NOUS41 KCAR 012139
PNSCAR
MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-020945-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Caribou ME
439 PM EST Sat Feb 1 2025

...JANUARY 2025 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE...

JANUARY 2025 FEATURED NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES,
BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION, BELOW AVERAGE SNOWFALL, AND WELL 
BELOW AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 1 TO 3 DEGREES 
(F) ABOVE THE 1991-2020 NORMALS, EXCEPT RIGHT ALONG THE COAST 
WHERE TEMPERATURES WERE VERY CLOSE TO AVERAGE. PRECIPITATION 
RANGED FROM 40 TO 80 PERCENT OF NORMAL. NO LONG TERM CLIMATE SITE 
FINISHED IN THE TOP 10 EXTREMES FOR TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, OR
SNOWFALL.

THE MONTH FEATURED SHORT PERIODS OF BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES 
WITH LONGER PERIODS OF ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. THERE WERE A 
TOTAL OF 9 NIGHTS WITH A LOW BELOW ZERO IN CARIBOU WHICH WAS BELOW
THE LONG TERM AVERAGE OF 16. IN BANGOR, THERE WERE 8 NIGHTS WITH 
A LOW BELOW ZERO, WHICH WAS ALSO BELOW THE LONG TERM AVERAGE OF 10
FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY. 

SNOWFALL WAS BELOW AVERAGE WITH A TOTAL OF 17.2 INCHES IN CARIBOU,
WHICH WAS 7.8" BELOW AVERAGE. IT WAS THE LEAST SNOWY JANUARY IN
CARIBOU SINCE 2021. IN BANGOR A TOTAL OF 12.4 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 6.2 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE, WHICH WAS ALSO THE
LEAST SNOWY JANUARY SINCE 2021.

THE MONTH BEGAN WITH NO SNOW ON THE GROUND IN CARIBOU, WHICH IS
VERY UNUSUAL, AND HAD ONLY OCCURRED IN 1983, 2002, AND 2004, 
SINCE WEATHER RECORD BEGAN. THE GREATEST SNOW DEPTH FOR THE ENTIRE
MONTH WAS ONLY 5 INCHES, WHICH IS ALSO UNUSUALLY LOW. IN FACT, 
THIS IS A RECORD FOR THE LOWEST MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH IN THE MONTH OF
JANUARY WITH THE OLD RECORD OF 6 INCHES IN 1992. THE AVERAGE SNOW
DEPTH FOR THE MONTH OF 3.7 INCHES WAS THE 3RD LOWEST ON RECORD 
BEHIND ONLY 1962 AND 1992. AT THE END OF THE MONTH, THE SNOW DEPTH
AROUND THE REGION RANGED FROM 3 TO 8 INCHES, EXCEPT FOR 12 TO 18 
INCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS FROM ROUTE 11 WEST TO THE 
QUEBEC BORDER. 

THERE WERE NO MAJOR SNOWSTORMS DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY WITH A
LOT OF SMALL EVENTS. THE TWO LARGEST EVENTS OCCURRED ON JANUARY
1ST-3RD WHEN 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED IN PARTS OF THE
NORTH WOODS, WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SNOW ELSEWHERE. THE LARGEST
EVENT DOWNEAST WAS ON THE 19TH INTO THE 20TH WHEN 6 TO 10 INCHES
OF SNOW FELL ALONG AND NEAR THE COAST WITH 4 TO 6 INCHES IN THE
GREATER BANGOR REGION. VERY LITTLE SNOW FELL WITH THIS EVENT NORTH
OF MILLINOCKET. THE LACK OF SNOW DID HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON
OUTDOOR WINTER RECREATION ACROSS THE REGION.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S (CPC) OUTLOOK FOR FEBRUARY 2025 
INDICATES THAT THERE ARE NO STRONG CLIMATE SIGNALS THAT POINT 
TOWARD IT BEING UNUSUALLY WARM OR COLD. THERE IS A SLIGHT SIGNAL 
THAT POINTS TOWARD ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION, MAINLY ACROSS 
WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO
SLOWLY RISE DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, MOST SO DURING THE 
SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH. THE AVERAGE SNOWFALL IN FEBRUARY IS 17.5
INCHES IN BANGOR, AND 25.3 IN CARIBOU. IN MANY YEARS, THE DEEPEST
SNOWPACK IS OBSERVED DURING THE SECOND HALF OF FEBRUARY. FEBRUARY
IS TYPICAL THE DRIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR ACROSS NORTHERN AND 
EASTERN MAINE WITH LIQUID PRECIPITATION (COMBINATION OF RAIN AND 
MELTED SNOW) OF 2.25 TO 2.75 INCHES. A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR OF 
DAYLIGHT IS GAINED DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.

$$

CB/NC