Spring (Mar-May) 2024: Warm and Generally Wet

Spring (Mar-May) 2024: Warm and Generally Wet

Images Courtesy Brian Brettschneider, Alaska State Climatologist

671
CXUS51 KCAR 051927
CLSCAR

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
155 PM EST THU MAR 05 2026

...................................

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
12/1/2025 TO 2/28/2026...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2026

WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 60 12/01/2020
LOW -41 02/01/1955
HIGHEST 52 12/19 MM MM 56 12/12
LOWEST -19 01/25 MM MM -16 01/22
AVG. MAXIMUM 22.4 24.1 -1.7 25.2
AVG. MINIMUM 5.1 6.4 -1.3 8.6
MEAN 13.7 15.3 -1.6 16.9
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 79 68.7 10.3 72
DAYS MIN <= 32 89 87.9 1.1 87
DAYS MIN <= 0 30 33.8 -3.8 22

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 12.62 2008
MINIMUM 2.38 1944
TOTALS 5.88 8.97 -3.09 8.73
DAILY AVG. 0.06 0.10 -0.04 0.10
DAYS >= .01 47 41.0 6.0 51
DAYS >= .10 16 20.3 -4.3 19
DAYS >= .50 2 5.9 -3.9 5
DAYS >= 1.00 0 1.0 -1.0 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.92 2.05 12/11 TO 12/12

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 128.7 2008
TOTALS 58.3 75.5 -17.2 69.0
SINCE 7/1 69.3 87.7 -18.4 MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 9 6
DAYS >= 1.0 20 18.7 1.3 21
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 15 02/25 18 02/19
02/26
02/27
02/20
02/21
24 HR TOTAL MM MM

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 4599 4471 128 4300
SINCE 7/1 6450 6462 -12 MM
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 7.0
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 32/240 DATE 12/20
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 53/220 DATE 02/28

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.57
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 28
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 28
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 34

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 75

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 3
LIGHT RAIN 6 FREEZING RAIN 1
LT FREEZING RAIN 1 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 3 SNOW 14
LIGHT SNOW 69 SLEET 1
FOG 50 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 9
HAZE 10

- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
* INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

................................................................
...WINTER 2025-2026 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE...

WINTER TRENDS:

CARIBOU:
* SNOWFALL WAS 17.2 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE
* MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 1.7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 1.3 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE 1.6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* PRECIPITATION WAS 3.09 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 19TH
DRIEST WINTER ON RECORD FOR CARIBOU.

BANGOR:
* SNOWFALL WAS 9.7 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE.
* MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 2.9 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 4.7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE 3.8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* PRECIPITATION WAS 3.21 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. DESPITE HAVING ABOVE
AVERAGE SNOWFALL, THIS WAS THE 6TH DRIEST WINTER FOR BANGOR ON
RECORD. THE CURRENT RECORD FOR DRIEST WINTER IS 1979-1980, WITH
3.89 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.

MILLINOCKET:
* MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 12 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 0.8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE 1.3 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* PRECIPITATION WAS 3.36 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 2ND
DRIEST WINTER FOR MILLINOCKET. IT COMES BEHIND 2002-2003, WHERE
THEY ONLY GOT 2.42 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.

HOULTON:
* MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 1.7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 1.2 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
* AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE 1.4 DEGREE BELOW NORMAL
* PRECIPITATION WAS 4.01 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE DRIEST
WINTER FOR HOULTON ON RECORD. IT SURPASSED THE PREVIOUS RECORD IN
2000-2001 FOR 4.15 INCHES.

WEATHER EVENTS:
* MULTIPLE SNOW STORMS IN THE REGION DURING THE WINTER SEASON. NWS
CARIBOU ISSUED 7 WINTER STORM WARNINGS. THE JANUARY 25TH-27TH
STORM WAS A SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT FOR THE DOWNEAST REGION, WITH
SOME AREAS RECEIVING OVER A FOOT AND A HALF IN ACCUMULATIONS. THE
HIGHEST SNOW TOTAL FOR THIS EVENT WAS 21 INCHES IN WASHINGTON
COUNTY. THIS EVENT BROKE A DAILY SNOWFALL RECORD FOR BANGOR ON
JANUARY 26TH, RECEIVING AROUND 11.7 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IN A 24
HOUR PERIOD.
* THERE WAS 1 BLIZZARD WARNING ON FEBRUARY 23RD (DOWNEAST REGION).
HIGH GUSTY WINDS LED TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES FOR
MOST OF THE DOWNEAST REGION.
* THERE WAS 1 EXTREME COLD WARNING ON JANUARY 24TH. THE COLDEST WIND
CHILL ON THIS DAY WAS IN FAR NORTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY, AT -44F.
CARIBOU RECORDED A DAYTIME HIGH OF -2F, WHICH IS THE SECOND LOWEST
DAILY MAX TEMPERATURE FOR THE TOWN, JUST BEHIND THE 1961 DAILY MAX
OF -3. JANUARY 22ND WAS ALSO THE SECOND COLDEST DAYTIME HIGH FOR
MILLINOCKET AND HOULTON, AT 2 DEGREES AND 1 DEGREE, RESPECTIVELY.
THIS WAS THE THIRD COLDEST DAYTIME HIGH FOR BANGOR, AT 8 DEGREES.
* NWS CARIBOU ISSUED 15 WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES.
* NWS CARIBOU ISSUED 2 SNOW SQUALL WARNINGS.
* NWS CARIBOU ISSUED 9 COLD WEATHER ADVISORIES.
* THE CONSISTENT SNOWPACK AND SNOWFALL IN THE NORTH HAD A POSITIVE
IMPACT ON WINTER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
RELATIVELY CONSISTENT SNOWPACK AROUND 10-15 INCHES AT WFO CARIBOU
AND BANGOR AIRPORT IN FEBRUARY, WITH LITTLE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
IMPACTS.

DROUGHT:
* AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, NORTHERN SOMERSET, NORTHWESTERN AND
CENTRAL AROOSTOOK, NORTHERN PISCATAQUIS, SOUTHERN PENOBSCOT, AND
PORTIONS OF HANCOCK AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, WERE INCLUDED IN
SEVERE DROUGHT.
* THERE WAS SOME SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT BY THE END OF THE MONTH FOR
WASHINGTON COUNTY, IMPROVING FROM SEVERE DROUGHT TO MODERATE
DROUGHT.
* OTHERWISE, DROUGHT HAS NEITHER IMPROVED NOR DEGRADED SINCE
DECEMBER.
* PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE ENTIRE
WINTER SEASON, MEANING THAT DROUGHT WILL PERSIST INTO SPRING.

CLIMATE OUTLOOK:
* TEMPERATURES: FOR SPRING (MARCH, APRIL, MAY), CLIMATE PREDICTION
CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING NO STRONG SIGNALS FOR ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES IN NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE.
* PRECIPITATION: FOR SPRING, NO STRONG SIGNAL FOR ABOVE OR BELOW
PRECIPITATION IN NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE.
* ENSO: LA NINA WILL PERSIST, AND TRANSITION OVER TO ENSO-NEUTRAL IN
THE COMING MONTH OR SO. ENSO NEUTRAL IS EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH
SUMMER 2026.

$$

ASB