January 2020 Climate Review

...JANUARY 2020 NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE CLIMATE NARRATIVE...

JANUARY 2020 FINISHED WITH WELL ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL FROM AROUND MARS HILL NORTH TO
THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY AND BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION.

THE BIG STORY WAS THE LACK OF ANY PROLONGED ARCTIC AIR.  ONLY SEVEN
OUT OF THE 31 DAYS HAD BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN CARIBOU WITH
ONLY 5 DAYS OF BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN BANGOR.  IT WAS THE
MILDEST JANUARY IN CARIBOU SINCE 2016, BUT SINCE 1940 IT RANKED AS
THE 9TH MILDEST JANUARY ON RECORD.  IN BANGOR, IT WAS THE MILDEST
JANUARY SINCE 2017 AND RANKED AS THE 13TH MILDEST JANUARY SINCE
1926.  IN HOULTON IT WAS THE 11TH MILDEST JANUARY SINCE 1949, AND IN
MILLINOCKET IT WAS THE 7TH MILDEST SINCE 1904.

THE LARGEST SNOW EVENTS OCCURRED ON THE 12TH AND ON THE 18TH INTO
THE 19TH.  THE EVENT ON THE 12TH PRODUCED OVER A FOOT OF SNOW FROM
CARIBOU NORTH THROUGH THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF
SLEET FROM PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS EAST INTO CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COUNTY AND NORTH INTO PARTS OF EASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.
THERE WAS ALSO UP TO 3 TENTHS OF AN INCH OF FREEZING RAIN IN A
NARROW CORRIDOR TO THE NORTH OF BANGOR.  THE STORM ON THE 18TH INTO
THE 19TH PRODUCED MORE WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL ACROSS ALL OF THE REGION
WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW.  A FEW SPOTS AROUND HOULTON OBSERVED A
FOOT OF SNOW, AND PARTS OF COASTAL HANCOCK COUNTY ONLY OBSERVED A
COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW.

BY THE END OF THE MONTH, THE SNOW DEPTH RANGED FROM 16 TO 24 INCHES
ACROSS FAR NORTHERN MAINE FROM CARIBOU/PRESQUE ISLE NORTH TO THE
SAINT JOHN VALLEY WITH 5 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND IN MILLINOCKET
AND ONLY A TRACE IN BANGOR. MOST AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST HAD
ANYWHERE FROM A TRACE TO A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND.

THE CPC OUTLOOK FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY FOR THE REGION IS CALLING
FOR EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE, NEAR NORMAL, OR BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION. TEMPERATURES BEGIN AN UPWARD SWING
IN FEBRUARY WITH THE AVERAGE HIGH IN CARIBOU CLIMBING  FROM 21
DEGREES ON THE 1ST TO 28 BY THE END OF THE MONTH. THE AVERAGE LOW
RISES FROM 1 ON THE 1ST TO 8 BY THE END OF THE MONTH.  THERE IS ON
AVERAGE 22.2 INCHES OF SNOW IN CARIBOU.  IN BANGOR, THE AVERAGE HIGH
RISES FROM 28 ON THE 1ST TO 35 BY THE END OF THE MONTH.  THE AVERAGE
LOW RISES FROM 7 ON THE 1ST TO 14 BY THE END OF THE MONTH.  THERE IS
A GAIN OF A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR OF DAYLIGHT DURING THE MONTH OF
FEBRUARY.