November 2023 Climate Review for Northern and Eastern Maine

...NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE OCTOBER 2023 CLIMATE MONTHLY SUMMARY...

NOVEMBER 2023 WAS COLDER THAN NORMAL WITH BELOW AVERAGE
PRECIPITATION. SNOWFALL WAS BELOW AVERAGE DOWNEAST AND RANGED FROM A
BIT BELOW AVERAGE TO A BIT ABOVE AVERAGE ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE REGION.

TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 1.5 TO 3 DEGREES (F) BELOW THE 1991-2020
NORMALS. PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM 50 TO 85 PERCENT OF NORMAL.
SNOWFALL WAS NEAR NORMAL ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE
AREA AND BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE DOWNEAST REGION.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF THE MONTH OCCURRED ON THE 22ND AND
THE 27TH.  THE STORM ON THE 22ND PRODUCED THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW
OF THE SEASON IN BANGOR WITH AN INCH OF SNOW. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WAS
OBSERVED FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TO SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY
WHERE 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED.  AMOUNTS DROPPED OFF TO 2
TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY.  THE NEXT STORM ON THE
27TH PRODUCED FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW FROM CARIBOU NORTH TO THE
SAINT JOHN VALLEY WITH UP TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IN WESTERN AROOSTOOK
COUNTY AND NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY ALONG AND NEAR THE QUEBEC
BORDER. THE STORM ALSO PRODUCED HIGH WINDS WITH A WIND GUST TO 60
MPH AT THE AIRPORT IN BANGOR AND 66 MPH AT BLUE HILL IN HANCOCK
COUNTY.

BY THE END OF THE MONTH THERE WAS AN INCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND IN
CARIBOU, 4 TO 6 INCHES IN THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY, AND FROM 5 TO 10
INCHES IN WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE NORTH WOODS ALONG AND NEAR THE
QUEBEC BORDER. THERE WAS NO SNOW OR ONLY A TRACE IN SPOTS FROM
MILLINOCKET SOUTH TO THE COAST. THE FROST DEPTH AT CARIBOU WAS 1
INCH AS OF THE END OF THE MONTH.

RIVER ICE BEGAN TO FORM DURING THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THE MONTH ON
PARTS OF THE AROOSTOOK RIVER, THE SAINT JOHN, ALLAGASH, AND ABOUT AS
FAR SOUTH AS THE NORTHERN PENOBSCOT BASIN.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER`S OUTLOOK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER
2023 INDICATES THAT THERE ARE NO STRONG CLIMATE SIGNALS THAT POINT
TOWARD IT BEING UNSUALLY COLD OR MILD.  THERE ARE ALSO NO STRONG
SIGNALS THAT POINT TOWARD IT BEING UNSUALLY WET (SNOWY) OR DRY.

THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES FALL FROM THE LOW 30S AT THE START OF
THE MONTH ACROSS FAR NORTHERN MAINE TO THE LOW 20S BY THE END OF THE
MONTH. THE AVERAGE LOWS FALL FROM THE UPPER TEENS AND INTO THE
SINGLE DIGITS.  ON AVERAGE THERE IS 25.2 INCHES OF SNOW IN CARIBOU,
MAKING IT THE 2ND SNOWIEST MONTH ON AVERAGE.

IN BANGOR THE AVERAGE HIGHS DROP FROM THE UPPER 30S ON THE 1ST TO
30F BY MONTHS END. THE AVERAGE LOWS DROP FROM THE LOW 20S TO 12F BY
THE END OF THE MONTH. THE AVERAGE SNOWFALL IN BANGOR IS 14.7 INCHES.
THE WINTER SOLSTICE THIS YEAR WILL OCCUR ON DECEMBER 21ST AT 10:27
PM.

$$

CB/VJN