000
CXUS51 KCAR 021211
CLMCAR

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU, ME
809 AM EDT THU MAY 2 2013

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

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2013...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1939 TO 2013

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              86   04/27/1990
 LOW               -2   04/02/1964
HIGHEST            73   04/30        MM      MM       76  04/17
                                                          04/16
LOWEST             11   04/03        MM      MM       21  04/01
AVG. MAXIMUM     48.6              47.8     0.8     51.3
AVG. MINIMUM     28.7              29.5    -0.8     31.7
MEAN             38.6              38.6     0.0     41.5
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      3               1.1     1.9        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     22              19.1     2.9       18
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.1    -0.1        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         6.19   2005
 MINIMUM         0.54   1967
TOTALS           1.40                     -1.26
DAILY AVG.       0.05              0.09   -0.04     0.14
DAYS >= .01        14              12.8     1.2       12
DAYS >= .10         6               7.3    -1.3        8
DAYS >= .50         0               1.4    -1.4        3
DAYS >= 1.00        0               0.1    -0.1        2
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.31   04/19 TO 04/20           04/22 TO 04/23
                        04/20 TO 04/20                    04/23 TO 04/23
                        04/20 TO 04/21                    04/23 TO 04/23

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           36.4   1982
TOTALS            4.3               7.4    -3.1      7.4
SINCE 7/1       106.9             108.2    -1.3    103.7
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= 1.0         2               2.3    -0.3        1
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         3   04/13                          4  04/09
 24 HR TOTAL      2.3   MM                       04/23 TO 04/23
                                                          04/23 TO 04/23
                                                          04/23 TO 04/23

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     781               791     -10      695
 SINCE 7/1       8014              8766    -752     7628
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1          0                 0       0        0
....................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.3
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    29/330    DATE  04/06
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    38/240    DATE  04/20

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           12
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              9
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          9

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     61

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       2
LIGHT RAIN               12     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       3
LIGHT SNOW                8     SLEET                      0
FOG                      16     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      5

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

$$

NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE MONTHLY CLIMATE NARRATIVE:

APRIL 2013 GOT OFF TO A COLD START AT BOTH CARIBOU AND BANGOR.
DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE MONTH IT WAS THE COLDEST START TO
APRIL SINCE 2007.  APRIL 6TH WAS AN UNUSUALLY COLD DAY AT CARIBOU
WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 30 DEGREES.  IT WAS THE LATEST DATE
WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW THE FREEZING MARK IN TEN YEARS.  ON
AVERAGE THE LAST DATE WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE BELOW FREEZING OCCURS
IN LATE MARCH. TEMPERATURES MODERATED SIGNIFICANTLY LATE IN THE
MONTH...AND IN MOST AREAS THE WARMER WEATHER LATE IN THE MONTH MADE
UP FOR THE COLD START. BY THE END OF THE MONTH...THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE AT CARIBOU OF 38.6 DEGREES WAS EXACTLY NORMAL.  AT
BANGOR...THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 41 DEGREES WAS 1.5
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.  ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 2 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL TO AROUND 1 DEGREE
ABOVE NORMAL.

TEMPERATURES THIS PAST APRIL AT CARIBOU RANGED FROM A LOW OF 11
DEGREES AT CARIBOU ON THE MORNING OF THE 3RD TO A HIGH OF 73 DEGREES
ON THE 30TH.  AT BANGOR...TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM A LOW OF 20
DEGREES ON THE 7TH TO A HIGH OF 69 ON THE 30TH. TEMPERATURES IN MANY
OF THE NORMALLY COLDER VALLEYS DROPPED INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ON THE
MORNING OF THE 3RD.

APRIL WAS A VERY DRY MONTH WITH PRECIPITATION IN MOST AREAS ONLY 40
TO 70 PERCENT OF NORMAL.  THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS ACROSS PARTS OF
WASHINGTON COUNTY WHERE PRECIPITATION WAS CLOSE TO NORMAL DUE TO A
HEAVY RAIN EVENT ON THE 23RD INTO THE 24TH THAT PRODUCED UP TO 2
INCHES OF RAIN.  AT BANGOR A TOTAL OF 1.77 INCHES OF RAIN (AND
MELTED SNOW AS OBSERVED) THIS APRIL WHICH WAS ONLY 49 PERCENT OF
NORMAL...AND MADE IT THE DRIEST APRIL SINCE 2001.  AT CARIBOU A
TOTAL OF 1.40 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED WHICH
WAS 53 PERCENT OF NORMAL...AND ALSO MADE IT THE DRIEST APRIL SINCE
2001.

SNOWFALL WAS ALSO BELOW NORMAL IN APRIL. MOST OF THE SNOW WAS
OBSERVED ON THE 12TH INTO THE 13TH WHEN 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL
ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN MAINE.  A TOTAL OF 4.3 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
OBSERVED AT CARIBOU THIS PAST APRIL WHICH WAS 3.1 INCHES BELOW
NORMAL.  AT BANGOR A TOTAL OF 1.1 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED WHICH
WAS 2.6 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.

ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ONLY A TRACE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AT THE START
OF THE MONTH AT CARIBOU...THERE WAS STILL SIGNIFICANT SNOW IN THE
NORTH MAINE WOODS WITH 23 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AT
WINTERVILLE ON THE 1ST.  BY THE END OF THE MONTH...ONLY THE HIGHEST
ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN MAINE WOODS STILL HAD ANY SNOW REMAINING
ON THE GROUND. TWELVE INCHES OF SNOW WAS REPORTED AT BALD MOUNTAIN
AS OF THE 24TH...BUT MOST OF THIS SNOW LIKELY MELTED BY MONTHS END
DUE TO THE WARM WEATHER.

THE OUTLOOK FOR MAY FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICATION CENTER CALLS FOR AN
INCREASED CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES.  THERE ARE NO STRONG
CLIMATE SIGNALS THAT TILT THE ODDS IN FAVOR OF EITHER AN UNUSUALLY
DRY OR WET MAY.  AT CARIBOU (BANGOR) THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE
ON THE 1ST IS 56 (60) AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH RISES TO 68 (70).
THE AVERAGE LOWS WARM FROM 36 TO 45 AT CARIBOU AND FROM 38 TO 47 AT
BANGOR.  AVERAGE PRECIPITATION OF 3.33 INCHES AT CARIBOU WHICH
INCLUDES 0.5 INCHES OF SNOW...AND 3.64 INCHES AT BANGOR.

ON AVERAGE THE LAST 32 DEGREE TEMPERATURE OF THE SPRING OCCURS
ON MAY 15TH AT CARIBOU AND MAY 7TH AT BANGOR...ALTHOUGH MANY
OUTLYING AREAS AND SHELTERED VALLEYS ACROSS NORTHERN MAINE MAY
EXPERIENCE A FROST INTO EARLY JUNE.

$$

CB/VJN