You can plant them now. The bulbs that you purchase now for spring blooms are dormant and not inclined to grow. If they were already established in your garden, they'd be experiencing the same weather conditions and warm soil you are concerned about, no? The only caveat to this is if your area needs more of a chill factor than these bulbs are happy with. You are obviously in a different zone 8 than I (no 70F temps here in November!), so check for recommendations about prechilling bulbs for your location. Refrigeration for a few (6-8) weeks may very well be advised.

And yes, there is a wide window of planting opportunities for spring flowering bulbs. In my area, they can be planted anytime after they appear in stores or are mailed out by the growers (usually August/September) all the way through January. This timeframe can vary for different areas of the country and different climates.

Also, when does it rain in your area?

Daffodils start into root growth over the late summer when they're in the ground. If you get frost before it rains then they may not get enough moisture to start into growth before the chilling of the soil brings a slow down so they don't break into flower during the worst of winter. The leaves will probably survive the frosts in your zone easily. You'll likely be surprised by how quickly the little green nubs leap up into full leaf, then buds and flowers as soon as the weather starts to warm in spring.

Bulbs are a great structure for surviving long periods of dry and heat. When they're deep enough in the soil they don't get the big fluctuations we experience. Plant according to the recommendations for your area.

For the span of planting times - you can use that to get a staggered flush of varieties: planting early varieties as they come into the market, then the mid season, then the late varieties and species gives you daffodils (for example) over a long period of time if the spring season isn't too harsh. You can do the same with tulips - earlies, mids, lates, and the late-late show to coincide with various spring annuals and perennials as settings for colours and textures.

For example - with the shrubs you have in your yard - you could note when they come into leaf and flower - and plant bulbs to expand the picture they make for you.

Take a note of the date and weather so you get them dislaying together.

You might need to 'cheat' and raise them in pots for later planting out - but that's a gardener's privilege!

Thank you both!

I guess I should have mentioned that Im in the desert and it only rains 3-4 times a year and so has to be watered with a soaker hose.

So - let me make sure I understand this - I can plant the bulbs right NOW and they won't sprout until next spring? The warm soil and water won't wake them up?

What if I chilled them for 6 weeks and then planted in Mid-October (bulbs here usually start sprouting late February) Would that be too much 'cold time'? It does get quite cold here in the winter, 20-40F degrees at night.

I don't understand how planting them now wouldnt result in them thinking its spring and sprouting.

Bulbs are like little climate computers; they track temperature and wetness over time. As long as the temperature underground is above 50F or so, and the ground relatively dry, they're dormant. Once the conditions change, they start to root. In order for them to bloom properly next year, tulips and daffs need 14+ weeks of soil temperatures below 50F. They don't send up growth until after a prolonged cold period followed by a rise in temperature. Note that soil temperature 6 inches below the surface will not go below freezing unless the average surface soil temp during the day and night (don't forget solar gain) are below freezing.

I am probably in the exact same zone as you are, because I live right on the top of 8A or at the bottom of 7b. Though I don't live in the desert. Are you in the Southwest?

Anyway, Here's the deal for our area. Tulips and hyacinths need more winter chill than you can ever give them. Put them into the refrigerator right now (but NOT in a drawer with fruit! Fruit gives off a gas that will kill the blooms)
Mark your calendar for 6 to 8 weeks from when you put them in the refrigerator. At that time, regardless of the weather, take them out and plant them. You can plant daffodils, crocus, and iris NOW or as late as New Year's Day. Honest!!! They may come up if we start getting rain and it starts to get colder. But if they do, don't worry. They will stay green all winter until it's time to bloom on schedule. I often have bulbs in my yard coming up at Thanksgiving time, but they know it's too soon to bloom and they don't until it's time. Now, the time they bloom for us is going to be earlier than for folks who live up north. My first daffodils are usually blooming in early to mid February, but that is normal for our climate.

You also need to know that your pre-chilled bulbs may very well come up and bloom almost immediately once you plant them outside, especially the tulips. This is a good thing and a bad thing. Good, because the blooms will last way longer in the cool of our winter. Bad, if you want them to bloom, say, at Easter. So, time your planting accordingly. Keep them in the refrigerator an extra month or so, if you want to. The amazing thing about bulbs is how versatile they are. Have fun! If you have some failures, you'll learn from them and do better next year.

Finally you need to know that your tulips will not bloom again after this year. End of story. You are essentially forcing them to bloom and they will NOT like our climate. So, come spring, dig them up (the leaves will come back next year and make you feel like a failure when they don't bloom, but it's not your fault). They are cheap, so if you love them, get some new ones next year, put them in the fridge and proceed again.

Daffodils should do well for you and return, even naturalize, if you choose the right kinds. You will need to do some internet and library research to find out which kinds those are. But, no matter what kind you have now, they should return at least a few years before they decline and die (or live and flourish). Crocus are the same way.

It should be pointed out that not all zone 8's (or even 7's) are the same. It is NOT a given that gardeners in zone 8 need to prechill their bulbs before planting - it depends on location, summer heat and winter temps. For example, I am in a zone 8b location - just up the road are the largest commercial bulb growing fields in the US (also zone 8). We grow so many tulips here, they are shipped to the Netherlands! While commercial bulbs are handled differently, I have never prechilled a bulb in my life (other than those I have forced), as our winter temperatures are sufficiently cold even though the ground never freezes. To be sure that you need to prechill your bulbs for successful blooming, it is important to know exactly where you are located. I'd question that you are truly an 8a if your winter temperatures don't fall in the 20's and teens between November and February.

Your local extension service will be able to inform you if prechilling is a requirement for spring bulbs in your area.

Keep them cool and dry until the soil cools enough to plant; and you can plant anytime before the ground freezes.