August 2013 Climate Summary

...Northern and Eastern Maine monthly Climate Narrative...

Following a very wet June and July...august 2013 went down in the

Record books as another wet month.

A total of 5.67 inches of rain was observed at Caribou making it the

11th wettest August on record.  At Bangor...a total of 4.69 inches

of rain fell. Rainfall was highly variable across northern and

eastern Maine...but across the majority of the area ranged from 125

to 200 percent of normal. The highest rainfall totals were observed

In Aroostook county with 7.65 inches at the Bridgewater coop and

7.28 inches at the Houlton 5n coop. There were a few spots in

southern Washington county...central Piscataquis...and northwest

Aroostook County where rainfall ranged from 50 to 90 percent of

normal.

The average temperature this past august at Caribou was 62.9

degrees...which was 0.7 degrees below normal.  It was the coolest

August at Caribou since 2007. At Bangor the average temperature of

66.3 degrees was 0.8 degree below the 30-year average...making it

the coolest August since 2008.  Temperatures were just a bit below

normal across northern and eastern Maine this past August and ranged

from 0.5 to 2 degrees below normal.

For the meteorological summer (June through August) there was a

total of 19.00 inches of rain at Caribou...which made it the 2nd

wettest summer behind only 2011.  At Bangor a total of 13.89 inches

of rain fell this summer...which made it the 8th wettest summer on

record.  Temperature-wise...it was the coolest summer at Caribou

since 2007 and the coolest at Bangor since 2008.

The high temperature this past August at Caribou was 85 degrees on

the 21st and the low was 43 degrees on the 24th.  At Bangor

temperatures ranged from a high of 87 degrees on the 21st and 22nd

to a low of 45 on the 24th.  Estcourt station held the honors for

the cold spot...and even had a freeze with a low of 32 degrees on

the 24th.

There were only 3 days with a high temperature of 80 degree or

warmer at Caribou...which compares to an average of 7 days during

the month of August.  At Bangor there were 8 days with a high

temperature of 80 degrees or warmer...which compares to a normal of

13.  No new temperature records were established at either Caribou

or Bangor this past August.

Thunder was observed at Caribou on 7 days....which compares to an

average of 4 days.  At Bangor...thunder was observed on 8

days...which is 6 more than the average of 2.  The peak wind gust

this past August at caribou was 33 mph out of the west-southwest on

the 10th.  At Bangor the peak wind gust of 35 mph out of the

northwest on the 3rd.

The outlook for September from the Climate Prediction Center

indicates an increased likelihood of above normal temperatures and

precipitation. At Caribou (Bangor) the average high temperatures drop off

rapidly from 71 (75) on the 1st to 59 (64) by the end of

the month. The average lows at Caribou (Bangor) drop from 49 (53)

on the 1st to 40 (42) by the end of the month. The average

precipitation at Caribou is 3.32 inches and is a bit more with an

average of 3.83 inches at Bangor. Measurable snowfall has never

been observed at Bangor during the month of September...but 2.1

inches was observed at Caribou on September 29, 1991.

The days become rapidly shorter with a loss of over 1 1/2 hours of

daylight during the course of the month.

Accumulated Precipitation at Caribou, ME June 1st through August 31st.  Courtesy of xmAcis

Accumulated Precipitation at Bangor, ME June 1st through August 31st, courtesy of xmAcis

Percent of normal precipitation August 2013, Image courtesy of the NERFC

Departure from normal Temperature (degrees F), Image courtesy of the NERCC