Climatological Report (Seasonal)
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
434 PM EST THU DEC 08 2022

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

...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE FALL SEASON, FROM
9/1/2022 TO 11/30/2022...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1941 TO 2022 (FOR TEMPERATURES)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2022 (FOR PRECIPITATION)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1882 TO 2022 (FOR SNOWFALL)

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             95   09/11/1983
                       09/07/1945
 LOW               3   11/24/1989
HIGHEST           81   09/10         86      -5       79  09/12
                       09/11
LOWEST            18   11/21         16       2       18  11/30
AVG. MAXIMUM    60.9               59.7     1.2     60.9
AVG. MINIMUM    42.1               41.6     0.5     43.7
MEAN            51.5               50.6     0.9     52.3
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.5    -0.5        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                1.1    -1.1        0
DAYS MIN <= 32    21               24.8    -3.8       19
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       24.18   2005
 MINIMUM        4.88   1915
TOTALS         17.27              13.27    4.00    14.91
DAILY AVG.      0.19               0.15    0.04     0.16
DAYS >= .01       30               30.9    -0.9       36
DAYS >= .10       18               18.9    -0.9       25
DAYS >= .50       13                8.1     4.9        8
DAYS >= 1.00       7                3.6     3.4        6
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   3.24   10/13 TO 10/14

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          24.3   1921
TOTALS             T                2.5    -2.5      0.1
SINCE 7/1          T                2.5    -2.5      0.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     T
DAYS >= TRACE      3                1.6     1.4        3
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.8    -0.8        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0
 24 HR TOTAL       T   11/20
                       11/16
                       11/15

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   1235               1353    -118     1162
 SINCE 7/1      1236               1377    -141     1193
COOLING TOTAL     28                 45     -17       31
 SINCE 1/1       542                446      96      521
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              6.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/160    DATE  10/14
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    47/150    DATE  11/30

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.44

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     73

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              4     HEAVY RAIN                12
RAIN                     16     LIGHT RAIN                32
FREEZING RAIN             0     LT FREEZING RAIN           0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                3     FOG                       39
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     8     HAZE                       2

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

&&

THE FALL SEASON STARTED OFF ON THE COOL AND DAMP SIDE IN THE
PORTLAND AREA. A COLD FRONT CROSSED THROUGH NEW ENGLAND EARLY IN
SEPTEMBER, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE. THIS WAS
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER COLD FRONT, WHICH STALLED OVER NEW ENGLAND
THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH WITH NUMEROUS WAVES OF LOW
PRESSURE TRACKING ALONG IT. THIS WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY A DRIER
STRETCH OF WEATHER FOR THE SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH BEFORE ANOTHER
STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY BROUGHT A WIDESPREAD SOAKING RAINFALL EVENT
ON THE 18TH AND 19TH. ANOTHER FEATURE OF INTEREST DURING SEPTEMBER
WAS TROPICAL STORM FIONA PASSING WELL OFFSHORE ON THE 23RD AND 24TH
BRINGING HIGH SURF CONDITIONS TO AREA BEACHES. A RELATIVELY ACTIVE
PATTERN CONTINUED INTO OCTOBER WITH A RIDGE OVER THE WEST COAST AND
A DOWNSTREAM TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND ANOTHER RIDGE NEAR
NEWFOUNDLAND. THIS PATTERN ALLOWED MULTIPLE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS TO
TRACK FROM THE OHIO VALLEY ACROSS NEW ENGLAND BRINGING BOUTS OF
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERAL TEMPERATURE SWINGS. THE MIDDLE OF
OCTOBER WAS PARTICULARLY ACTIVE WITH ONE STORM SYSTEM BRINGING 3.27
INCHES OF RAIN THE NIGHT OF THE 13TH THROUGH THE 14TH AND ANOTHER
SYSTEM BRINGING 2.76 INCHES OF RAIN ON THE 17TH INTO THE 18TH. THE
STORM SYSTEM THAT CROSSED THE MORNING OF THE 14TH ALSO BROUGHT
STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS THAT CAUSED TREE DAMAGE IN YORK
COUNTY WITH THE PEAK WIND MEASURED AT PORTLAND REACHING 45 MPH. THE
FIRST FREEZE OF THE FALL SEASON OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 9TH WHEN THE LOW
TEMPERATURE REACHED 32 DEGREES AND WAS 6 DAYS EARLIER THAN THE
NORMAL FIRST FREEZE OF OCTOBER 15TH. THE RELATIVELY ACTIVE PATTERN
TRANSITIONED TO A MILD AND DRY PATTERN TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH OF
OCTOBER. MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUED THROUGH EARLY NOVEMBER
ALONG WITH EXCEPTIONAL WARMTH THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK AND A HALF.
DURING THE FIRST 12 DAYS THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 54.1 DEGREES
AND WAS THE WARMEST 12 DAY STRETCH DURING NOVEMBER ON RECORD BEATING
THE PREVIOUS WARMEST 12 DAYS BY 3.9 DEGREES. ALSO DURING THIS
STRETCH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE EXCEEDED THE 70 DEGREE MARK THREE TIMES
AND A NEW ALL TIME RECORD HIGH FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER OCCURRED ON
THE 5TH WHEN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE REACHED 75 DEGREES. THE JET STREAM
CONFIGURATION ACROSS NORTH AMERICA DURING THIS WARM STRETCH
CONSISTED OF A DEEP TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST AND AN ANOMALOUS
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER NEW ENGLAND. THE RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE OVER NEW ENGLAND BROKE DOWN DURING THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER
LEADING TO TEMPERATURES TRENDING BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE END OF
FALL WITH A COUPLE OF FRONTAL SYSTEMS CROSSING THE AREA. A STRONG
COLD FRONT CROSSED THE AREA NOVEMBER ON 30TH BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL
AND STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS TOPPING OUT AT 47 MPH.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE FALL SEASON WAS 51.5 DEGREES, WHICH
WAS 0.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND TIES WITH 2005 AND 1961 FOR THE 7TH
WARMEST FALL ON RECORD. THE WARMEST FALL ON RECORD WAS IN 2017 AND
2011 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 53.0 DEGREES. THE COOLEST WAS
45.6 DEGREES IN 1976. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE WARMEST
FALL SEASONS ON RECORD AT PORTLAND.

THE FIRST FREEZE OF THIS FALL OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 9TH WHEN THE LOW
TEMPERATURE REACHED 32 DEGREES. THIS WAS 6 DAYS EARLIER THAN THE
NORMAL FIRST FREEZE, WHICH OCCURS ON OCTOBER 15TH.

WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN FALL (SINCE 1941)...
RANK  TEMP  YEAR
1     53.0  2017
      53.0  2011
3     52.3  2021
      52.3  2015
5     51.9  2016
6     51.7  2020
7     51.5  2022
      51.5  2005
      51.5  1961
10    51.3  1990
      51.3  1970

A TOTAL OF 17.27 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL, WHICH WAS 4.00 INCHES
ABOVE NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL ON OCTOBER 13TH INTO
THE 14TH WHEN 3.24 INCHES WERE MEASURED IN 24 HOURS AND A STORM
TOTAL OF 3.27 INCHES. THE WETTEST FALL ON RECORD WAS IN 2005 WHEN
24.18 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL. THE DRIEST WAS 4.88 INCHES IN
1915.

ONLY A TRACE OF SNOWFALL WAS RECORDED DURING THE FALL, WHICH WAS 2.5
INCHES BELOW NORMAL. SNOW IN FALL CAN BE HIT OR MISS. IN 142 YEARS
OF RECORDS THERE HAVE BEEN 4 YEARS WITH NO SNOW IN FALL, MOST
RECENTLY IN 2006. IN ADDITION TO THIS YEAR THERE HAVE BEEN 30 YEARS
WITH ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW IN FALL. THE SNOWIEST FALL WAS 24.3 INCHES
IN 1921.

THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN FALL 2022...

DATE    RECORD                                  PREVIOUS
OCT 14  2.79  - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.89 IN 1882
OCT 18  1.49  - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.46 IN 1981
OCT 25  4     - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    4 IN 2021, 1972(TIED)
OCT 26  57    - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       52 IN 1991
NOV  5  55    - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       55 IN 1961 (TIED)
NOV  5  75*   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      71 IN 1944
NOV  5  65    - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   60 IN 1994
NOV  6  59**  - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       53 IN 1985
NOV  6  64    - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   61 IN 2020
NOV 11  69    - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      69 IN 2020 (TIED)
NOV 11  61    - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   61 IN 2020 (TIED)
NOV 12  52    - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       51 IN 1984
NOV 12  73    - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      65 IN 2020 AND 1982
NOV 12  63    - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   56 IN 1984 AND 1982

*THE RECORD HIGH OF 75 DEGREES ON THE 5TH WAS ALSO A NEW ALL TIME
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER. THE PREVIOUS ALL
TIME RECORD HIGH WAS 74 DEGREES WHICH WAS MOST RECENTLY SET ON
NOVEMBER 7TH, 2020.

**THE RECORD WARM LOW OF 59 DEGREES ON THE 6TH WAS ALSO A NEW ALL
TIME RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER. THE
PREVIOUS ALL TIME RECORD WARM LOW TEMPERATURE WAS 57 DEGREES SET ON
NOVEMBER 4TH, 1982.

$$


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