Summer 2023 Climate Review for Northern and Eastern Maine

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

METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER (JUNE THROUGH AUGUST) FINISHED WITH ABOVE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.

TEMPERATURES FOR THE 3-MONTH PERIOD AVERAGED FROM 1 TO 2 DEGREES
ABOVE THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE, EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST WHERE TEMPERATURES
WERE CLOSE TO THE 1991-2020 AVERAGE.  PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE TO
WELL ABOVE AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 125 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THE
GREATEST DEPARTURES FROM AVERAGE WERE IN PARTS OF COASTAL WASHINGTON
COUNTY AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND IN SOUTHWEST
PENOBSCOT COUNTY.

IN CARIBOU IT TIED WITH 1990 AS THE 10TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD.
IN HOULTON IT WAS THE 13TH WARMEST ON RECORD.  MILLINOCKET AND
BANGOR BOTH ENDED UP WITH THE 30TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD WITH
BANGOR IN A TIE FOR 30TH PLACE WITH 2012.

IN CARIBOU IS WAS THE 12TH WETTEST SUMMER ON RECORD WITH 14.59
INCHES OF RAIN. IN HOULTON IT TIED WITH 1977 AS THE 11TH WETTEST ON
RECORD WITH 15.13 INCHES. MILLINOCKET WHICH HAS A MUCH LONGER PERIOD
OF RECORD DATING BACK TO 1903 OBSERVED THEIR 5TH WETTEST SUMMER ON
RECORD WITH 18.22 INCHES OF RAIN. FINALLY IN BANGOR IT WAS THE 10TH
WETTEST SUMMER ON RECORD WITH 13.89 INCHES OF RAIN. TOTAL
EVAPORATION FOR THE SUMMER AS MEASURED BY THE CARIBOU WEATHER
STATION EVAPORATION PAN WAS 12.24 INCHES, MEANING THAT SUMMER
RAINFALL AT MOST LOCATIONS IN THE REGION WELL EXCEEDED THIS AMOUNT,
WITH PLENTY OF EXCESS RAINFALL CONTRIBUTING TO HIGHER STREAM AND
RIVER LEVELS ACROSS THE REGION AS A WHOLE COMPARED TO RECENT PAST
SUMMERS.

JUNE 2023 WILL BE MOSTLY REMEMBERED FOR CLOUDY, COOL, AND RAINY
CONDITIONS FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE. AT CARIBOU, THE 7 DAY PERIOD
FROM THE 3RD THROUGH THE 9TH WAS THE LONGEST STRETCH OF CONSECUTIVE
SUB-60 DEGREE HIGH TEMPS RECORDED IN JUNE. ANOTHER INTERESTING
FEATURE OF THIS MONTH WAS THE LACK OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH NO REPORTS
OF HAIL SIZE EQUAL OR GREATER THAN 1 INCH DIAMETER OR WIND GUSTS (OR
EQUIVALENT DAMAGE) EQUAL OR GREATER THAN 58 MPH, MARKING ONLY THE
3RD JUNE OF THIS OCCURRING ALONG WITH 2014 AND 2019.

JULY 2023 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR VERY WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS FOR
NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE WITH NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE RAINFALL.  IN
CARIBOU IT WAS THE ALL-TIME WARMEST MONTH ON RECORD SINCE WEATHER
RECORDS BEGAN IN 1939.  IN HOULTON AND MILLINOCKET IT WAS THE 2ND
WARMEST JULY ON RECORD, AND IN BANGOR IT WAS THE 4TH WARMEST ON
RECORD. A PERSISTENT SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW MADE FOR A HUMID MONTH
AND VERY WARM OVERNIGHT LOWS WERE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
RECORD TO NEAR RECORD WARMTH.  THERE WAS A CONTINUED LACK OF SEVERE
WEATHER WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF REPORTS ALL MONTH OF TREES DOWN DUE
TO STRONG WIND ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS.

AUGUST 2023 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR COOLER THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
AND WELL ABOVE AVERAGE RAINFALL. IN CARIBOU, THERE WERE NO 80 DEGREE
DAYS THE ENTIRE MONTH.  THE ONLY OTHER TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE
WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1939 WAS BACK IN 1972. RAINFALL ACROSS THE
REGION THIS PAST AUGUST WAS WELL ABOVE AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 150
TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL, AND WAS SPREAD OUT FAIRLY EVENLY ACROSS
THE MONTH. AUGUST HAD THE MOST REPORTS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OF
ANY MONTH THIS SUMMER.  ON AUGUST 13TH THERE WERE SEVERAL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THAT KNOCKED DOWN TREES AND PRODUCED LARGE HAIL IN
PORTIONS OF AROOSTOOK, PISCATAQUIS, AND PENOBSCOT COUNTIES.

THE OUTLOOK FOR FALL (SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER) 2023 IS CALLING FOR
GREATER ODDS OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS AND EQUAL ODDS OF BELOW, NEAR
NORMAL, OR ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION

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CB/VJN