National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
CXUS51 KCAR 142030 CCA
CLMCAR

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
519 PM EDT MON APR 01 2024

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

CORRECTED FOR DISSEMINATION PURPOSES.

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2024...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2024

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             75   03/21/2012
 LOW             -28   03/02/2001
HIGHEST           50   03/15         MM      MM       44  03/08
                                                          03/12
LOWEST             0   03/01         MM      MM       -4  03/04
AVG. MAXIMUM    38.4               34.3     4.1     36.2
AVG. MINIMUM    23.9               15.6     8.3     20.3
MEAN            31.2               25.0     6.2     28.3
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     4               13.0    -9.0        9
DAYS MIN <= 32    27               29.3    -2.3       31
DAYS MIN <= 0      1                4.1    -3.1        1

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        5.27   2008
 MINIMUM        0.66   1965
TOTALS          5.74                       2.97
DAILY AVG.      0.19               0.09    0.10     0.07
DAYS >= .01       19               12.5     6.5       16
DAYS >= .10       13                6.4     6.6        6
DAYS >= .50        3                1.8     1.2        2
DAYS >= 1.00       1                0.3     0.7        0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.34   03/29 TO 03/30               0.62  03/25 TO 03/26

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          47.1   1955
TOTALS          29.8               21.4     8.4     29.6
SINCE 7/1       86.8              109.1   -22.3       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     3                                  19
DAYS >= 1.0        8                5.2     2.8        8
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH       13   03/24                          27  03/03
 24 HR TOTAL      MM                                  MM

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   1043               1242    -199     1132
 SINCE 7/1      6636               7703   -1067       MM
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  0       0       MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    28/300    DATE  03/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    46/290    DATE  03/30

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.64
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            9
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              5
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         17

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     74

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       5
LIGHT RAIN               12     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                2     SNOW                       4
LIGHT SNOW               16     SLEET                      0
FOG                      19     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      8
HAZE                      0

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
*  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
...MARCH 2024 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE...

MARCH 2024 FINISHED WITH WELL ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE
AVERAGE TO RECORD PRECIPITATION.

TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION RANGED FROM 4.5 TO 6.5 DEGREES (F)
ABOVE THE 30-YEAR 1991-2020 NORMALS. IT RANKED AS THE 6TH WARMEST
MARCH ON RECORD IN CARIBOU, TIED FOR THE 9TH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD
IN HOULTON, TIED FOR THE 8TH WARMEST MARCH IN MILLINOCKET, AND TIED
FOR THE 8TH WARMEST IN BANGOR.

PRECIPITATION WAS WELL ABOVE AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 150 TO 250
PERCENT OF NORMAL. IN BANGOR IT WAS BY A LONG SHOT THE ALL-TIME
WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD WITH 8.99 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW)
BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 7.36 INCHES IN 1999. IT RANKED AS
THE 2ND WETTEST MONTH ON RECORD IN BANGOR DURING THE MONTHS OF
JANUARY THROUGH AUGUST, AND AS THE 10TH WETTEST MONTH ON RECORD.

CARIBOU ALSO OBSERVED THE ALL-TIME WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD WITH A
TOTAL OF 5.74 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW), WHICH SURPASSED THE
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 5.27 INCHES IN 2008. A NEW ALL-TIME RECORD WAS
ALSO ESTABLISHED IN HOULTON WHERE A TOTAL OF 5.68 INCHES OF RAIN
(AND MELTED SNOW), WHICH SURPASSED THE 5.21 INCHES THAT WAS OBSERVED
IN MARCH 1953. FINALLY, IN MILLINOCKET THE 6.17 INCHES OF RAIN (AND
MELTED SNOW) RANKED AS THE 4TH WETTEST MARCH. IT SHOULD BE NOTED
THAT THE PRECIPITATION DATA ON THE 24TH WAS UNAVAILABLE AT BOTH
HOULTON AND MILLINOCKET DUE TO EQUIPMENT ISSUES.

SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE IN CARIBOU WITH A TOTAL OF 29.8 INCHES
FOR THE MONTH, WHICH WAS 8.4 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE. IN BANGOR, A
TOTAL OF 9.5 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 5.7 INCHES BELOW
AVERAGE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THE MONTH OCCURRED ON THE
23RD INTO THE 24TH WHEN SOME LOCATIONS IN EASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY
SOUTH AND EAST OF CARIBOU OBSERVED 20 TO 25 INCHES OF SNOW.
THERE WERE ALSO 20 INCH+ TOTALS OBSERVED IN PARTS OF PISCATAQUIS AND
NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY.

AT THE START OF THE MONTH, THE SNOW DEPTH ACROSS THE REGION RANGED
FROM ZERO TO AN INCH IN BANGOR AND ALONG THE COAST. ACROSS CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION, THE SNOW DEPTH RANGED FROM 2 TO
8 INCHES, BUT WITH LOCALLY A FOOT OR MORE ACROSS THE HIGHEST
TERRAIN. AT THE END OF THE MONTH, THERE WAS NO SNOW ALONG THE COAST
AND IN BANGOR, 2 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL PORTION OF
THE AREA AS WELL AS NORTH INTO CARIBOU AND THE EASTERN SAINT JOHN
VALLEY, AND FROM 10 TO 20 INCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
NORTH WOODS.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER`S FORECAST FOR APRIL 2024 INDICATES
THAT THE ODDS ARE SLIGHTLY TILTED TOWARD ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.
THE ODDS ARE ALSO SLIGHTLY TILTED TOWARD BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
ACROSS NORTHERN AREAS. THERE ARE NO STRONG CLIMATE SIGNAL THAT IT
WILL BE UNUSUAL WET OR DRY ALONG THE COAST.

DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTHERN
AND EASTERN MAINE UNDERGO THE LARGEST RISE OF ANY MONTH OF THE YEAR.
AT THE START OF THE MONTH, THE AVERAGE HIGHS RANGE FROM THE UPPER
30S ACROSS THE FAR NORTH TO THE MID 40S ALONG THE COAST. BY THE END
OF THE MONTH, THE AVERAGE HIGHS RANGE FROM THE MID 50S NORTH TO NEAR
60F IN BANGOR, BUT COOLER ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST OWING TO THE
COLD OCEAN WATER TEMPERATURES.

ON AVERAGE 3 TO 3.75 INCHES OF LIQUID PRECIPITATION IS OBSERVED.
SNOWFALL AVERAGES 3.7 INCHES IN BANGOR AND 8.3 INCHES IN CARIBOU. IN
MOST YEARS THE SNOW PACK MELTS OUT DURING THE FIRST HALF OF APRIL,
BUT SNOW MAY REMAIN ON THE GROUND IN WOODED AREAS FOR A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AFTER THE SNOW HAS MELTED OUT OF IN NORTHERN TOWNS AND OPEN
FIELDS. THUNDERSTORM REMAIN A FAIRLY RARE OCCURRENCE BEING OBSERVED
ON AVERAGE OF ABOUT ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS.

$$

CB/VJN