000
CXUS51 KCAR 061811 CCB
CLMCAR
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU, ME
104 PM EST THU JAN 3 2013
...................................
...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1939 TO 2013
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 58 12/12/1950
12/05/1950
LOW -31 12/30/1989
HIGHEST 50 12/05 MM MM 47 12/05
LOWEST -6 12/16 MM MM -11 12/25
12/24
AVG. MAXIMUM 29.3 26.2 3.1 30.6
AVG. MINIMUM 13.5 10.3 3.2 14.4
MEAN 21.4 18.2 3.2 22.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 19 21.2 -2.2 17
DAYS MIN <= 32 31 29.9 1.1 30
DAYS MIN <= 0 2 7.4 -5.4 4
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 7.97 1973
MINIMUM 0.74 1963
TOTALS 3.07 -0.20
DAILY AVG. 0.10 0.11 -0.01 0.11
DAYS >= .01 17 14.3 2.7 16
DAYS >= .10 7 7.4 -0.4 8
DAYS >= .50 2 2.1 -0.1 2
DAYS >= 1.00 0 0.4 -0.4 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 0.93 12/18 TO 12/19 12/15 TO 12/16
12/16 TO 12/16
12/16 TO 12/16
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL 59.9 1972
TOTALS 26.9 22.9 4.0 17.0
SINCE 7/1 28.5 35.1 -6.6 20.1
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 4 7 -3 2
DAYS >= 1.0 7 5.8 1.2 3
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 12 12/21 6 12/09
12/20 12/08
24 HR TOTAL 6.6 MM 12/16 TO 12/16
12/16 TO 12/16
12/16 TO 12/16
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 1347 1449 -102 1312
SINCE 7/1 3179 3594 -415 2925
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 279 180 99 175
.......................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 7.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 32/310 DATE 12/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 45/310 DATE 12/30
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.70
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 7
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 11
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 13
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 80
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0
LIGHT RAIN 7 FREEZING RAIN 1
LT FREEZING RAIN 4 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 6
LIGHT SNOW 21 SLEET 0
FOG 23 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2
HAZE 7
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
$$
AREA MONTHLY CLIMATE NARRATIVE
DECEMBER 2012 WENT DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS WITH ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL.
TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM ABOUT A HALF TO 2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
ACROSS DOWNEAST AREAS AND 2 TO 3 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION. AT CARIBOU 19 OF THE
PAST 20 MONTHS HAVE FEATURED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE AVERAGE
MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 21.4 DEGREES AT CARIBOU WAS 3.2 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL. DESPITE TEMPERATURES ENDING UP ABOVE NORMAL IT WAS THE
COLDEST DECEMBER AT CARIBOU SINCE 2009. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM A
LOW OF 6 BELOW ON THE 16TH TO A HIGH OF 50 DEGREES ON THE 5TH. THERE
WERE A TOTAL OF 8 DAYS THIS PAST DECEMBER WHEN THE DAILY AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE WAS MORE THAN 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...AND ONLY 2 DAYS
WHEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE WAS 10 DEGREES OR MORE BELOW
NORMAL. AT BANGOR...THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 26.7 DEGREES
WAS 2.1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM A LOW OF 1
DEGREE ON THE 29TH TO A HIGH OF 50 DEGREES ON THE 5TH. THERE WERE A
TOTAL OF 5 DAYS WHEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE WAS MORE THAN 10
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...AND 2 DAYS WHEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE
WAS MORE THAN 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WERE NO NEW
TEMPERATURE RECORDS ESTABLISHED AT CARIBOU OR BANGOR THIS PAST
DECEMBER. TEMPERATURES AT MILLINOCKET AND HOULTON AVERAGED 3.3 AND
2.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL RESPECTIVELY.
AS IS USUALLY THE CASE PRECIPITATION WAS MORE VARIABLE ACROSS THE
REGION...BUT MOST OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION HAD
NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION. AT CARIBOU...A TOTAL OF 3.07 INCHES OF
LIQUID PRECIPITATION FELL WHICH INCLUDED 26.9 INCHES OF SNOW. THE
TOTAL LIQUID PRECIPITATION WAS JUST TWO TENTHS OF AN INCH BELOW
NORMAL...BUT THE TOTAL SNOWFALL WAS 3 1/2 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL AND
MADE IT THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER SINCE 2009. AT BANGOR...A TOTAL OF
3.59 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED WHICH WAS JUST 11
HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH ABOVE NORMAL. A TOTAL OF 17.6 INCHES OF SNOW
WAS OBSERVED...WHICH WAS 3.4 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL...AND WAS MUCH
SNOWIER THAN LAST DECEMBER WHEN ONLY 8.8 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED
FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH.
PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WAS BELOW NORMAL FOR MANY AREAS ALONG THE
COAST UNTIL A STORM ON THE 29TH INTO THE 30TH PRODUCED HEAVY
SNOWFALL. MANY AREAS HAD WELL IN EXCESS OF A FOOT OF SNOW...AND
GOULDSBORO IN HANCOCK COUNTY AND THE AREA AROUND MACHIAS IN
WASHINGTON COUNTY OBSERVED 20 INCHES OF SNOW FROM THE STORM.
DUE TO A SLOW SNOWFALL START THIS MONTH...AREA SNOW DEPTH FOR THE
MONTH AS A WHOLE WAS ONLY 50 TO 60 PERCENT OF AVERAGE...BUT IN
ACTUALITY...CAUGHT UP TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES BY THE END OF THE MONTH
AFTER A SERIES OF THREE SNOW STORMS AFFECTED THE REGION DURING THE
SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH. THIS ALLOWED A FASTER START TO THE SKI AND
SNOW MOBILE SEASON FOR MUCH OF REGION THIS WINTER THAN THE PRIOR 2
OR 3 WINTERS.
THE OUTLOOK FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER FOR JANUARY INDICATES
AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THERE
ARE NO STRONG CLIMATE SIGNALS THAT POINT TOWARD EITHER ABOVE OR
BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
$$
CB/VJN
