May 2019 Climate Summary for Northern and Eastern Maine

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MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-011915-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
302 AM EDT SAT JUN 1 2019

...NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE MAY 2019 MONTHLY CLIMATE NARRATIVE...

TEMPERATURES THIS PAST MAY AVERAGED FROM 2 TO 4 DEGREES BELOW
AVERAGE. IN CARIBOU, MILLINOCKET, AND BANGOR IS WAS THE COOLEST
MAY SINCE 2005, AND AT HOULTON IT WAS THE COOLEST SINCE 1974.
ABOUT 2 OUT OF EVERY 3 DAYS HAD AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE THAT WAS
BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE.

FROST AND EVEN FREEZING TEMPERATURES WERE AN ISSUE DEEP INTO THE
MONTH. LOWS IN THE MID 20 TO LOW 30S WERE OBSERVED IN MOST INLAND
AREAS FROM CENTRAL PENOBSCOT AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTIES NORTH
ON THE MORNING OF THE 28TH. THE LOW AT CARIBOU OF 31 DEGREES ON
THE 28TH WAS A RECORD LOW WHICH BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF 32 IN
1994. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS A LOW TEMPERATURE BELOW
FREEZING DURING THE LAST 4 DAYS OF MAY, ALTHOUGH SUB- FREEZING
TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN JUNE.

THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED LACK OF ANY REAL WARM DAYS THIS PAST MAY.
THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ALL MONTH AT CARIBOU WAS 73 DEGREES ON THE
25TH, AND THERE WERE ONLY 2 DAYS WITH A HIGH IN THE 70S ALL
MONTH. THIS WAS THE FEWEST 70 DEGREE DAYS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY
SINCE 1995. IN BANGOR, THE HIGH FOR THE MONTH WAS 75 DEGREES ON
THE 25TH. THERE WERE 5 DAYS WITH A HIGH OF 70 DEGREES OR WARMER,
WHICH WAS THE FEWEST SINCE 2005.

PRECIPITATION WAS MORE VARIABLE, BUT IN MOST AREAS WAS ABOVE
AVERAGE AND RANGED FROM 110 TO 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THE LARGEST
DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL OF 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL WERE
OBSERVED IN WESTERN PISCATAQUIS AND NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTIES.
PARTS OF EASTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY HAD BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
WITH 70 TO 100 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION. IN HOULTON, 2.6"
OF RAIN WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 7 TENTHS OF AN INCH BELOW AVERAGE.
IN CARIBOU, A TRACE OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED ON THE 14TH AND AGAIN ON
THE 15TH, WHICH WERE THE LAST FLAKES OF THE SPRING. NO SNOW WAS
OBSERVED THIS PAST MAY IN BANGOR. MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION (0.01"
OR MORE) WAS OBSERVED ON 14 DAYS IN MILLINOCKET, 15 DAYS IN
HOULTON, 16 DAYS IN BANGOR, AND 17 DAYS IN CARIBOU.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER'S OUTLOOK FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN
MAINE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE INDICATES NO STRONG CLIMATE SIGNALS
THAT WOULD POINT TOWARD AN UNSUALLY WARM OR COOL MONTH. THERE IS A
CLIMATE SIGNAL THAT POINT TOWARD AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF BELOW
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION.

$$

CB/VJN