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Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Portland, ME
Issued by NWS Portland, ME
000
CXUS51 KGYX 060414 CCA
CLAPWM
PWMCLAPWM 000
TTAA00 GYX 060102
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
802 PM EST WED JAN 05 2022
...................................
...THE PORTLAND ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2021...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
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 103 08/02/1975
LOW -39 02/16/1943
HIGHEST 97 06/28 93 4 94 07/20
LOWEST -1 02/12 -10 9 -4 01/21
AVG. MAXIMUM 57.6 56.4 1.2 58.5
AVG. MINIMUM 40.1 38.6 1.5 40.3
MEAN 48.8 47.5 1.3 49.4
DAYS MAX >= 90 7 5.1 1.9 13
DAYS MAX <= 32 32 40.7 -8.7 23
DAYS MIN <= 32 130 144.1 -14.1 134
DAYS MIN <= 0 1 6.7 -5.7 3
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 66.45 2005
MINIMUM 25.27 1941
TOTALS 44.92 48.12 -3.20 41.48
DAILY AVG. 0.12 0.13 -0.01 0.11
DAYS >= .01 133 131.4 1.6 112
DAYS >= .10 82 80.0 2.0 70
DAYS >= .50 31 30.9 0.1 26
DAYS >= 1.00 12 11.9 0.1 14
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 4.13 10/30 TO 10/31
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 150.1 1956
TOTALS 33.4 68.7 -35.3 53.3
SINCE 7/1 12.2 17.1 -4.9 20.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 1
DAYS >= TRACE 46 28.6 17.4 46
DAYS >= 1.0 13 16.4 -3.4 11
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 7 02/20
12/19
12/26
24 HR TOTAL 7.8 02/01 TO 02/02
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 6281 6795 -514 6269
SINCE 7/1 2206 2451 -245 2307
COOLING TOTAL 521 447 74 681
FREEZE DATES
RECORD
EARLIEST 09/14/1963
LATEST 05/31/1961
EARLIEST 10/24
LATEST 04/22
................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 7.2
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 40/300 DATE 03/02
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 49/090 DATE 01/16
SKY COVER
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.55
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 72
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 19 HEAVY RAIN 30
RAIN 52 LIGHT RAIN 130
FREEZING RAIN 1 LT FREEZING RAIN 5
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 8
LIGHT SNOW 43 FOG 152
FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 20 HAZE 15
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
&&
THE YEAR BEGAN WITH MILD WEATHER AND LITTLE TO NO SNOW ON THE
GROUND. FOR THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF JANUARY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE
GENERALLY IN THE 30S AND 40S WITH A COUPLE OF NIGHTS FAILING TO DROP
BELOW FREEZING. ALTHOUGH JANUARY STARTED MILD THE JANUARY THAW
ARRIVED ON 16TH WHEN THE HIGH REACHED 48 DEGREES WITH 1.41 INCHES OF
RAIN WASHING AWAY THE MEAGER SNOWPACK. CONDITIONS TURNED COLDER THE
LAST WEEK OF JANUARY AND WE STARTED TO REBUILD THE SNOWPACK WITH A
COUPLE OF LIGHT SNOW EVENTS. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE FORMED OFF THE
MID-ATLANTIC COASTLINE FEBRUARY 1ST AND TRACKED THROUGH THE GULF OF
MAINE FEBRUARY 2ND BRINGING PORTLAND THE GREATEST STORM TOTAL
SNOWFALL OF 2021 WITH 7.8 INCHES. GENERALLY BELOW FREEZING
TEMPERATURES AND ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW EVENTS HELPED KEEP THE
SNOWPACK AROUND 6 INCHES THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY. THE COLDEST
TEMPERATURE OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 12TH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED
TO 1 DEGREE BELOW ZERO. WARMER CONDITIONS ARRIVED THE LAST WEEK OF
FEBRUARY ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF RAIN EVENTS LEADING TO THE ULTIMATE
DEMISE OF THE SNOWPACK GOING INTO MARCH. TEMPERATURES OSCILLATED
BETWEEN WELL BELOW NORMAL TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL SEVERAL TIMES IN
MARCH WITH THE MONTH ON THE WHOLE ENDING ABOVE NORMAL. THIS ALONG
WITH ONLY 0.1 INCHES OF SNOW MEASURED IN MARCH LED TO THE SNOWPACK
TO BE FULLY MELTED ON MARCH 14TH.
MILD WEATHER CONTINUED THROUGH SPRING WITH BOTH APRIL AND MAY HAVING
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE LAST FREEZE OCCURRED ON APRIL 22ND WITH
THE FIRST 70 DEGREE DAY OCCURING ON APRIL 24TH. IN ADDITION TO ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES, PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW NORMAL WITH THE LAST
SNOWFALL OCCURING ON APRIL 16TH WITH ONLY 0.3 INCHES. THIS ALONG
WITH A SNOWLESS GROUND FOR MUCH OF THE SPRING LED TO LITTLE IN THE
WAY OF THE TRADITIONAL MUD SEASON. FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
THERE WAS A DRY START TO THE GROWING SEASON WITH A RESURGENCE IN
DROUGHT CONDITIONS. AFTER A HIGH OF 88 DEGREES ON MAY 26TH, THE WARM
DRY SPRING WAS INTERRUPTED BY COLD AND WET WEATHER OVER MEMORIAL DAY
WEEKEND.
TEMPERATURES REBOUNDED QUICKLY GOING INTO JUNE WITH FIVE STRAIGHT
DAYS OF TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S STARTING JUNE 5TH.
THE HEAT BACKED OFF SOME GOING INTO THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, BUT CAME
BACK AT THE END OF THE MONTH WITH THE LAST THREE DAYS CLIMBING INTO
THE MID TO UPPER 90S. THIS HEAT WAVE WOULD MARK THE HOTTEST WEATHER
OF THE YEAR WITH HOTTEST DAY IN 2021 BEING JUNE 28TH WITH HIGH OF 97
DEGREES. THE LOW OF 75 DEGREES ON JUNE 29TH WAS THE FOURTH WARMEST
LOW ON RECORD. THIS HOT AND DRY PATTERN LED TO EXPANDING AND
INTENSIFYING DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE HOT AND DRY WEATHER TOOK QUITE
A TURN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION GOING INTO JULY. THE FOURTH OF JULY
WEEKEND WAS COOL AND RAINY WITH TEMPERATURES NOT RISING ABOVE 65
DEGREES FOR THREE STRAIGHT DAYS. ON JULY 5TH THE LOW DROPPED TO 49
DEGREES, WHICH WAS THE COOLEST JULY TEMPERATURE IN NEARLY 20 YEARS.
THE COOL AND RAINY HOLIDAY WEEKEND WAS FOLLOWED BY THE REMNANTS OF
TROPICAL STORM ELSA BRINGING 2.33 INCHES OF RAIN ON JULY 9TH. VERY
WET AND COOL WEATHER WOULD END UP BEING THE THEME FOR JULY BRINGING
AN END TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE WEATHER PATTERN THAT BROUGHT COOL
AND WET CONDITIONS IN JULY BROKE DOWN GOING INTO AUGUST. THERE WERE
TWO PERIODS OF SUMMER HEAT WITH MULTIPLE DAYS INTO THE UPPER 80S TO
90 DEGREES ALONG WITH EXTENDED PERIODS WITHOUT MEASURABLE
PRECIPITATION. THE EXTENDED DRY PERIODS WERE INTERRUPTED BY THE
REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRED THAT BROUGHT ALMOST AN INCH OF RAIN
ON AUGUST 19TH.
THE WEATHER TURNED MORE ACTIVE INTO SEPTEMBER WITH THE THEME FOR THE
FALL SEASON BEING WARM AND WET CONDITIONS. THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IDA
BROUGHT NEARLY TWO INCHES OF RAIN ON SEPTEMBER 1ST AND 2ND, CONTINUING THE
TREND OF POST TROPICAL SYSTEMS BRINGING HEAVY BOUTS OF RAIN TO THE
AREA. MILD AND RELATIVELY DRY WEATHER DOMINATED THE FIRST HALF OF
OCTOBER WITH THE FIRST FREEZE OF THE FALL NOT ARRIVING UNTIL OCTOBER
24TH, MAKING THIS THE FOURTH LATEST FREEZE ON RECORD. GOING INTO THE
END OF OCTOBER THE PATTERN CHANGED FAVORING NOR`EASTERS. A STRONG
NOR`EASTER BROUGHT RAIN AND WINDS GUSTING TO 42 MPH ON OCTOBER 27TH
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SYSTEM BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER HALLOWEEN
WEEKEND. THE SYSTEM OVER HALLOWEEN WEEKEND BROUGHT THE GREATEST
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF THE YEAR WITH 4.17 INCHES. MILD CONDITIONS
CONTINUED INTO NOVEMBER WITH THE TEMPERATURES CLIMBING TO 60 DEGREES
OR GREATER SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH. COOLER
WEATHER FINALLY ARRIVED AROUND THANKSGIVING ALONG WITH THE FIRST
MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF 0.1 INCHES ON NOVEMBER 27TH. THE FIRST
SIGNIFICANT SNOW OF THE SEASON WAS ON DECEMBER 18TH AND 19TH WHEN
7.4 INCHES FELL. THIS SNOW STUCK AROUND THROUGH CHRISTMAS. EVEN MORE
SNOW FELL ON CHRISTMAS DAY FOLLOWED BY MILD WEATHER THROUGH NEW
YEAR`S EVE.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR WAS 48.8 DEGREES WHICH WAS 1.3
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. THE WARMEST
YEAR WAS 49.4 DEGREES IN 2020. THE COOLEST YEAR WAS 43.3 DEGREES IN
1962. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR EACH
MONTH OF 2021 INCLUDING DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES BY MONTH IN 2021
MONTH MAXIMUM MINIMUM AVERAGE NOTES
JANUARY 35.0 (+3.8) 20.6 (+7.2) 27.8 (+5.5) 7TH WARMEST
FEBRUARY 32.3 (-1.3) 17.9 (+1.5) 25.6 (+0.1)
MARCH 45.2 (+3.1) 24.5 (-0.4) 34.9 (+1.4)
APRIL 55.2 (+1.9) 36.3 (+1.6) 45.7 (+1.7) 10TH WARMEST
MAY 65.6 (+1.4) 46.2 (+0.7) 55.9 (+1.0) 9TH WARMEST
JUNE 79.9 (+6.3) 58.0 (+3.0) 68.9 (+4.6) WARMEST
JULY 75.3 (-4.2) 59.3 (-1.9) 67.3 (-3.1)
AUGUST 79.2 (+0.5) 62.6 (+2.9) 70.9 (+1.7) 7TH WARMEST
SEPTEMBER 71.7 (+0.6) 54.8 (+2.7) 63.3 (+1.7) 10TH WARMEST
OCTOBER 61.7 (+2.2) 46.0 (+5.0) 53.9 (+3.6) 4TH WARMEST
NOVEMBER 49.4 (+1.0) 30.3 (-1.4) 39.8 (-0.2)
DECEMBER 39.8 (+1.5) 24.5 (+2.1) 32.1 (+1.8)
ANNUAL 57.7 (+1.3) 40.2 (+1.6) 48.8 (+1.3) 4TH WARMEST
*NOTE THAT THE NWS BEGAN USING NEW 30-YEAR NORMAL VALUES IN MAY OF
2021. THE DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL LISTED HERE IS THE DEPARTURE FROM
THE NORMAL USED AT THE TIME. JANUARY THROUGH APRIL USES THE OLD
NORMAL VALUES, WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AND THE ANNUAL VALUES
ARE REPORTED RELATIVE TO THE NEW 1991-2020 NORMALS.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 48.8 WAS THE 4TH WARMEST ON RECORD FOR
PORTLAND. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE WARMEST AVERAGE ANNUAL
TEMPERATURES AT PORTLAND.
WARMEST ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (SINCE 1941).
RANK AVE YEAR
1 49.4 2020
2 49.2 2012
49.2 2010
4 48.8 2021 <===
5 48.5 2006
6 48.4 2016
7 48.3 1998
8 48.1 1990
9 48.0 1999
10 47.9 1991
THE GROWING SEASON, AS DEFINED AS THE LONGEST CONSECUTIVE DAYS ABOVE
FREEZING, LASTED FOR 185 DAYS IN 2021 FROM APRIL 22 THROUGH OCTOBER
24. THIS IS 15 DAYS LONGER THAN THE NORMAL OF 170 DAYS. THE LONGEST
GROWING SEASON WAS 197 DAYS IN 2014. THE SHORTEST WAS ONLY 110 DAYS
IN 1961. THE LAST SPRING FREEZE ON APRIL 22 THIS YEAR WAS ONE OF THE
EARLIEST ON RECORD. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE EARLIEST LAST
SPRING FREEZE DATES AT PORTLAND.
DATE OF LAST SPRING FREEZE (SINCE 1941)...
RANK DATE YEAR
1 APR 14 1983
2 APR 15 1973
APR 15 1976
4 APR 19 1990
5 APR 20 2014
APR 20 1991
APR 20 1970
8 APR 22 2021 <===
APR 22 1953
10 APR 23 2020
APR 23 2018
APR 23 2011
APR 23 1994
A TOTAL OF 44.92 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL WHICH WAS 3.20 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL OVER HALLOWEEN WEEKEND
WHEN STRONG LOW PRESSURE TRACKED OVER COASTAL MAINE BRINGING A STORM
TOTAL OF 4.17 INCHES FROM OCTOBER 30TH TO 31ST. PORTLAND SAW BELOW
NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN 10 OUT OF 12 MONTHS WITH A RESURGENCE IN
DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY EARLY SUMMER. THE WETTEST MONTH WAS JULY WHEN
REMNANT TROPICAL SYSTEMS AND SUMMER CONVECTION BROUGHT 9.44 INCHES
OF RAIN. THE DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD WAS IN 1941 WHEN ONLY 25.27
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED. THE WETTEST WAS IN 2005 WITH
66.45 INCHES MEASURED. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE PRECIPITATION
AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR EACH MONTH OF 2020 INCLUDING DEPARTURES
FROM NORMAL.
MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR 2021
MONTH PRECIPITATION SNOWFALL NOTES
JANUARY 2.27 (-1.11) 6.6 (-12.6)
FEBRUARY 2.90 (-0.35) 14.2 (+2.1)
MARCH 2.78 (-1.46) 0.1 (-12.6) 5TH LEAST SNOWY
APRIL 3.45 (-0.87) 0.3 (-2.5)
MAY 2.27 (-1.40) 0
JUNE 0.95 (-3.20) 0 8TH DRIEST
JULY 9.44 (+6.01) 0 2ND WETTEST
AUGUST 2.19 (-1.38) 0
SEPTEMBER 4.28 (+0.51) 0
OCTOBER 7.18 (+1.93) 0 (-0.2) 10TH WETTEST
NOVEMBER 3.45 (-0.80) 0.1 (-2.2)
DECEMBER 3.76 (-0.74) 12.3 (-2.3)
ANNUAL 44.92 (-3.20) 33.4 (-35.3) 5TH LEAST SNOWY
*NOTE THAT THE NWS BEGAN USING NEW 30-YEAR NORMAL VALUES IN MAY OF
2021. THE DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL LISTED HERE IS THE DEPARTURE FROM
THE NORMAL USED AT THE TIME. JANUARY THROUGH APRIL USES THE OLD
NORMAL VALUES, WHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AND THE ANNUAL VALUES
ARE REPORTED RELATIVE TO THE NEW 1991-2020 NORMALS.
DAYS WITH AT LEAST 1.00 INCH OF PRECIPITATION IN 2021
DAY PRECIPITATION
JANUARY 16 1.41
MARCH 28 1.44
APRIL 16 1.20
JULY 9 2.33
JULY 18 1.17
JULY 29 1.52
SEPTEMBER 2 1.53
OCTOBER 16 1.20
OCTOBER 26 1.00
OCTOBER 30 2.78
OCTOBER 31 1.39
NOVEMBER 12 1.42
DAYS WITH AT LEAST 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IN 2021
DAYS SNOWFALL
FEBRUARY 2 6.7
THE FOLLOWING DAILY RECORDS WERE SET OR TIED IN 2021...
DATE RECORD PREVIOUS
JAN 5 4 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 5 IN 2010, 1948
FEB 3 6 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 6 IN 1989 AND OTHERS (TIED)
MAR 15 21 - COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE 23 IN 1993
MAR 25 48 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 48 IN 1953 (TIED)
MAR 26 43 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 43 IN 1953 (TIED)
APR 22 39 - COOLEST HIGH TEMPERATURE 40 IN 2002
MAY 26 76 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 75 IN 2015
MAY 29 47 - COOLEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 47 IN 1968 (TIED)
JUN 6 68 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 63 IN 2020
JUN 6 78 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 73 IN 1963
JUN 7 64 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 63 IN 1999
JUN 7 79 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 79 IN 1999 (TIED)
JUN 8 92 - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE 90 IN 1999 AND OTHERS
JUN 8 72 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 60 IN 2014 AND OTHERS
JUN 8 82 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 75 IN 1941
JUN 29 96 - WARMEST HIGH TEMPERATURE 96 IN 1944 (TIED)
JUN 29 75 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 68 IN 1999 AND OTHERS
JUN 29 86 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 82 IN 1944
JUN 30 71 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 65 IN 2018 AND OTHERS
JUN 30 83 - WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 79 IN 1971
JUL 18 1.17 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION 1.12 IN 2008
AUG 9 4 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 5 IN 2013 AND OTHERS
AUG 13 72 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 72 IN 1944 (TIED)
AUG 20 68 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 67 IN 2015
AUG 22 5 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 5 IN 1966 (TIED)
AUG 23 3 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 5 IN 2015
AUG 28 9 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 9 IN 2011 AND OTHERS (TIED)
SEP 9 4 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 4 IN 1946 (TIED)
SEP 24 63 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 62 IN 1959
OCT 3 4 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 4 IN 1951 (TIED)
OCT 25 4 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 4 IN 1972 (TIED)
OCT 26 6 - SMALLEST TEMPERATURE RANGE 6 IN 1981, 1962 (TIED)
OCT 30 2.78 - GREATEST PRECIPITATION 2.30 IN 1886
DEC 16 36 - WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURE 33 IN 1999 AND OTHERS
$$
SCHROETER
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- Page last modified: Sep 19th, 2023 19:10 UTC