CXUS51 KCAR 032235 CLACAR CLIMATE REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 535 PM EST WED JAN 03 2024 ................................... ...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2023... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2024 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S) NORMAL ................................................................ TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 96 05/22/1977 06/29/1944 LOW -41 02/01/1955 HIGHEST 93 06/01 MM MM 90 05/13 LOWEST -22 02/01 MM MM -30 01/27 AVG. MAXIMUM 52.1 50.2 1.9 51.6 AVG. MINIMUM 34.2 31.2 3.0 31.8 MEAN 43.2 40.7 2.5 41.7 DAYS MAX >= 90 4 1.9 2.1 1 DAYS MAX <= 32 80 90.6 -10.6 82 DAYS MIN <= 32 170 179.9 -9.9 170 DAYS MIN <= 0 22 38.1 -16.1 38 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 54.21 2005 MINIMUM 10.11 2002 TOTALS 41.85 40.70 1.15 45.20 DAILY AVG. 0.11 0.11 -0.00 0.13 DAYS >= .01 167 160.9 6.1 165 DAYS >= .10 81 88.6 -7.6 98 DAYS >= .50 31 26.6 4.4 35 DAYS >= 1.00 7 6.1 0.9 6 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 1.93 01/12 TO 01/13 1.76 10/14 TO 10/15 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 181.1 1954 TOTALS 120.2 118.2 2.0 124.6 SINCE 7/1 20.8 37.4 -16.6 MM SNOWDEPTH AVG. 5 4 DAYS >= 1.0 32 30.0 2.0 34 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 27 03/03 23 02/09 03/13 24 HR TOTAL 3.7 MM 19.7 DEGREE DAYS HEATING TOTAL 8164 9048 -884 8586 SINCE 7/1 2844 3388 -544 MM COOLING TOTAL 351 225 126 243 SINCE 1/1 351 224 127 MM ................................................................ WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED 6.7 HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 36/160 DATE 12/18 HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 54/170 DATE 12/18 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.57 NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 103 NUMBER OF DAYS PC 129 NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 133 AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 72 WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORM 18 MIXED PRECIP 0 HEAVY RAIN 26 RAIN 56 LIGHT RAIN 136 FREEZING RAIN 3 LT FREEZING RAIN 11 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 9 SNOW 21 LIGHT SNOW 111 SLEET 5 FOG 185 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 40 HAZE 19 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. * INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ...2023 ANNUAL CLIMATE REVIEW FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE... 2023 WAS A WARM AND WET YEAR ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE. IT RANKED AS THE 3RD WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AT CARIBOU, HOULTON, MILLINOCKET, AND BANGOR. PRECIPITATION WAS MORE VARIABLE, BUT RANGED FROM 100 TO 110 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS FAR NORTHERN MAINE AND FROM 110 TO 125 PERCENT OF NORMAL DOWNEAST, AND FROM 120 TO 150 OF NORMAL ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. THERE WAS LACK OF ARCTIC AIR IN 2023 WITH ONLY 22 NIGHTS BELOW ZERO IN CARIBOU WHEN THE LONG TERM AVERAGE IS 38. IN BANGOR, THERE WERE ONLY 10 NIGHTS WITH A LOW BELOW ZERO WHICH WAS HALF OF NORMAL. THERE ALSO WAS NOT A LOT OF EXTREME HEAT WITH FOUR DAYS WITH A HIGH OF 90F OR WARMER IN CARIBOU WHICH COMPARES TO A LONG TERM AVERAGE OF TWO. IN BANGOR, THERE WERE FIVE 90F DAYS, WHICH COMPARES TO AN AVERAGE OF SIX. JANUARY WAS MUCH WARMER THAN AVERAGE WITH TEMPERATURES THAT AVERAGED FROM 7 TO 9 DEGREES (F) ABOVE THE 1991-2020 CLIMATE NORMALS. THERE WAS ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL. IT RANKED AS THE 4TH WARMEST JANUARY ON RECORD IN CARIBOU AND THE 2ND WARMEST AT HOULTON, MILLINOCKET, AND BANGOR. A TOTAL OF 38 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED IN CARIBOU AND 29.3 AT BANGOR. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOWFALL, A STORM ON THE 16TH PRODUCED FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SLEET ACROSS THE REGION. TEMPERATURES IN FEBRUARY WERE MUCH CLOSER TO AVERAGE WITH ALTERNATING SPELLS OF ABOVE AND BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW AVERAGE AS WAS SNOWFALL. THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS FROM CARIBOU/PRESQUE ISLE NORTH WHERE SNOWFALL WAS A BIT ABOVE AVERAGE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THE MONTH OCCURRED ON THE 3RD INTO THE 4TH WHEN WIND CHILLS LOWER THAN 40 BELOW WERE OBSERVED ACROSS ALL THE REGION, AND AS LOW AS 61 BELOW AT FRENCHVILLE, WHICH WAS THE LOWEST WIND CHILL SINCE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS BEGAN IN 1996. THE LOWEST WIND CHILL IN CARIBOU OF -52F WAS THE LOWEST SINCE THE 1980S, AND THE WIND CHILL IN BANGOR OF -47F WAS THE LOWEST SINCE 2005. THERE WAS ALSO EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, ESPECIALLY ACROSS AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND CRYOSEISMS/FROST QUAKES WERE REPORTED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. MARCH WAS WARMER THAN AVERAGE WITH ABOVE AVERAGE SNOWFALL. TEMPERATURES OVER THE COURSE OF THE MONTH AVERAGED FROM 2.5 TO 4 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE WITH A LACK OF ANY ARCTIC AIR. THERE WERE ONLY 4 NIGHTS WITH A LOW BELOW ZERO IN CARIBOU AND NO SUB-ZERO NIGHTS IN BANGOR, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. BY THE END OF THE MONTH THE SNOW DEPTH RANGED FROM 18 TO 44 INCHES ACROSS AROOSTOOK COUNTY WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN WEST OF CARIBOU. THERE WAS 3 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND IN MILLINOCKET WITH LITTLE/NO SNOW IN BANGOR AND ALONG THE COAST. APRIL BROUGHT ANOTHER MONTH WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. ALTHOUGH THE MONTH BEGAN ON A COOL NOTE, MOST DAYS FROM THE 10TH ON HAD ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. FOR THE MONTH AS A WHOLE, TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 1.5 TO 3 DEGREES (F) ABOVE AVERAGE. TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS WELL BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE MONTH, AND NEARLY ALL OF THE SNOW THAT WAS OBSERVED OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH. THE ICE WENT OUT ON THE NORTHERN RIVERS AROUND MID-MONTH AND OVERALL WAS BENIGN WITH ONLY LOCAL FLOODING OF TYPICAL LOW SPOTS THAT FLOOD MOST YEARS AROUND FORT FAIRFIELD. BY THE END OF THE MONTH, ONLY THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHWEST MAINE HAD ANY SNOW ON THE GROUND WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE TREE SHELTERED WOODS. MAY FEATURED TEMPERATURES THAT WERE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE WITH A LITTLE BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. MOST AREAS EXPERIENCED THEIR LOWEST TEMPERATURES OF THE MONTH (AROUND FREEZING) ON THE 18TH OR THE 23RD. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S AND LOW 90S WERE OBSERVED ON THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH FOR LOW ELEVATION SITES INLAND FROM THE DOWNEAST COAST. THE LAST SNOW FLURRIES OF THE SEASON WERE OBSERVED DURING A COLD AND BLUSTERY DAY ON THE 17TH. TOTAL EVAPORATION FOR THE MONTH WAS CLOSE TO TWICE THE TOTAL RAINFALL MEANING THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DRYING FROM THE TYPICAL MUD SEASON (SNOW MELT AND FROST MELT) FROM APRIL. JUNE WAS A COOL AND WET MONTH ACROSS THE REGION WITH TEMPERATURES THAT AVERAGED FROM 0.5 TO 2 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. THE WARMEST DAY THE ENTIRE MONTH WAS OBSERVED THE 1ST WITH RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 90S FOR MOST LOW ELEVATION INLAND LOCATIONS. THE MONTH WAS VERY WET WITH RAINFALL RANGING FROM 130 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL, AND LOCALLY HIGHER. THE ONLY LOCATIONS WITH BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL WERE IN CARIBOU AND BAR HARBOR. THERE WAS A LACK OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH NO REPORTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THE ENTIRE MONTH. THE TOTAL MONTHLY EVAPORATION OF 3.88 INCHES IN CARIBOU WAS FAR EXCEEDED BY THE RAINFALL IN MOST OF THE AREA RESULTING IN MUDDY AND SOFT GRASSY AREAS AND HIGH STREAMFLOWS, ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE AREA. JULY WAS A WARM AND HUMID MONTH ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE WITH ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 3 TO 5 DEGREES (F) ABOVE AVERAGE AND IT WAS THE ALL-TIME WARMEST JULY AND MONTH ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. IT RANKED AS THE 2ND WARMEST JULY ON RECORD IN HOULTON AND MILLINOCKET, AND THE 4TH WARMEST IN BANGOR. THE KEY TO THE WARMTH WAS VERY MILD NIGHTS ACROSS THE REGION WITH A PERSISTENT SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AND NO SIGNIFICANT COLD FRONTAL PASSAGES UNTIL LATE IN THE MONTH. RAINFALL AT THE LONG TERM CLIMATE SITES RANGED FROM 90 TO 140 PERCENT OF NORMAL, BUT LOCALLY UP TO 200 PERCENT ACROSS SOME EAST CENTRAL LOCATIONS. TOTAL EVAPORATION AT CARIBOU WAS GREATER THAN THE RAINFALL AT MOST LOCATIONS MEANING THAT SOILS IN MANY AREAS DID DRY OUT A BIT. AUGUST WAS COOLER AND WETTER THAN AVERAGE. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 1 TO 2.5 DEGREES (F) BELOW AVERAGE AND THERE WERE NO 80 DEGREE DAYS ALL MONTH IN CARIBOU. RAINFALL WAS WELL ABOVE AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL. TOTAL EVAPORATION IN CARIBOU WAS WELL BELOW THE RAINFALL ACROSS THE REGION AND SOILS BECAME INCREASINGLY MOIST. BY THE END OF THE MONTH THERE WERE SOME FIELDS WITH PATCHES OF STANDING WATER AND STREAMFLOWS WERE ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NOT A TON OF REPORTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, AUGUST HAD THE MOST REPORTS OF ANY MONTH THIS YEAR WITH MANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL AND DOWNED TREES ON THE 13TH IN AROOSTOOK, PENOBSCOT, AND PISCATAQUIS COUNTIES. SEPTEMBER WAS MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL WITH ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 3.5 TO 4.5 DEGREES (F) ABOVE AVERAGE AND IT RANKED AS THE 4TH WARMEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD IN CARIBOU AND TIED WITH 1933 AS THE 6TH WARMEST IN BANGOR. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS THE RAIN AND WIND ASSOCIATED WITH POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE LEE WHICH MADE LANDFALL IN NOVA SCOTIA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE HIGHEST ALONG THE COAST WITH THE GREATEST REPORT OF 6.25 INCHES NEAR WHITING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE HIGHEST OBSERVED WIND GUST WAS ALSO OBSERVED IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AT 83 MPH NEAR PERRY. OCTOBER WAS MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL AND TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 6- 7 DEGREES (F) ABOVE AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST OCTOBER ON RECORD IN CARIBOU, MILLINOCKET AND BANGOR; AND TIED WITH 2017 AS THE WARMEST OCTOBER ON RECORD IN HOULTON. THE WARMTH WAS VERY PERSISTENT WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES EVERY DAY FROM THE 1ST THROUGH THE 23RD AT CARIBOU WITH ONLY ONE DAY WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN BANGOR FROM THE 1ST THROUGH THE 28TH. THE FIRST SUB- FREEZING TEMPERATURES WERE NOT OBSERVED UNTIL LATE IN THE MONTH AND CLOSE TO THE LATEST ON RECORD, EXCEPT IN HOULTON WHERE IT WAS THE LATEST ON RECORD. THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON WAS OBSERVED ON THE 30TH WITH AMOUNTS MOSTLY RANGING FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS COUNTY NORTH TO THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY. FALL FOLIAGE THIS YEAR PEAKED DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH IN THE NORTH AND BY THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH DOWNEAST. NOVEMBER WAS COLDER THAN AVERAGE WITH BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. SNOWFALL WAS BELOW AVERAGE DOWNEAST AND NEAR AVERAGE ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 1.5 TO 3 DEGREES (F) BELOW AVERAGE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OCCURRED ON THE 22ND AND 27TH. THE STORM ON THE 22ND PRODUCED THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW IN BANGOR WITH AN INCH OF SNOW. THE HEAVIEST SNOW OF 6 TO 10 INCHES WAS OBSERVED FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TO SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY. THE EVENT ON THE 27TH PRODUCED 1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW FROM CARIBOU NORTH AND UP TO 7 INCHES IN WESTERN AROOSTOOK AND NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTIES. A WIND GUST TO 60 MPH WAS OBSERVED IN BANGOR AND TO 66 MPH AT BLUE HILL IN HANCOCK COUNTY. DECEMBER WAS MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL AND TEMPERATURES AVERAGES FROM 5.5 TO 7 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD IN CARIBOU AND HOULTON, TIED FOR THE 3RD WARMEST IN MILLINOCKET, AND WAS THE 4TH WARMEST ON RECORD IN BANGOR. PRECIPITATION VARIED FROM AROUND 90 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE NORTHEAST AND 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST. SNOWFALL WAS WELL BELOW AVERAGE AND IT WAS THE FIRST CHRISTMAS WITH NO SNOW ON THE GROUND IN CARIBOU SINCE 2010. ONLY 9.9 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED IN CARIBOU ALL MONTH, WHICH TIED WITH 1947 FOR THE 9TH LEAST SNOWY DECEMBER ON RECORD. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS A STORM ON THE 18TH THAT PRODUCED UPWARDS OF 5 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND KNOCKED OUT POWER TO NEARLY HALF OF THE STATE. THE WIND GUSTED TO 70 MPH IN BANGOR WITH A WIND GUST TO 93 MPH IN TRESCOTT IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. $$ CB/VJN