Climatological Report (Monthly)
Issued by NWS Caribou, ME

Home | Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | Print | Product List | Glossary On
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
000
CXUS51 KCAR 012009
CLMCAR

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
256 PM EST MON JAN 01 2024

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

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2023

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             60   12/01/2020
 LOW             -31   12/30/1989
HIGHEST           58   12/18         MM      MM       47  12/03
                                                          12/07
LOWEST            -2   12/06         MM      MM        0  12/28
AVG. MAXIMUM    34.0               27.5     6.5     32.9
AVG. MINIMUM    20.6               12.3     8.3     19.6
MEAN            27.3               19.9     7.4     26.3
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32    15               20.9    -5.9       15
DAYS MIN <= 32    28               29.8    -1.8       28
DAYS MIN <= 0      1                6.6    -5.6        1

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM        7.97   1973
 MINIMUM        0.74   1963
TOTALS          3.47                      -0.13
DAILY AVG.      0.11               0.12   -0.01     0.15
DAYS >= .01       11               14.9    -3.9       18
DAYS >= .10        8                7.9     0.1        9
DAYS >= .50        3                2.5     0.5        4
DAYS >= 1.00       1                0.4     0.6        1
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   1.75   12/10 TO 12/11               1.45  12/07 TO 12/08

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL          59.9   1972
TOTALS           9.9               25.2   -15.3     19.7
SINCE 7/1       20.8               37.4   -16.6       MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG.     1                                   4
DAYS >= 1.0        4                6.1    -2.1        5
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        4   12/07                          13  12/20
                       12/08
                       12/09
 24 HR TOTAL      MM    MM                          19.7

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL   1160               1398    -238     1194
 SINCE 7/1      2844               3388    -544       MM
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1       351                224     127       MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.1
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/160    DATE  12/18
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    54/170    DATE  12/18

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.70
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            6
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              8
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         17

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     75

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       3
LIGHT RAIN                7     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          2     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                1     SNOW                       1
LIGHT SNOW               20     SLEET                      1
FOG                      16     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      2
HAZE                      1

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
*  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
...DECEMBER 2023 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE...

DECEMBER 2023 FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE FINISHED WITH WELL ABOVE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION, BUT WELL BELOW AVERAGE
SNOWFALL AND SNOW DEPTH.

TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA RANGED FROM 5.5 TO 7.0 DEGREES F ABOVE
1991-2020 NORMALS, RANGING FROM NEAR 26.0 OVER THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY
TO 32.0 OVER DOWNEAST AREAS. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST DECEMBER ON
RECORD FOR CARIBOU AND HOULTON, A TIE FOR 3RD WARMEST FOR
MILLINOCKET, AND 4TH WARMEST FOR BANGOR. THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH
WAS CLOSE TO AVERAGE, BUT THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH WAS WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE CULMINATING WITH RECORD HIGH TEMPS OF 50S UPWARDS TO
AROUND 60 ON THE 18TH AND 19TH WITH DAILY DEPARTURES ON THE 18TH AS
HIGH 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. LOWEST TEMPERATURES OF THE MONTH
OCCURRED ON THE MORNING OF THE 6TH WITH MANY LOCATIONS EXPERIENCING
LOWS OF ZERO OR LESS WITH FAR NORTHWEST VALLEY LOCATIONS AS LOW AS
10 BELOW. BANGOR EXPERIENCED SUB-ZERO LOWS FROM THE 6TH-8TH.

AVERAGE TOTAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA VARIED GREATLY FROM 90
PERCENT OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST UPWARDS TO 200 PERCENT OR MORE OF
1991-2020 NORMALS OVER SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE REGION WITH THE
VAST MAJORITY RECEIVING WELL ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR
DECEMBER. TWO EVENTS COMPOSED THE MAJORITY OF PRECIPITATION FOR THIS
MONTH WITH THE FIRST ON THE 10-11TH AND THE SECOND ON THE 18TH WHERE
1.50-2.50 INCHES OCCURRED WITH EACH EVENT AT THE CLIMATE SITES,
MOSTLY OR ENTIRELY IN THE FORM OF RAIN.

WARMER THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES THIS MONTH PRECLUDED MUCH IN THE
WAY OF SNOWFALL AT THE CLIMATE SITES, RANGING ONLY 25 TO 50 PERCENT
OF NORMAL. SNOWFALL WAS GREATER OVER THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND FAR
NORTHWEST NEAR THE QUEBEC BORDER, UPWARDS TO 75 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
AT CARIBOU, THE GREATEST SNOW DAY OF 2.7 INCHES ON THE 13TH WAS A
RESULT OF ORGANIZED NARROW SNOW SHOWER BANDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE
PASSAGE OF AN ARCTIC FRONT RATHER THAN A LARGE SCALE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM, WITH LOCATIONS JUST NORTH IN THE CENTER OF THE BAND
RECEIVING UPWARDS TO 6 INCHES. AT BANGOR THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OF
THE MONTH WAS THE 6.4 INCH EVENT THAT FELL ON THE 4TH WITH A
DEVELOPING COASTAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM.

DUE TO MANY THAWING TEMPERATURE DAYS, LITTLE SNOWFALL, AND TWO MAJOR
RAIN EVENTS, AVERAGE SNOW DEPTH ACROSS ALL OF THE REGION WAS WELL
BELOW AVERAGE ABOUT 20 TO 50 PERCENT OF 1991-2020 NORMALS. THE HEAVY
WARM RAIN EVENT OF THE 18TH COMPLETELY ERADICATED ANY SNOW PACK
ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. FOR INSTANCE, CARIBOU HAD A TRACE OR LESS
OF SNOW ON THE GROUND FROM THE MORNING OF THE 16TH THROUGH THE
MORNING OF THE 29TH WITH ZERO SNOW ON THE GROUND FROM 18TH-28TH.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS GREATLY IMPACTED THE TRADITIONAL START OF
SKIING AND SNOW MOBILE SEASON USUALLY UNDERWAY BY THE LAST WEEK OF
THE MONTH. WITH A LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL LATER ON THE 28TH INTO
THE 29TH, A LIGHT SNOW PACK RETURNED TO MOST OF THE REGION AT THE
CLOSE OF THE MONTH, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR SNOW MOBILING AT THIS TIME.

LASTLY OF SPECIAL NOTE WAS THE HEAVY RAIN/HIGH WIND EVENT OF THE
18TH. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED AT THE
CLIMATE SITES, WAS FLOODING RAINFALL TOTALS UPWARDS TO 5 INCHES OVER
THE CENTRAL MAINE HIGHLANDS WHICH RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT RIVER
FLOODING OVER THE PISCATAQUIS AND PENOBSCOT RIVER VALLEYS. FOR THE
SECOND DECEMBER IN A ROW, THIS EVENT WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS, THIS TIME FROM THE SOUTH, RESULTING IN
NUMEROUS DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES AND OVER 90,000 POWER OUTAGES.
ALTHOUGH BY CHRISTMAS DAY, THE VAST MAJORITY WHO SUFFERED OUTAGES
HAD POWER RETURNED, THERE WERE STILL SOME RESIDENCES WITHOUT POWER.
STRONG SOUTH WINDS ALSO RESULTED IN SOME MINOR COASTAL FLOODING AT
THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER`S FORECAST FOR JANUARY 2024 IS CALLING
FOR MUCH GREATER ODDS OF ABOVE NORMAL RATHER THAN NORMAL OR
ESPECIALLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE AVERAGE
ODDS OF ABOVE RATHER THAN NEAR NORMAL OR BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM LOWS/HIGHS OF AROUND ZERO/20 DEGREES
F OVER THE FAR NORTH TO AROUND 10/AROUND 30 ALONG THE DOWNEAST
COAST. AVERAGE PRECIPITATION FOR THE ENTIRE REGION IS AROUND 3.00
INCHES. AVERAGE MONTHLY SNOWFALL/SNOW DEPTH RANGES FROM 15/5 INCHES
ALONG THE DOWNEAST COAST UPWARDS TO 30/15 INCHES OVER THE NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL MAINE HIGHLANDS.

$$

VJN/CB


USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.