Climatological Report (Seasonal)
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
800 PM EST MON MAR 01 2021

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

...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE WINTER SEASON,
FROM 12/1/2020 TO 2/28/2021...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1941 TO 2021 (FOR TEMPERATURES)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2021 (FOR PRECIPITATION)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1882 TO 2021 (FOR SNOWFALL)


WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             71   12/06/2001
                       12/07/1998
 LOW             -39   02/16/1943
HIGHEST           59   12/01         59       0       63  01/11
LOWEST                 02/12        -10       9       -4  01/21
AVG. MAXIMUM    35.7               34.3     1.4     38.5
AVG. MINIMUM    20.7               16.8     3.9     21.9
MEAN            28.2               25.6     2.6     30.2
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32    32               37.0    -5.0       21
DAYS MIN <= 32    84               82.9     1.1       80
DAYS MIN <= 0      1                7.6    -6.6        3

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       20.49   1935
 MINIMUM        4.12   1872
TOTALS         10.39              10.65   -0.26    15.55
DAILY AVG.      0.11               0.12   -0.01     0.17
DAYS >= .01       30               32.3    -2.3       MM
DAYS >= .10       14               19.5    -5.5       MM
DAYS >= .50        9                7.0     2.0       MM
DAYS >= 1.00       4                2.7     1.3       MM
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   2.02   12/05 TO 12/06

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL         107.6   1971
TOTALS          40.8               44.5    -3.7     50.2
SINCE 7/1       40.9               46.4    -5.5       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     2
DAYS >= TRACE     31               20.1    10.9       MM
DAYS >= 1.0       11               11.5    -0.5       MM
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH       12   12/18
 24 HR TOTAL    17.6

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   3283               3550    -267     3145
 SINCE 7/1      4550               5043    -493       MM
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  0       0        0
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    37/290    DATE  12/01
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    49/180    DATE  01/16

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.60

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     71

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     HEAVY RAIN                 1
RAIN                      7     LIGHT RAIN                15
FREEZING RAIN             1     LT FREEZING RAIN           1
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       6
LIGHT SNOW               29     FOG                       35
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     4     HAZE                       3

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

&&

THE WINTER SEASON BEGAN JUST AS A SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM WAS
EXITING THE REGION. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE WAS A BALMY 59 DEGREES
TO START DECEMBER, STRONG WINDS GUSTING TO 49 MPH BROUGHT IN COOLER
BUT STILL MILD AIR. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 5 BROUGHT
NEARLY 2 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION INCLUDING JUST UNDER 2 INCHES OF
STICKY WET SNOWFALL. COLDER WEATHER MOVING IN BEHIND THIS STORM
ALLOWED THE SNOW TO STAY ON THE GROUND FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. A COLD
FRONT BROUGHT A SHIFT TOWARD MUCH COLDER WEATHER IN MID DECEMBER
WITH THE TEMPERATURE STAYING BELOW FREEZING FOR 7 STRAIGHT DAYS. IN
THE MIDST OF THIS COLD STRETCH CAME ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT WINTER
STORM. PORTLAND RECORDED 17.6 INCHES OF FLUFFY SNOWFALL IN A LITTLE
MORE THAN 12 HOURS ON DECEMBER 17. THE TEMPERATURE BOTTOMED OUT AT 3
DEGREES ON DECEMBER 19 BEFORE A GRADUAL WARM UP BEGAN. DESPITE ALL
THE SNOW THAT FELL JUST A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, WARM WEATHER AND
RAIN WASHED IT ALL AWAY ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THE TEMPERATURE HIT 55
DEGREES WITH 46 MPH WINDS AND MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAINFALL. MILD
WEATHER CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. MOST DAYS SAW THE
TEMPERATURE WARM INTO THE MID 30S TO LOW 40S, BUT FREQUENTLY CLOUDY
WEATHER MEANT THAT THE TEMPERATURE RARELY FELL LOWER THAN THE 20S.
THE WARMEST WEATHER WAS IN MID JANUARY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED
48 DEGREES ALONG WITH MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAINFALL. SOME COOLER
WEATHER WAS OBSERVED ALONG WITH A FEW LIGHT SNOWFALLS IN THE LAST
PART OF JANUARY. THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WAS ON FEBRUARY 1
AND 2 WHEN NEARLY 8 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET FELL. A FEW MORE LIGHT
SNOWFALLS AND SOME CONSISTENTLY COLD WEATHER MADE THIS THE FIRST
CONSISTENT SNOW PACK OF THE WINTER, LASTING THROUGH THE END OF
FEBRUARY. A VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR MASS SPILLED INTO THE CENTRAL
UNITED STATES IN EARLY FEBRUARY, AND NEW ENGLAND FOUND ITSELF ON THE
EASTERN EDGE OF THIS AIR MASS. THIS BROUGHT CONSISTENTLY COLD
WEATHER AND A FEW WINTER STORMS, BUT SPARED THE REGION THE MORE
BRUTAL COLD. THE TEMPERATURE STAYED BELOW FREEZING FOR THE BETTER
PART OF TWO WEEKS WITH THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED AT 1 BELOW
ZERO ON FEBRUARY 12. SNOW, SLEET, AND FREEZING RAIN FELL ON THE 16TH
WITH MORE SNOW FALLING AGAIN ON THE 19TH. FINALLY MORE MILD WEATHER
RETURNED FOR THE LAST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE WINTER WAS 28.2 DEGREES WHICH WAS
2.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WARMEST WINTER WAS IN 2001-02 WHEN THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 31.3 DEGREES. THE COLDEST WAS IN 1970-71
WHEN IT WAS 17.9 DEGREES.

A TOTAL OF 10.39 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL WHICH WAS 0.26 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST FELL IN DECEMBER WHEN SEVERAL STORM
SYSTEMS BROUGHT HEAVY PRECIPITATION. THE HEAVIEST WAS ON DECEMBER 5
AND 6 WHEN 2.02 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION WAS
RECORDED. THE DRIEST WINTER WAS IN 1871-72 WHEN ONLY 4.12 INCHES WAS
RECORDED. THE WETTEST WAS IN 1934-35 WITH 20.49 INCHES.

THERE WAS 40.0 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WHICH WAS 5.5 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.
THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL ON DECEMBER 17 WHEN 17.6 INCHES WAS MEASURED.
THE LEAST SNOWY WINTER WAS IN 1936-37 WHEN ONLY 9.5 INCHES WAS
RECORDED. THE SNOWIEST WINTER WAS IN 1970-71 WITH 107.6 INCHES.

THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN WINTER 2020/21...
DATE    RECORD                               PREVIOUS
DEC 1   44   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       43 IN 2010
DEC 1   52   - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   52 IN 2001 (TIED)
DEC 5   1.99 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION        1.42 IN 1900
DEC 8   5    - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    5 IN 2012 (TIED)
DEC 25  47   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       38 IN 2014 AND OTHERS
DEC 25  51   - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   49 IN 2018
JAN 5   4    - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    5 IN 2010, 1948
FEB 3   6    - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    6 IN 1989 & OTHERS (TIED)

$$

KIMBLE


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