Spring (Mar-May) 2024: Warm and Generally Wet

Spring (Mar-May) 2024: Warm and Generally Wet

Images Courtesy Brian Brettschneider, Alaska State Climatologist

828
CXUS51 KCAR 031010
CLSCAR

CLIMATE REPORT...PRELIMINARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
342 AM EDT MON JUN 03 2024

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

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2024 TO 5/31/2024...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2024

WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 96 05/22/1977
LOW -28 03/02/2001
HIGHEST 84 05/22 MM MM 91 05/31
LOWEST 0 03/01 MM MM -4 03/04
AVG. MAXIMUM 52.2 48.3 3.9 50.4
AVG. MINIMUM 33.0 28.8 4.2 30.1
MEAN 42.6 38.6 4.0 40.3
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.2 -0.2 1
DAYS MAX <= 32 4 14.1 -10.1 9
DAYS MIN <= 32 49 53.7 -4.7 49
DAYS MIN <= 0 1 4.2 -3.2 1

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 14.29 2005
MINIMUM 4.11 1965
TOTALS 9.47 9.22 0.25 6.23
DAILY AVG. 0.10 0.10 -0.00 0.07
DAYS >= .01 41 40.3 0.7 33
DAYS >= .10 23 22.6 0.4 14
DAYS >= .50 6 5.9 0.1 4
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.8 0.2 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.34 MM 1.20

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 65.1 1961
TOTALS 31.2 30.5 0.7 33.3
SINCE 7/1 88.2 118.2 -30.0 MM
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 1 9
DAYS >= 1.0 8 7.9 0.1 10
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 13 03/24 27 03/03
24 HR TOTAL 29.8* MM 3.7

DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 2051 2438 -387 2264
SINCE 7/1 7644 8901 -1257 MM
COOLING TOTAL 16 6 10 11
SINCE 1/1 16 6 10 MM
................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 7.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 29/070 DATE 04/04
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 46/290 DATE 03/30

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.54
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 18
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 20
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 24

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 67

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 1 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 3 RAIN 11
LIGHT RAIN 40 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 2 SNOW 5
LIGHT SNOW 22 SLEET 0
FOG 35 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 10
HAZE 1

- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
* INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

...NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE 2024 SPRING CLIMATE NARRATIVE...

METEOROLOGICAL SPRING (MARCH 1ST - MAY 31ST) FINISHED WITH WELL
ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, AT TO ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION, AND AT
TO ABOVE AVERAGE SNOWFALL.

SPRING TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION RANGED FROM 2.5 TO 4.5 DEGREES
F ABOVE AVERAGE WITH THE WARMEST DEPARTURES ACROSS THE NORTH. THE
2024 SPRING SEASONAL AVERAGE OF 42.6 DEGREES AT CARIBOU FINISHED 2ND
WARMEST ONLY BEHIND SPRING 2010 WHICH AVERAGED 43.9 DEGREES. IT WAS
THE 4TH, 5TH, AND 6TH WARMEST SPRING OF RECORD AT MILLINOCKET,
HOULTON, AND BANGOR RESPECTFULLY, ALL OF WHICH ALSO EXPERIENCED
THEIR WARMEST SPRING IN 2010. UNIFORM WARMTH WITH ONLY A FEW SHORT
BELOW AVERAGE PERIODS WAS THE GENERAL RULE FOR THE REGION THIS
SEASON.

TOTAL PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM NEAR AVERAGE ACROSS THE FAR
NORTHEAST TO 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVER THE CENTRAL
HIGHLANDS AND DOWNEAST AREAS. THE TOTAL OF 15.31 INCHES AT BANGOR
WAS THE THIRD GREATEST SPRING PRECIPITATION TOTAL, BUT WAS STILL
WELL BEHIND THE WETTEST SPRING OF 24.07 INCHES SET IN 1983.

DESPITE BEING A WARM SPRING, SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON RANGED FROM
NEAR AVERAGE UPWARDS TO 125 TO 150 PERCENT OF AVERAGE OVER THE
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. MOST OF THIS SNOW
FELL IN THE LATTER HALF OF MARCH AND OPENING DAYS OF APRIL, WHICH
PROVIDED A SHORT SECOND WINTER AFTER A LENGTHY THAW PERIOD EARLIER
IN MARCH RESULTING IN THE MELT OFF OF MOST OF THE LOWER TERRAIN
SNOWPACK. SNOWFALL WAS THEN BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE REST OF APRIL, AND
PRETTY MUCH NON-EXISTENT IN MAY. THAW CONDITIONS EARLY IN SPRING
ENDED THE SKIING AND SNOW MOBILE SEASON UPWARDS TO A MONTH EARLIER
THAN AVERAGE, EVEN AS FAR NORTH AS NORTHEAST MAINE, NEGATIVELY
IMPACTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER`S 2024 SUMMER (JUNE 1ST - AUGUST 31ST)
PREDICTION FOR THE REGION IS CALLING FOR SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
ODDS OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND NEARLY EQUAL ODDS OF BELOW,
NEAR NORMAL, OR ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL.

$$

VJN/CB/NC