Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME
309
CXUS51 KCAR 060027
CLACAR
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU, ME
703 PM EST SUN JAN 5 2020
...................................
...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE YEAR OF 2019...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1939 TO 2020
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 96 05/22/1977
06/29/1944
LOW -41 02/01/1955
HIGHEST 91 07/05 MM MM 94 07/05
LOWEST -19 02/18 MM MM -19 01/03
AVG. MAXIMUM 49.4 49.4 0.0 50.7
AVG. MINIMUM 29.9 30.3 -0.4 30.9
MEAN 39.6 39.9 -0.3 40.8
DAYS MAX >= 90 3 1.1 1.9 2
DAYS MAX <= 32 102 89.5 12.5 86
DAYS MIN <= 32 177 177.7 -0.7 187
DAYS MIN <= 0 43 38.8 4.2 33
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 54.21 2005
MINIMUM 10.11 2002
TOTALS 41.54 38.49 3.05 41.00
DAILY AVG. 0.11 0.11 0.00 0.11
DAYS >= .01 158 159.8 -1.8 154
DAYS >= .10 90 87.4 2.6 77
DAYS >= .50 28 24.0 4.0 30
DAYS >= 1.00 9 5.7 3.3 6
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.70 MM 12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31EATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
12/31 TO 12/31EATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 181.1 1954
TOTALS 154.5 108.7 45.8 150.9
SINCE 7/1 40.9 35.1 5.8 51.8
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 10 MM MM 9
DAYS >= 1.0 34 27.5 6.5 33
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 45 03/07 36 02/11
03/05 02/08
03/06
24 HR TOTAL 16.9 MM 12/31 TO 12/31
12/31 TO 12/31EATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
12/31 TO 12/31EATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 9315 9354 -39 9121
SINCE 7/1 MM 3594 MM MM
COOLING TOTAL 208 180 28 410
SINCE 1/1 208 180 28 410
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 7.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/240 DATE 11/01
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 51/220 DATE 11/01
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 138
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 98
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 129
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 68
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
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...2019 YEARLY CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE...
IN CARIBOU, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2019 WAS 39.6 DEGREES (F)
WHICH MADE IT THE COLDEST YEAR OF THE DECADE, AND THE COLDEST YEAR
SINCE 2009. IT WAS THE ONLY YEAR IN THE DECADE WITH AN AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE BELOW 40 DEGREES (F). THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 2
TENTHS OF A DEGREE (F) BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE. A TOTAL OF 41.54
INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 3.01 INCHES
ABOVE THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE. A TOTAL OF 154.5 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
OBSERVED FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR (WHICH DIFFERS FROM A SEASONAL
TOTAL), AND THIS WAS THE MOST SINCE 2008 AND WAS 42.7 INCHES ABOVE
AVERAGE.
IN BANGOR, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2019 WAS 44 DEGREES (F), WHICH
WAS THE 2ND COLDEST YEAR OF THE DECADE BEHIND 2015. IT WAS 7 TENTHS
OF A DEGREE (F) BELOW AVERAGE. A TOTAL OF 52 INCHES OF RAIN (AND
MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 10.38 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE, AND
THE WETTEST YEAR SINCE 2005. A TOTAL OF 74.9 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 6.6 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE.
IN HOULTON, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2019 WAS 39.2 DEGREES (F),
WHICH MADE IT THE COLDEST YEAR OF THE DECADE AND THE COLDEST YEAR
SINCE 2004. A TOTAL OF 39.04 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS
OBSERVED.
IN MILLINOCKET, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2019 WAS 41.9 DEGREES (F)
WHICH MADE IT THE COLDEST YEAR OF THE DECADE AND THE COLDEST YEAR
SINCE 2007. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 4 TENTHS OF A DEGREE BELOW
AVERAGE. A TOTAL OF 43.58 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS
OBSERVED. IT WAS THE WETTEST YEAR SINCE 2010, AND THE TOTAL
PRECIPITATION WAS 61 HUNDRETHS OF AN INCH ABOVE AVERAGE.
MONTH BY MONTH:
TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY WERE NOT FAR FROM AVERAGE ACROSS THE REGION.
THE BIG STORY WAS THE RECORD SNOWFALL IN CARIBOU. A TOTAL OF 59.8
INCHES OF SNOW FELL, WHICH SMASHED THE OLD JANUARY RECORD OF 44.5
INCHES IN 1994. IT WAS JUST ONE TENTH OF AN INCH SHY OF THE ALL-
TIME SNOWIEST MONTH IN DECEMBER 1972. 5.64 INCHES OF LIQUID
PRECIPITATION (RAIN AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS THE
MOST ON RECORD. A MAJOR WINTER STORM ON THE 20TH PRODUCED 1 TO 2
FEET OF SNOW ACROSS THE REGION AND WAS FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANT
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE REGION WITH SNOW DRIFTS SEVERAL FEET DEEP ACROSS PORTIONS OF
U.S. ROUTE 1 IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.
FEBRUARY FEATURED TEMPERATURES THAT WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE. THE
LOWEST TEMPERATURES OF THE METEOROLOGICAL WINTER OCCURRED ON THE
MORNING OF THE 28TH WITH LOWS OF 32 BELOW AT ESTCOURT STATION AND
BIG BLACK RIVER. SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE AND IT WAS THE 11TH
SNOWIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. STRONG WIND LATE IN THE
MONTH FOLLOWING A SNOW STORM ON THE 24TH INTO THE 25TH PRODUCED
SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW FOR THE NEARLY 2 DAYS WITH
SNOW DRIFTS OVER 10 FEET DEEP IN SPOTS WITH MANY ROADS CLOSED IN
AROOSTOOK COUNTY.
TEMPERATURES IN MARCH WERE A BIT BELOW AVERAGE AND SNOWFALL WAS
BELOW AVERAGE. THE SNOW DEPTH PEAKED OUT AT 45 INCHES ON THE MORNING
OF THE 7TH IN CARIBOU. THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS A STORM
ON THE 4TH THAT PRODUCED A FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND
COASTAL WASHINGTON COUNTY, BUT AMOUNTS DROPPED OFF TO THE NORTH AND
WEST OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL WAS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW
AVERAGE ACROSS THE REGION. IT WAS A VERY WET MONTH AND RANKED AS THE
3RD WETTEST ON RECORD IN CARIBOU WITH 4.84 INCHES OF RAIN AND MELTED
SNOW, AND THE 9TH WETTEST IN BANGOR. SNOWFALL WAS ALSO ABOVE AVERAGE
ACROSS THE REGION. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL EVENTS ALL
OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF THE MONTH. THROUGH THE END OF
THE MONTH THERE WAS A SEASONAL TOTAL OF 165.4 INCHES OF SNOW IN
CARIBOU WHICH WAS THE THE 3RD SNOWIEST ON RECORD.
MAY WAS A COOLER THAN AVERAGE MONTH ACROSS THE REGION WITH
TEMPERATURES AVERAGING FROM 2 TO 4 DEGREE BELOW AVERAGE. IN FACT,
HOULTON OBSERVED THE COOLEST MAY SINCE 1974. FROST AND EVEN FREEZING
TEMPERATURES WERE OBSERVED DEEP INTO THE MONTH WITH A FREEZE ON THE
MORNING OF THE 28TH IN CARIBOU. PRECIPITATION WAS VARIABLE ACROSS
THE REGION, BUT MOST AREAS OBSERVED ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. THE
LAST SNOW FLURRIES OF THE SEASON WERE OBSERVED IN CARIBOU ON THE
15TH.
TEMPERATURES IN JUNE WERE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE. THERE
WERE VERY FEW VERY WARM DAYS WITH MOST AREAS ONLY EXPERIENCING 2 OR
3 DAYS WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 80S. THE LAST SIGNIFICANT FROST/FREEZE
OF THE SEASON WAS ON THE 1ST ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS.
RAINFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION, BUT WAS A BIT
BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE FAR NORTH.
JULY WAS A WARM AND HUMID MONTH AND TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 2 TO
3.5 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 8TH WARMEST JULY ON RECORD IN
CARIBOU, AND IN BANGOR IT TIED WITH 1975 AS THE 7TH WARMEST ON
RECORD. THERE WERE 3 DAYS WITH A HIGH OF 90 OF ABOVE IN CARIBOU,
THE MOST IN JULY SINCE 1989. FIVE DAYS OBSERVED A HIGH OF 90 OR
ABOVE IN BANGOR, THE MOST IN JULY SINCE 1997. PRECIPITATION WAS MUCH
MORE VARIABLE ACROSS THE REGION AND WAS MOSTLY ABOVE AVERAGE
DOWNEAST AND THE WESTERN SAINT JOHN VALLEY AND BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION.
TEMPERATURES IN AUGUST WERE CLOSE TO AVERAGE ACROSS THE REGION.
UNUSUAL FOR AUGUST THERE WERE NO 90 DEGREE DAYS, EVEN AT MILLINOCKET
OR BANGOR. RAINFALL WAS BELOW AVERAGE IN THE FAR NORTH AND WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE DOWNEAST. IT WAS THE 2ND WETTEST AUGUST ON RECORD IN
BANGOR WITH 7.54 INCHES, WHICH WAS 2ND ONLY TO 2011 WHEN 8.32 INCHES
WAS OBSERVED. 3.11 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN BANGOR ON THE 8TH, WHICH
WAS THE 2ND GREATEST AUGUST DAILY RAINFALL ON RECORD BEHIND ONLY
AUGUST 19, 1965, WHEN 3.67 INCHES WAS OBSERVED.
SEPTEMBER FEATURED TEMPERATURES THAT WERE A BIT BELOW AVERAGE
RANGING FROM 0.5 TO 1.5 DEGREE BELOW AVERAGE. THE FIRST WIDESPREAD
FROST/FREEZES OF THE FALL SEASON WERE OBSERVED ON THE MORNINGS OF
THE 18TH AND 19TH. RAINFALL RANGED FROM 70 TO 110 PERCENT OF
AVERAGE, BUT WITH LOCAL AREAS OF UP TO 150 PERCENT OF AVERAGE ACROSS
FAR EASTERN AREAS. PERIPHERAL RAIN AND WIND FROM HURRICANE DORIAN
MOSTLY AFFECTED WASHINGTON COUNTY ON THE 7TH WITH UP TO 3 INCHES OF
RAIN.
OCTOBER WAS A MILDER THAN AVERAGE MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES 1.5 TO 2.5
DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. WIDESPREAD FREEZES FINISHED THE GROWING
SEASON FOR EAST CENTRAL AND DOWNEAST AREAS ON THE MORNINGS OF THE
5TH AND 6TH. PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 110 TO
150 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. A DUSTING OF SNOW OCCURRED MOSTLY ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS ON THE 4TH AND AGAIN ON THE 26TH/27TH.
TWO WIND STORMS AFFECTED THE REGION ON THE 16TH AND 31ST AND
RESULTED IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES. THE STORM ON THE
16TH MAINLY AFFECTED DOWNEAST AREAS WITH 45000 CUSTOMERS WITHOUT
POWER.
NOVEMBER WAS MUCH COLDER THAN AVERAGE WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM
3 TO 4 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. IRONICALLY THE MONTH BEGAN WITH A HIGH
OF 68 DEGREE IN CARIBOU, WHICH TIED THE ALL-TIME MONTHLY RECORD HIGH
LAST SET ON NOVEMBER 1, 1956. THERE WAS A COLD SNAP MID MONTH THAT
PRODUCED THE EARLIEST SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURE ON RECORD IN CARIBOU ON
THE 17TH. PRECIPITATION WAS NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE WITH ABOVE AVERAGE
SNOWFALL FROM BANGOR NORTH. THE FIRST MAJOR WINTER STORM AFFECTED
THE REGION ON THE 12TH WITH UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE SAINT JOHN
VALLEY, AND WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES FOR MOST AREAS FROM MILLINOCKET NORTH.
DECEMBER WAS A WARMER THAN AVERAGE MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING
FROM 0.5 TO 2.5 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. NO EXTREMELY COLD ARCTIC AIR
MASSES WERE OBSERVED. PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM 70 TO 105 PERCENT OF
NORMAL. SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENTS WERE OBSERVED ON THE 10TH-11TH AND
AGAIN THE 14TH-15TH. SNOWFALL WAS BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTH
AND NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE DOWNEAST.
$$
CB/VJN