Meteorological Summer (June, July, August) 2020 Climate Summary for Northern and Eastern Maine

 000

NOUS41 KCAR 052100

PNSCAR

MEZ001>006-010-011-015>017-029>032-060900-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME

500 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 2020

...SUMMER 2020 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE...

METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER (JUNE THROUGH AUGUST) 2020 FEATURED WELL

ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION. 

FOR THE 3-MONTH PERIOD, TEMPERATURES AVERAGED FROM 1.5 TO 3.5 

DEGREES ABOVE THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE. PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM 50 TO

75 PERCENT OF AVERAGE WITH THE GREATEST DEPARTURES FROM NORTHERN

WASHINGTON COUNTY AND BAXTER STATE PARK NORTH TO THE SAINT JOHN 

VALLEY. 

IN CARIBOU, IT RANKED AS THE ALL-TIME WARMEST AND 2ND DRIEST

SUMMER ON RECORD. WEATHER RECORDS IN CARIBOU DATE BACK TO 1939.  

THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 49 DAYS DURING THE 3-MONTH PERIOD WITH A

HIGH OF 80 OR WARMER, THE MOST ON RECORD FOR A METEOROLOGICAL 

SUMMER. THERE WERE 7 DAYS WITH A HIGH OF 90 DEGREES OR WARMER 

WHICH TIED FOR THE 2ND MOST ON RECORD. THE HIGH OF 96 DEGREES ON 

JUNE 19TH TIED FOR THE ALL-TIME WARMEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD. 

IN HOULTON, IT RANKED AS THE 5TH WARMEST AND ALL TIME DRIEST

SUMMER ON RECORD. WEATHER RECORDS IN HOULTON DATE BACK TO 1948.

IN MILLINOCKET, IT RANKED AS THE 6TH WARMEST ON RECORD. IT DID NOT

RANK IN THE TOP 20 DRIEST ON RECORD. WEATHER RECORDS IN 

MILLINOCKET DATE BACK TO 1902.

IN BANGOR, IT RANKED AS THE 13TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD. IT DID

NOT RANK IN THE TOP 20 DRIEST ON RECORD. WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN

1926.  

THE BIG STORY THIS SUMMER WAS THE VERY WARM AND DRY WEATHER. THERE

WERE NO DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN THE REGION AT THE START OF THE SUMMER,

BUT BY THE END OF JUNE ALL OF THE REGION WAS EITHER ABNORMALLY 

DRY OR IN MODERATE DROUGHT. THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPANDED IN 

JULY WITH SEVERE DROUGHT OBSERVED ACROSS NORTHERN AROOSTOOK 

COUNTY. IN AUGUST, THE SEVERE DROUGHT EXPANDED FURTHER TO INCLUDE 

NEARLY ALL OF AROOSTOOK COUNTY, NORTHERN PENOBSCOT COUNTY, 

EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY, AND MUCH OF PISCATAQUIS COUNTY.

MANY GRAIN CROPS FAILED AND OTHER CROPS REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT

IRRIGATION. THERE WERE REPORTS THAT DUG WELLS DRIED UP DURING THE

MONTH OF AUGUST IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

STREAMS AND RIVERS WERE AT NEAR RECORD LOW FLOWS DURING THE 2ND 

HALF OF THE SUMMER. 

ANOTHER ITEM OF NOTE WAS THE LACK OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS SUMMER 

WITH THE FIRST STORMS THAT PRODUCED SEVERE WEATHER NOT UNTIL JUNE 

26TH, AND NO MAJOR OUTBREAKS OF SEVERE WEATHER THE ENTIRE SUMMER.

$$

CB/VJN