Climatological Report (Monthly) Issued by NWS Portland, ME
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CXUX51 KGYX 042343
CLMGYX
PWMCLMGYX 000
TTAA00 GYX 020949
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
548 AM EDT FRI JUN 02 2023
...................................
...THE GRAY ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2023...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1995 TO 2023
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE
NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 95 05/18/2017
LOW 31 05/10/2020
05/09/2020
05/01/2008
HIGHEST 90 05/28 86 4 88
LOWEST 33 05/18 35 -2 36
AVG. MAXIMUM 67.3 64.3 3.0 68.7
AVG. MINIMUM 44.6 44.0 0.6 46.9
MEAN 55.9 54.2 1.7 57.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 1 0.4 0.6 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 0.2 -0.2 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 8.54 2006
MINIMUM 0.90 2018
TOTALS 4.88 3.56 1.32 1.08
DAILY AVG. 0.16 0.11 0.05 0.03
DAYS >= .01 9 13.6 -4.6 8
DAYS >= .10 6 8.1 -2.1 4
DAYS >= .50 3 2.7 0.3 0
DAYS >= 1.00 2 0.7 1.3 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 3.67 04/30 TO 05/01
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL T 2002
TOTALS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SINCE 7/1 81.2 84.0 -2.8 44.0
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0
DAYS >= TRACE 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS >= 1.0 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 0 0
24 HR TOTAL 0
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 288 346 -58 242
SINCE 7/1 6295 7060 -765 6630
COOLING TOTAL 14 9 5 27
SINCE 1/1 14 9 5 27
..............................................................
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
&&
THE COOL, CLOUDY, AND DAMP PATTERN THAT DOMINATED THE SECOND HALF OF
APRIL PERSISTED INTO THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY. A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT
THAT STARTED ON APRIL 30TH CONTINUED INTO MAY 1ST WHERE THE GRAY
AREA RECEIVED 3.87 INCHES OF RAIN WITH UPWARDS OF 5 TO 6 INCHES
FALLING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND CENTRAL MAINE LEADING TO
SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. THE GRAY AREA WENT ON TO RECORD MEASURABLE
PRECIPITATION FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS OF THE MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES
AVERAGING BELOW NORMAL. THE BLOCKING PATTERN ASSOCIATED WITH THE
NEGATIVE PHASE OF THE NAO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROLONGED PERIOD
OF DREARY WEATHER, AND THIS PATTERN BROKE DOWN BY THE END OF THE
FIRST WEEK OF MAY. A PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER ENSUED, AND WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF A COUPLE COOL DAYS AND SEASONABLY COLD NIGHTS,
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH.
TOWARDS THE END OF THIS DRY STRETCH OF WEATHER A COLD FRONT CROSSED
ON THE 17TH WITH A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDING IN BEHIND
THE FRONT. THIS HIGH ALLOWED FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING WITH THE
TEMPERATURE FALLING TO 33 DEGREES ON THE MORNING OF THE 18TH,
PRESERVING THE LAST FREEZE DATE OF APRIL 10TH. A COUPLE DAYS LATER A
COASTAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MERGED WITH A COLD FRONT APPROACHING
FROM THE WEST BRINGING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO THE GRAY AREA WHEN A
STORM TOTAL OF 2.25 INCHES FELL ON THE 20TH INTO THE 21ST. COOL
WEATHER FOLLOWED THIS HEAVY RAIN EVENT BEFORE A RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE BUILT IN OVER THE NORTHEAST RESULTING IN VERY WARM WEATHER
TO CLOSE OUT THE MONTH OF MAY.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 55.9 DEGREES, WHICH WAS
1.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WARMEST MAY ON RECORD WAS IN 2015 WHEN
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 59.0 DEGREES. THE COOLEST WAS 49.4
DEGREES IN 2005.
A TOTAL OF 4.88 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL IN MAY, WHICH WAS 1.32
INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE WETTEST MAY ON RECORD WAS IN 2006 WHEN A
TOTAL 8.54 INCHES FELL. THE DRIEST WAS 0.90 INCHES IN 2018.
$$
DS