50 feet in diameter at the top of a domelike hill of travertine about 600 feet in diameter.