Caribou, ME

Weather Forecast Office

February Climate Outlook

...A STATISTICAL PREVIEW OF CARIBOU'S FEBRUARY WEATHER...

During the month of February the average high temperature rises from 20 on the 1st to 28 by months end. The average low temperature rises from 1 above zero on the 1st to 8 above at the end of the month. The warmest temperature ever observed during the month of February was 59 degrees on February 20, 1994. This is also the warmest temperature ever observed at Caribou during the meteorological winter. The coldest temperature ever observed in February was 41 below on February 1, 1955. This was also the coldest temperature ever observed at Caribou.

February is on average the 3rd snowiest month of the year, although five 40+ inch months have been observed in February (most recently in 2013) with only 4 in January (including 2019) which is a longer month. The average snowfall is just under 2 feet (22.2 inches). The snowiest February was in 2008 when 47.7 inches of snow fell. 1987 holds the honors for the least snowy February with only 4.1 inches observed all month.

Since 1939 February has been the coldest winter month 21 times or approximately 28 percent of the time since weather record began in the winter of 1939-1940.

On average there are 5 days in February with a snowfall of 1 inch of more, 2 days with a snowfall of 3 inches of more, and 1 day with a snowfall of 6 inches or greater. The greatest calendar day snowfall of 20.8 inches was observed on February 2, 2003.

In almost all years there is a continuous snow pack during the month of February. 1981 was the only year that the snow pack entirely melted away late in the month due to a combination of a prolonged period of well above normal temperatures and rainfall. The snow pack was re-established that year during the month of March.

The average snow depth during the month is 20 inches, but many nearby wooded areas have a snow pack that can easily be twice what is observed at the airport where much of the snow tends to blow away. The snow pack on average reaches its peak depth during the last week of February.

FEBRUARY: CARIBOU’S TOP 5 WARMEST (AVERAGE TEMPERATURES):

27.6 DEGREES 1981

23.7 2010

22.9 1960

22.4 1984

21.1 1954

FEBRUARY: CARIBOU’S TOP 5 COLDEST (AVERAGE TEMPERATURES):

2.9 DEGREES 2015

4.1 1993

4.7 1948

6.0 1963

6.4 1972

FEBRUARY: CARIBOU’S TOP 5 WETTEST

4.72 INCHES 2008

4.13 1955

3.78 2003

3.69 1960

3.51 2013

FEBRUARY: CARIBOU’S TOP SNOWIEST:

47.7 INCHES 2008

44.2 2013

41.0 1952

41.0 1960

40.9 1995

FEBRUARY: CARIBOU’S TOP 5 DRIEST

0.28 INCHES 1978

0.33 1987

0.56 1964

0.66 2004

0.82 1980

…FEBRUARY STATISTICS…

….TEMPERATURES (1981-2010 NORMALS)

AVERAGE HIGH……………………….....................................23.9

AVERAGE LOW………...........................................................4.2

MONTHLY AVERAGE…………………………………………..14.1

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/HIGHS <32F……………………...22 (21.5)

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/LOWS < 32F……………………..27 (27.3)

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/LOWS <10F……………………...18

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/LOWS <0F……..………………...11

…PRECIPITATION…

MONTHLY AVERAGE………………………………………….....2.21 INCHES

AVERAGE DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION…..12 (11.7)

LARGEST CALENDAR DAY RAINFALL………………………..2.10 INCHES, FEBRUARY 2, 2003

AVERAGE SNOWFALL…………………………………………..22.2 INCHES

MOST SNOWFALL………………………………………………..47.7 INCHES, 2008

LEAST SNOWFALL……………………………………………….4.1 INCHES, 1987

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/SNOWFALL > 1 INCH………….….5 (5.3)

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/SNOWFALL > 3 INCHES…………2

AVERAGE # OF DAYS W/SNOWFALL > 6 INCHES…………1

…MISCELLANEOUS FEBRUARY AVERAGES…

NORMAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS………………………..…1427

NORMAL COOLING DEGREE DAYS……………………….…0

MEAN WIND SPEED……………………………………………..8.7 MPH

AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS W/DENSE FOG…………..…2.4

MEAN NUMBER OF CLOUDY DAYS………………………….16

…SUNRISE AND SUNSET…

FEBRUARY 1^ST……………………………………………..……….6:57 AM/4:35 PM

FEBRUARY 28^TH ..………………………………………………….6:24 AM/5:08 PM

GAIN OF DAYLIGHT………………………………………………..66 MINUTES

The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for February indicates that there are no strong climate signals that would point toward an unusually cold or mild month. The odds are tilted toward above average precipitation.