A Very Warm and Dry Start to July for Northern & Eastern Maine

So far only 3 hundredths of an inch (0.03") of rain has been observed at Caribou, Maine. This makes it the driest start (month to date) at Caribou since weather records began in 1939. The chance of any additional rain is very slim until late next week when a cold front is expected to cross the area. The all-time driest July on record occurred in 1991 when only 96 hundredths of an inch of rain fell during the entire month.

It has also been a very warm start to the month. The average temperature so far this month of 70.2 degrees is 5.2 degrees above the 30-year average temperature. Month to date, it ranks as the 3rd warmest start to the month of July on record. Temperatures are expected to be well above normal through early next week, and there is a good chance that the first half of July will end up as the warmest on record. The all-time warmest July on record occurred in 1970 with an average monthly temperature of 69.6 degrees.

The long range outlook from the Climate Precipitation Center for week 2 (July 20-26, 2013) calls for an increased likelihood of below normal temperatures across Maine.  The long range indications are that a strong cold front will cross the area late next week and usher a much cooler air mass into northern New England at the end of next week as a trough of low pressure aloft becomes established across eastern Canada.