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CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
143 PM EDT WED NOV 01 2023

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

...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 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             88   10/07/1963
 LOW              15   10/28/1976
HIGHEST           81   10/03         75       6       74  10/06
LOWEST            31   10/31         26       5       30  10/29
                                                          10/30
AVG. MAXIMUM    62.8               59.5     3.3     60.6
AVG. MINIMUM    46.2               41.0     5.2     41.5
MEAN            54.5               50.3     4.2     51.0
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32     1                6.3    -5.3        3
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       16.86   1996
 MINIMUM        0.09   1924
TOTALS          2.93               5.25   -2.32     7.83
DAILY AVG.      0.09               0.17   -0.08     0.25
DAYS >= .01       10               10.9    -0.9       10
DAYS >= .10        6                6.8    -0.8        8
DAYS >= .50        2                2.9    -0.9        5
DAYS >= 1.00       1                1.4    -0.4        3
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.34   10/21 TO 10/22

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           5.2   2011
TOTALS           0.0                0.2    -0.2      0.0
SINCE 7/1        0.0                0.2    -0.2      0.0
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     0
DAYS >= TRACE      0                0.1    -0.1
DAYS >= 1.0        0                0.1    -0.1
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        0
 24 HR TOTAL       0

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    318                459    -141      425
 SINCE 7/1       437                632    -195      588
COOLING TOTAL      1                  2      -1        0
 SINCE 1/1       423                446     -23      542
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              5.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    23/330    DATE  10/13
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    32/260    DATE  10/08

SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.62

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     81

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     HEAVY RAIN                 2
RAIN                      5     LIGHT RAIN                14
FREEZING RAIN             0     LT FREEZING RAIN           0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     FOG                       19
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE     3     HAZE                       1

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

&&

A BROAD RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALONG THE EAST COAST DOMINATED THE
WEATHER THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER. THIS BROUGHT A PERIOD OF
DRY AND VERY WARM CONDITIONS WITH A RECORD HIGH OF 81 DEGREES BEING
SET ON THE 3RD. THE RIDGE BROKE DOWN BY THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK
WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM CROSSING THE AREA BRINGING RAIN AND MUCH
COOLER TEMPERATURES. AN UPPER LOW LINGERED NEAR NEW ENGLAND THROUGH
MUCH OF THE SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH KEEPING TEMPERATURES NEAR
NORMAL WITH SHOWERY WEATHER. ADDITIONAL UPPER LOWS AND TROUGHS
CROSSED THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE THIRD WEEK OF THE MONTH LIMITING
ANY SIGNIFICANT WARM UPS, ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS WERE MOSTLY DRY WITH
ONLY A COUPLE LIGHT RAIN EVENTS. A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM IMPACTED
THE PORTLAND AREA THE WEEKEND OF THE 21ST INTO THE 22ND AS LOW
PRESSURE TRACKED ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTO THE GULF OF MAINE
BRINGING A SOAKING RAIN. A BRIEF WARM UP ENSUED THE FINAL WEEK OF
THE MONTH FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BRINGING RAIN AND
A SHOT OF MUCH COLDER AIR TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH. THIS SHOT OF COLD
AIR ALLOWED THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP BELOW FREEZING FOR THE FIRST
TIME THIS FALL WHEN THE LOW REACHED 31 DEGREES ON THE 31ST.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 54.5, WHICH WAS 4.2
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND TIED FOR THE THIRD WARMEST OCTOBER ON
RECORD. THE WARMEST OCTOBER WAS IN 2017 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
WAS 56.1 DEGREES. THE COOLEST WAS 43.5 DEGREES IN 1976. THE
FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE WARMEST OCTOBERS ON RECORD AT PORTLAND.

WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN OCTOBER (SINCE 1941)...
RANK  TEMP  YEAR
1     56.1  2017
2     55.3  1947
3     54.5  2023  <===
      54.5  2014
5     53.9  2021
6     53.7  2007
7     52.9  2012
8     52.8  1968
9     52.5  1971
10    52.4  1990

A TOTAL OF 2.93 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL, WHICH WAS 2.32 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. THE DRIEST OCTOBER ON RECORD WAS IN 1924 WHEN ONLY
0.09 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL. THE WETTEST WAS 16.86 INCHES IN
1996.

THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN OCTOBER 2023...
DATE    RECORD                                 PREVIOUS
OCT  3    81   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      80 IN 2000
OCT  6    60   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       56 IN 2005
OCT  7    60   - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE       59 IN 2005
OCT 26    63   - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   62 IN 1971
OCT 27    64   - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   63 IN 1963
OCT 28    66   - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE   62 IN 1989 AND 1971
OCT 28    80   - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE      78 IN 1947

$$

DS