2020 Yearly Climate Narrative

...2020 YEARLY CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE...

IN CARIBOU, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 42.6 DEGREES (F)
WHICH TIED WITH 2012 AS THE 2ND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. IT DID
FALL WELL SHY OF THE ALL-TIME WARMEST YEAR IN 2010 WHEN THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 44.4 DEGREES (F). SEVEN OF THE TOP 10
WARMEST YEARS HAVE NOW BEEN OBSERVED SINCE 2000. A TOTAL OF 35.58
INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 2.91
INCHES BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE, AND MADE IT THE DRIEST YEAR
SINCE 2004. A TOTAL OF 145.4 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED, WHICH
WAS 34.7 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE. WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1939.

IN BANGOR, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 46.8 DEGREES (F)
WHICH MADE IT THE 3RD WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. SIX OF THE TOP 10
WARMEST YEARS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED SINCE 2000. A TOTAL OF 37.1
INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 4.83
INCHES BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2016.
A TOTAL OF 44.3 OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 24.0 INCHES BELOW
AVERAGE. WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1925.

IN HOULTON, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 42.7 DEGREES (F)
WHICH TIED WITH 1953, 1973, AND 2012 AS THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON
RECORD. FIVE OF THE TOP 10 WARMEST YEARS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED SINCE
2000. A TOTAL OF 30.94 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS
OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 9.04 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 6TH
DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2001. WEATHER
RECORDS BEGAN IN 1948.

IN MILLINOCKET, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 44.9 DEGREES
(F), WHICH MADE IT THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. A TOTAL OF
39.31 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS
3.37 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2016.
WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1903.

THE BIG STORY IN 2020 WAS THAT IT WAS A VERY WARM YEAR WITH A
DROUGHT THAT BEGAN IN LATE JUNE, PEAKED OUT IN EARLY FALL WHEN
SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED ACROSS MOST OF
THE AREA, EXCEPT IN PARTS OF THE DOWNEAST REGION WHERE MODERATE
DROUGHT WAS OBSERVED. WET CONDITIONS DURING THE MID TO LATE FALL
AND EARLY WINTER WIPED OUT ALL OF THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY THE
END OF THE YEAR. THE SEVERE WEATHER SEASON WAS SLOW WITH NO MAJOR
OUTBREAKS OF SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE SPRING OR SUMMER. THE FIRE
WEATHER SEASON WAS ACTIVE WITH THE MOST FIRES IN OVER A DECADE.

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS:

JANUARY 2020 WAS A MILD MONTH WITH A PRONOUNCED LACK OF ARCTIC
AIR. ONLY SEVEN OUT OF 31 DAYS HAD BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN
CARIBOU WITH ONLY 5 DAYS WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ALL
MONTH IN BANGOR. PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE FROM
AROUND MARS HILLS NORTH, AND BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF
THE REGION.

FEBRUARY WAS ANOTHER MONTH WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. THE
COLDEST TEMPERATURE OF THE WINTER WAS OBSERVED ON THE MORNING OF
THE 15TH WITH A LOW OF 36 BELOW ZERO 1 MILE NORTH OF MASARDIS.
PRECIPITATION INCLUDING SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE FROM PRESQUE
ISLE AND CLAYTON LAKE NORTH, AND BELOW AVERAGE TO THE SOUTH. THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OCCURRED ON THE 6TH INTO THE 7TH
WHEN OVER 20 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED IN SOME SPOTS ACROSS
NORTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.

MARCH FEATURED ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION.
PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA, BUT CLOSE
TO AVERAGE IN THE FAR NORTH. THERE WERE BIG DIFFERENCES IN SNOW
DEPTH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. IN BANGOR, THERE WAS ONLY AN AVERAGE
SNOW DEPTH OF 0.3" FOR THE MONTH, WHILE IN CARIBOU THERE WAS AN
AVERAGE OF 27.4 INCHES.

APRIL WAS THE FIRST MONTH OF 2020 TO HAVE BELOW AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE, WITH THE LARGEST
NEGATIVE DEPARTURES OBSERVED DURING THE 2ND HALF OF THE MONTH.
PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE AVERAGE DOWNEAST, AND CLOSE TO AVERAGE IN
THE NORTH. IT WAS A SNOWY MONTH IN THE NORTH WITH 21.9 INCHES OF
SNOW IN CARIBOU, WHICH MADE IT THE 5TH SNOWIEST APRIL ON RECORD.
THE BIG EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS A STORM ON THE 9TH INTO THE 10TH
THAT PRODUCED WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT TO
THE NORTH OF BANGOR. BY THE END OF MONTH, THE SNOW HAD MELTED OUT
IN ALL AREA EXCEPT IN THE FAR NORTH WHERE THERE WAS STILL A FOOT
OR MORE OF SNOW IN THE DENSELY WOODED AREAS OF THE NORTH WOODS.

MAY WAS REMARKABLE FOR THE EXTREMES THAT WERE OBSERVED. THE FIRST
HALF OF THE MONTH WAS VERY COLD, AND THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THE MONTH
WERE UNUSUALLY WARM. A MAJOR LATE SEASON WINTER STORM ON THE 9TH
PRODUCED FROM 5 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW FROM DANFORTH TO WESTFIELD,
WITH TEMPERATURES THAT FELL INTO THE UPPER 20S IN THE AFTERNOON
WITH FREEZING RAIN IN THE NORTH, WHICH WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR SO
LATE IN THE SEASON. WARM/DRY CONDITONS LED TO THE START OF AN
ACTIVE FIRE SEASON BY LATE IN THE MONTH AND RECORD WARMTH ON MAY
26TH-29TH.

JUNE BEGAN ON A COOL NOTE, BUT TRANSITIONED TO A HOT MONTH AND
ENDED WITH WELL ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, AND WAS THE WARMEST
JUNE ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. THE HIGH OF 96 DEGREES (F) ON THE 19TH
TIED THE ALL-TIME WARMEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD IN CARIBOU FOR THE
3RD TIME SINCE 1939. A FEW NON-CLIMATE SITES DID REACH 100 DEGREES
ON THE 20TH (ETNA, MATTAWAMKEAG, AND SHIN POND), WHICH WAS THE
FIRST TIME SINCE JUNE 1988. IT WAS A VERY DRY MONTH WITH ONLY 25
TO 60 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. IN CARIBOU IT TIED WITH
1983 FOR THE DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD WITH ONLY 88 HUNDREDTHS OF AN
INCH OF RAIN.

JULY WAS ANOTHER WARM AND VERY DRY MONTH. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST
JULY AS WELL AS THE 2ND WARMEST MONTH OF ALL-TIME IN CARIBOU
BEHIND ONLY JULY 2018. DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPANDED AND BECAME
WORSE ACROSS THE REGION WITH MODERATE DROUGHT. SEVERE DROUGHT WAS
OBSERVED ACROSS THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY. THE DROUGHT BEGAN TO IMPACT
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS WITH REDUCED GRAIN AND HAY CROPS AND AN
INCREASED NEED FOR IRRIGATION. THE MONTH BEGAN VERY DRY WITH MORE
FREQUENT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THE 2ND HALF OF THE
MONTH, BUT WELL BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED IN THE
SAINT JOHN VALLEY AS WELL AS PARTS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

AUGUST WAS ANOTHER WARM AND DRY MONTH. THE BIG STORY WAS THE DRY
WEATHER WITH ONLY 40 TO 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR
MOST OF THE REGION. THERE WERE JUST A FEW SPOTS IN THE WESTERN
SAINT JOHN VALLEY, BANGOR REGION, AND COASTAL WASHINGTON COUNTY
WHERE PRECIPITATION WAS NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE. DROUGHT CONDITIONS
CONTINUED TO EXPAND WITH SEVERE DROUGHT IMPACTING NEARLY ALL OF
AROOSTOOK COUNTY.

FOR THE METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER (JUNE THROUGH AUGUST) IT WAS THE
WARMEST AND 2ND DRIEST ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. IN HOULTON, IT WAS
THE 5TH WARMEST AND ALL-TIME DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD. MILLINOCKET
OBSERVED THEIR 6TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD, AND IN BANGOR IT WAS
THE 13TH WARMEST ON RECORD.

THE BIG STORY IN SEPTEMBER WAS THE CONTINUED DROUGHT AND ONLY 5 TO
40 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED. ONLY 28
HUNDREDTH OF AN INCH OF RAIN WAS OBSERVED IN BANGOR, WHICH SMASHED
THE RECORD FOR THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER BY A WIDE MARGIN (THE OLD
RECORD WAS 64 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH IN 1929). IT WAS ALSO THE
DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD IN HOULTON, THE 3RD DRIEST AT
MILLINOCKET, AND THE 2ND DRIEST IN CARIBOU. RECORD LOW RIVER
LEVELS WERE OBSERVED ACROSS THE REGION AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS
CONTINUED TO WORSEN WITH SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT FOR MOST OF
THE REGION BY THE END OF THE MONTH. CROPS SUFFERED LOSSES ACROSS
THE REGION, AND SOME WELLS DRIED UP IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

OCTOBER SAW A SHIFT IN A 5 MONTH DRY PATTERN, AND ABOVE TO WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED. THE LARGEST DEPARTURES
WERE IN THE NORTH WHERE CARIBOU OBSERVED 7.21 INCHES OF RAIN
MAKING IT THE 3RD WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD. TYPICAL OF OCTOBER,
THE FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOW WAS OBSERVED LATE IN THE MONTH WITH 1
TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW, EXCEPT LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES IN
NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. DROUGHT CONDITIONS GRADUALLY EASED DUE
TO THE INCREASED RAINFALL, AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH FAR
NORTHERN AREAS WERE NO LONGER IN DROUGHT.

NOVEMBER WAS A VERY MILD MONTH AND ENDED AS THE 5TH WARMEST ON
RECORD IN BOTH CARIBOU AND HOULTON AND THE 9TH WARMEST IN BANGOR.
THE BIG STORY WAS THE ALL-TIME RECORD WARMTH ON THE 10TH WITH A
HIGH OF 75 DEGREES (F) IN CARIBOU, WHICH SMASHED THE PREVIOUS
MONTHLY RECORD BY 7 DEGREES! HOULTON HAD AN ALL-TIME MONTHLY
RECORD OF 73 DEGREES (F) AS DID MILLINOCKET WITH A HIGH OF 74
DEGREES (F). DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO EASE WITH
PRECIPITATION NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN MOST AREAS, BUT A BIT
BELOW AVERAGE IN SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND ACROSS FAR
NORTHWEST MAINE. BY THE END OF THE MONTH, SEVERE DROUGHT WAS
LIMITED TO AREAS ALONG THE DOWNEAST COAST.

DECEMBER WAS ANOTHER MONTH WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND
FINISHED AS A TOP 10 WARMEST DECEMBER AT ALL OF THE LONG TERM
CLIMATE SITES ACROSS THE REGION. THE BIG STORY WAS THE ALL-TIME
WINTER RECORD WARMTH ON THE 1ST. THE HIGH OF 60 DEGREES (F) IN
CARIBOU NOT ONLY BROKE THE DAILY AND MONTHLY RECORD HIGHS, BUT
ALSO THE HIGH FOR THE ENTIRE METEOROLOGICAL WINTER OF 59 DEGREES
(F) SET ON FEBRUARY 20, 1994. HOULTON SET A NEW ALL-TIME DECEMBER
HIGH OF 60 DEGREES (F). PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE
NORMAL AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH DROUGHT HAD BEEN ELIMINATED
ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. SNOW DEPTH AT THE END OF THE MONTH WAS
UNUSUALLY LOW DUE TO A RECORD WARM CHRISTMAS THAT INCLUDED RAIN.
THREE TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND FROM NORTHERN
WASHINGTON COUNTY NORTH TO THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY, WITH MOSTLY BARE
GROUND ALONG THE COAST.