Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Portland, ME

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CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
1112 AM EDT MON MAY 01 2023

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

...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1941 TO 2023 (FOR TEMPERATURES)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1871 TO 2023 (FOR PRECIPITATION)
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1882 TO 2023 (FOR SNOWFALL)

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             92   04/28/2009
 LOW               8   04/04/1954
HIGHEST           79   04/14         75       4       66  04/12
LOWEST            21   04/03         24      -3       27  04/03
AVG. MAXIMUM    53.1               53.8    -0.7     53.9
AVG. MINIMUM    37.2               35.4     1.8     36.0
MEAN            45.2               44.6     0.6     44.9
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.2    -0.2        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     6               11.9    -5.9        8
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        9.90   1973
 MINIMUM        0.28   1999
TOTALS          5.49               4.41    1.08     5.00
DAILY AVG.      0.18               0.15    0.03     0.17
DAYS >= .01       13               11.1     1.9       11
DAYS >= .10        7                7.0     0.0        8
DAYS >= .50        4                2.8     1.2        3
DAYS >= 1.00       2                1.2     0.8        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   2.50   04/30

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          20.5   1906
TOTALS           0.0                2.8    -2.8      0.0
SINCE 7/1       56.5               68.7   -12.2     44.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0
DAYS >= TRACE      0                1.3    -1.3
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.7    -0.7
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0
 24 HR TOTAL       0

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    588                613     -25      594
 SINCE 7/1      5823               6380    -557     6108
COOLING TOTAL      0                  1      -1        0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  1      -1        0
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    31/270    DATE  04/07
                                31/100          04/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    44/100    DATE  04/30

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.62

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     69

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     HEAVY RAIN                 2
RAIN                      4     LIGHT RAIN                13
FREEZING RAIN             0     LT FREEZING RAIN           0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     FOG                       16
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     0     HAZE                       3

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

&&

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKED FROM THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH THE ST
LAWRENCE VALLEY BRINGING A SOAKING RAIN TO THE PORTLAND AREA TO
START THE MONTH. COOLER AND DRIER AIR FUNNELED IN THE REGION IN THE
WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM LEADING TO A COUPLE OF COLD NIGHTS WITH LOWS
DROPPING INTO THE 20S. TEMPERATURES TRENDED BELOW NORMAL INTO THE
SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH FOLLOWED BY A PATTERN CHANGE WITH A RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE EAST COAST. THIS RIDGE LED TO A
PERIOD OF WARM AND DRY WEATHER WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING WELL INTO
THE 60S, PEAKING ON THE 14TH WHEN THE HIGH REACHED 79 DEGREES. THIS
PERIOD OF WARMTH CAME TO AN END WHEN AN OMEGA BLOCK FORMED OVER
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA AND THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC THAT PERSISTED
THROUGH THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH. NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND REMAINED
UNDER THE WESTERN UPPER LOW OF THE OMEGA BLOCK THAT LED TO A
PROLONGED PERIOD OF DREARY WEATHER WITH RAIN, DRIZZLE, AND
TEMPERATURES RUNNING BELOW NORMAL. THIS BLOCKING PATTERN CULMINATED
WITH A SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM IMPACTING THE PORTLAND AREA ON THE 30TH.
THIS SYSTEM BROUGHT 2.50 INCHES OF RAIN WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS NORTH
AND EAST OF THE PORTLAND AREA LEADING TO SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ACROSS
CENTRAL MAINE ALONG WITH SOUTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 44 MPH AT THE
JETPORT.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 45.2 DEGREES, WHICH WAS
0.6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD WAS IN 2010
WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 48.8 DEGREES. THE COOLEST WAS 38.4
DEGREES IN 1943.

A TOTAL OF 5.49 INCHES OF RAIN FELL, WHICH WAS 1.08 INCHES ABOVE
NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST RAIN FELL ON THE 30TH WHEN 2.50 INCHES WAS
MEASURED IN 24 HOURS. THE WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD WAS IN 1973 WHEN
9.90 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL. THE DRIEST WAS 0.28 INCHES IN
1999.

NO SNOWFALL WAS RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL, WHICH WAS 2.8
INCHES BELOW NORMAL. IN ADDITION TO THIS PAST APRIL, THERE HAS BEEN
11 OTHER APRILS WHEN NO SNOWFALL OCCURRED. THE SNOWIEST APRIL ON
RECORD WAS IN 1906 WHEN 20.5 INCHES FELL.

THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN APRIL 2023...
DATE   RECORD                                PREVIOUS
APR 14   79   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE     77 IN 1941
APR 14   47   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE      46 IN 2002 AND 1949
APR 24    1   - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    3 IN 1966 AND 1964
APR 25    2   - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE    3 IN 1955
APR 30 2.50   - GREATEST PRECIPITATION       1.33 IN 1915


$$

DS


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