Spring 2013 Weather Summary for Northern & Eastern Maine

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CXUS51 KCAR 151636
CLMCAR

CLIMATE REPORT...PRELIM
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU, ME
1043 AM EDT SAT JUN 15 2013

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

...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE SEASON, FROM
3/1/2013 TO 5/31/2013...

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              96   05/22/1977
LOW              -28   03/02/2001
HIGHEST            87   05/31        MM      MM       86  05/21
LOWEST              0   03/18        MM      MM       -1  03/06
                                                          03/01
AVG. MAXIMUM     50.1              48.1     2.0     52.2
AVG. MINIMUM     31.4              28.4     3.0     32.2
MEAN             40.7              38.2     2.5     42.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.1    -0.1        0
DAYS MAX <= 32     10              12.8    -2.8        8
DAYS MIN <= 32     50              52.0    -2.0       45
DAYS MIN <= 0       1               4.1    -3.1        2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM        14.29   2005
MINIMUM         4.11   1965
TOTALS           8.65              8.50    0.15    10.02
DAILY AVG.       0.10              0.09    0.01     0.11
DAYS >= .01        44              39.4     4.6       41
DAYS >= .10        20              21.8    -1.8       22
DAYS >= .50         6               5.0     1.0        7
DAYS >= 1.00        1               0.8     0.2        3
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL    1.40   MM                       05/31 TO 05/31
                                                          05/31 TO 05/31
                                                          05/31 TO 05/31

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
TOTAL           65.1   1961
TOTALS           19.5              26.2    -6.7     28.3
SINCE 7/1       106.9             108.7    -1.8    103.7
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      3                MM      MM        4
DAYS >= 1.0         5               6.9    -1.9        5
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH        22   03/02                         27  03/04
                        03/01
24 HR TOTAL      8.9   MM                       05/31 TO 05/31
                                                          05/31 TO 05/31
                                                          05/31 TO 05/31

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    2215              2468    -253     2080
SINCE 7/1         MM              9189      MM       MM
COOLING TOTAL       8                 5       3        9
SINCE 1/1          8                 5       3        9
..................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.1
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    30/330    DATE  05/31
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    44/290    DATE  05/31

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.50
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           29
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             29
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         34

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     67

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                6     RAIN                      11
LIGHT RAIN               38     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                2     SNOW                       6
LIGHT SNOW               24     SLEET                      0
FOG                      45     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      8
HAZE                     17

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

&&

...NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE SEASONAL AREA NARRATIVE...

SPRING (MARCH-MAY) 2013 FINISHED WITH AVERAGE OR ABOVE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE AND NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL.

TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM NEAR NORMAL OVER DOWNEAST AREAS TO 2.0 TO
3.5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL OVER FAR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION. AT
CARIBOU...SPRING OF 2013 FINISHED IN A TIE (WITH 1977) AS 8TH
WARMEST WITH THE MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 40.7 DEGREES SIGNIFICANTLY
COOLER THAN THE WARMEST MEAN OF 43.9 DEGREES RECORDED FOR SPRING OF
2010. TEMPERATURES BEGAN NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE
REGION FOR MARCH AND MUCH OF APRIL...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG TURN
AROUND TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN LATE APRIL INTO EARLY
MAY...ESPECIALLY NORTHERN PORTIONS...WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT A FAIRLY
EARLY GREEN-UP TO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES THEN COOLED TO NEAR TO
BELOW NORMAL FOR MID AND LATE MAY.

PRECIPITATION FOR THE SEASON RANGED FROM 75 PERCENT ALONG THE
DOWNEAST COAST TO NEAR 110 PERCENT OVER THE FAR NORTH. PRECIPITATION
WAS INITIALLY NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL THROUGH MARCH AND MUCH OF
APRIL...WITH A PERIOD OF MUCH BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACCOMPANYING
THE VERY WARM PERIOD OF LATE APRIL INTO EARLY MAY. IN FACT...AREA
FARMERS PARTICULARLY IN NORTHERN MAINE WERE CONCERNED OF A TOP SOIL
MOISTURE SHORTAGE FOR PLANTED POTATOES BY MID MAY AND THERE WERE MANY
SMALL FIELD FIRES PRIOR TO GREEN-UP WHEN DRY DEAD GRASSES FROM THE
PREVIOUS WARM SEASON WERE EASILY IGNITED. THESE CONCERNS WERE
COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND WITH SEVERAL HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS FROM
MID TO LATE MAY...RESULTING IN SATURATED FIELDS BY THE CLOSE OF
SEASON ON MAY 31ST.

SPRING SNOWFALL RANGED FROM 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL ACROSS THE NORTH TO
95 PERCENT OVER DOWNEAST AREAS...RUNNING OPPOSITE OF PRECIPITATION
TRENDS. THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THAT SNOW EVENTS CUT-OFF FAIRLY SHARPLY
AFTER EARLY APRIL...AT WHICH POINT...ALL OF THE REGION WAS RUNNING
BELOW AVERAGE FOR TOTAL PRECIPITATION. THE EARLY CUT-OFF DID NOT ALLOW
NORTHERN AREAS TO RECEIVE MID TO LATE APRIL SNOW EVENTS THAT WOULD
HAVE RESULTED IN CLOSER TO AVERAGE SEASONAL TOTALS. WHEN RAINFALL
INCREASED SHARPLY IN MID TO LATE MAY ESPECIALLY FOR NORTHERN AREAS...
IT WAS TO WARM FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENTS.

$$

VJN