May 2014 Climate Summary for northern and eastern Maine

May 2014 went down in the record books with near average
temperatures and precipitation across northern and eastern Maine.

Temperatures across northern and eastern Maine this past may were
generally within one degree of the 30-year average temperature.
The average temperature at Caribou was 52.3 degrees which was just 8
tenths of a degree above normal.  The high temperature this past May
was 78 degrees on the 16^th, .And the low temperature of 29 degrees
was observed on the 9th.  At Bangor, the average temperature of
54.5 degrees was also 8 tenths of a degree above normal.
Temperatures at Bangor this past may ranged from a high of 79 on the
12th to a low of 32 on the 9th.

Frost and even freezing temperatures were common across northern and
eastern Maine on the morning of the 29^th. Lows were in the upper 20s
and lower 30s, even all the way down to coastal Washington and
coastal Hancock counties.

At Caribou, there were 5 days this past may with a high temperature
of 70 degrees or warmer, which compares to an average of 8 days.
At Bangor, there were a total of 7 days with a high temperature of 70
or warmer, which compares to an average of 10.

Precipitation was spread out fairly evenly throughout the month,
although there were several consecutive days with rain from the 17th
through the 20th at most locations across northern Maine.
Precipitation in most areas was near normal and across the region
ranged from 75 to 125 percent of normal. A total of 3.17 inches of
rain was observed at Caribou, which was 16 hundredths of an inch
(0.16") below normal.  At Bangor 3.31 inches of rain fell, Which
was 33 hundredths (0.33") of an inch below normal.  It was the
driest May at Caribou and Bangor since 2010.

The average wind speed this past may at Caribou was 7.6 mph and the
peak wind gusts for the month was 40 mph on the 17th.  At
Bangor, the average wind speed was 7.4 mph and the peak wind speed
for the month was 36 mph on the 6th. The average wind speed was a
bit below average at both locations.

Thunder was observed on one day at Caribou.  No thunder was observed
during the month of May at the Bangor International Airport.  On
average, a thunderstorm is observed on two days during the month of
May at caribou, and about once every other year at Bangor.

In June, the average high at Caribou (Bangor) climbs from 68 (70)
degrees on the 1st to 75 (78) by months end.  The average low
temperature is 45 (48) degrees on the 1st and warms to 54 (56) by
the end of the month.  The amount of available daylight continues to
increase until the summer solstice, which this year occurs at 6:51
am on the 21st.  On the 21st there are 15 hours and 52 minutes while
the sun is above the horizon and 17 hours and 12 minutes of usable
daylight (civil twilight).

The outlook from the Climate Prediction Center for June indicates
that there are no strong climate signals that would tilt the odds
towards an unusually wet or dry June, or an unusually hot and cool
month.