2020 Climate Summary for Northern and Eastern Maine

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

IN CARIBOU, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 42.6 DEGREES (F)

WHICH TIED WITH 2012 AS THE 2ND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. IT DID

FALL WELL SHY OF THE ALL-TIME WARMEST YEAR IN 2010 WHEN THE

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 44.4 DEGREES (F). SEVEN OF THE TOP 10

WARMEST YEARS HAVE NOW BEEN OBSERVED SINCE 2000. A TOTAL OF 35.58

INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 2.91

INCHES BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE, AND MADE IT THE DRIEST YEAR

SINCE 2004. A TOTAL OF 145.4 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED, WHICH

WAS 34.7 INCHES ABOVE AVERAGE. WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1939.

IN BANGOR, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 46.8 DEGREES (F)

WHICH MADE IT THE 3RD WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. SIX OF THE TOP 10

WARMEST YEARS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED SINCE 2000. A TOTAL OF 37.1

INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 4.83

INCHES BELOW THE 30-YEAR AVERAGE, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2016.

A TOTAL OF 44.3 OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 24.0 INCHES BELOW

AVERAGE. WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1925.

IN HOULTON, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 42.7 DEGREES (F)

WHICH TIED WITH 1953, 1973, AND 2012 AS THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON

RECORD. FIVE OF THE TOP 10 WARMEST YEARS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED SINCE

2000. A TOTAL OF 30.94 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS

OBSERVED, WHICH WAS 9.04 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 6TH

DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2001. WEATHER

RECORDS BEGAN IN 1948.

IN MILLINOCKET, THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN 2020 WAS 44.9 DEGREES

(F), WHICH MADE IT THE 4TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD. A TOTAL OF

39.31 INCHES OF RAIN (AND MELTED SNOW) WAS OBSERVED, WHICH WAS

3.37 INCHES BELOW AVERAGE, AND THE DRIEST YEAR SINCE 2016.

WEATHER RECORDS BEGAN IN 1903.

THE BIG STORY IN 2020 WAS THAT IT WAS A VERY WARM YEAR WITH A

DROUGHT THAT BEGAN IN LATE JUNE, PEAKED OUT IN EARLY FALL WHEN

SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED ACROSS MOST OF

THE AREA, EXCEPT IN PARTS OF THE DOWNEAST REGION WHERE MODERATE

DROUGHT WAS OBSERVED. WET CONDITIONS DURING THE MID TO LATE FALL

AND EARLY WINTER WIPED OUT ALL OF THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY THE

END OF THE YEAR. THE SEVERE WEATHER SEASON WAS SLOW WITH NO MAJOR

OUTBREAKS OF SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE SPRING OR SUMMER. THE FIRE

WEATHER SEASON WAS ACTIVE WITH THE MOST FIRES IN OVER A DECADE.

MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS:

JANUARY 2020 WAS A MILD MONTH WITH A PRONOUNCED LACK OF ARCTIC

AIR. ONLY SEVEN OUT OF 31 DAYS HAD BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN

CARIBOU WITH ONLY 5 DAYS WITH BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ALL

MONTH IN BANGOR. PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE FROM

AROUND MARS HILLS NORTH, AND BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF

THE REGION.

FEBRUARY WAS ANOTHER MONTH WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. THE

COLDEST TEMPERATURE OF THE WINTER WAS OBSERVED ON THE MORNING OF

THE 15TH WITH A LOW OF 36 BELOW ZERO 1 MILE NORTH OF MASARDIS.

PRECIPITATION INCLUDING SNOWFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE FROM PRESQUE

ISLE AND CLAYTON LAKE NORTH, AND BELOW AVERAGE TO THE SOUTH. THE

MOST SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM OCCURRED ON THE 6TH INTO THE 7TH

WHEN OVER 20 INCHES OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED IN SOME SPOTS ACROSS

NORTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.

MARCH FEATURED ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION.

PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA, BUT CLOSE

TO AVERAGE IN THE FAR NORTH. THERE WERE BIG DIFFERENCES IN SNOW

DEPTH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. IN BANGOR, THERE WAS ONLY AN AVERAGE

SNOW DEPTH OF 0.3" FOR THE MONTH, WHILE IN CARIBOU THERE WAS AN

AVERAGE OF 27.4 INCHES.

APRIL WAS THE FIRST MONTH OF 2020 TO HAVE BELOW AVERAGE

TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE, WITH THE LARGEST

NEGATIVE DEPARTURES OBSERVED DURING THE 2ND HALF OF THE MONTH.

PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE AVERAGE DOWNEAST, AND CLOSE TO AVERAGE IN

THE NORTH. IT WAS A SNOWY MONTH IN THE NORTH WITH 21.9 INCHES OF

SNOW IN CARIBOU, WHICH MADE IT THE 5TH SNOWIEST APRIL ON RECORD.

THE BIG EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS A STORM ON THE 9TH INTO THE 10TH

THAT PRODUCED WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT TO

THE NORTH OF BANGOR. BY THE END OF MONTH, THE SNOW HAD MELTED OUT

IN ALL AREA EXCEPT IN THE FAR NORTH WHERE THERE WAS STILL A FOOT

OR MORE OF SNOW IN THE DENSELY WOODED AREAS OF THE NORTH WOODS.

MAY WAS REMARKABLE FOR THE EXTREMES THAT WERE OBSERVED. THE FIRST

HALF OF THE MONTH WAS VERY COLD, AND THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THE MONTH

WERE UNUSUALLY WARM. A MAJOR LATE SEASON WINTER STORM ON THE 9TH

PRODUCED FROM 5 TO 15 INCHES OF SNOW FROM DANFORTH TO WESTFIELD,

WITH TEMPERATURES THAT FELL INTO THE UPPER 20S IN THE AFTERNOON

WITH FREEZING RAIN IN THE NORTH, WHICH WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR SO

LATE IN THE SEASON. WARM/DRY CONDITONS LED TO THE START OF AN

ACTIVE FIRE SEASON BY LATE IN THE MONTH AND RECORD WARMTH ON MAY

26TH-29TH.

JUNE BEGAN ON A COOL NOTE, BUT TRANSITIONED TO A HOT MONTH AND

ENDED WITH WELL ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, AND WAS THE WARMEST

JUNE ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. THE HIGH OF 96 DEGREES (F) ON THE 19TH

TIED THE ALL-TIME WARMEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD IN CARIBOU FOR THE

3RD TIME SINCE 1939. A FEW NON-CLIMATE SITES DID REACH 100 DEGREES

ON THE 20TH (ETNA, MATTAWAMKEAG, AND SHIN POND), WHICH WAS THE

FIRST TIME SINCE JUNE 1988. IT WAS A VERY DRY MONTH WITH ONLY 25

TO 60 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION. IN CARIBOU IT TIED WITH

1983 FOR THE DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD WITH ONLY 88 HUNDREDTHS OF AN

INCH OF RAIN.

JULY WAS ANOTHER WARM AND VERY DRY MONTH. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST

JULY AS WELL AS THE 2ND WARMEST MONTH OF ALL-TIME IN CARIBOU

BEHIND ONLY JULY 2018. DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPANDED AND BECAME

WORSE ACROSS THE REGION WITH MODERATE DROUGHT. SEVERE DROUGHT WAS

OBSERVED ACROSS THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY. THE DROUGHT BEGAN TO IMPACT

AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS WITH REDUCED GRAIN AND HAY CROPS AND AN

INCREASED NEED FOR IRRIGATION. THE MONTH BEGAN VERY DRY WITH MORE

FREQUENT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THE 2ND HALF OF THE

MONTH, BUT WELL BELOW AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED IN THE

SAINT JOHN VALLEY AS WELL AS PARTS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.

AUGUST WAS ANOTHER WARM AND DRY MONTH. THE BIG STORY WAS THE DRY

WEATHER WITH ONLY 40 TO 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR

MOST OF THE REGION. THERE WERE JUST A FEW SPOTS IN THE WESTERN

SAINT JOHN VALLEY, BANGOR REGION, AND COASTAL WASHINGTON COUNTY

WHERE PRECIPITATION WAS NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE. DROUGHT CONDITIONS

CONTINUED TO EXPAND WITH SEVERE DROUGHT IMPACTING NEARLY ALL OF

AROOSTOOK COUNTY.

FOR THE METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER (JUNE THROUGH AUGUST) IT WAS THE

WARMEST AND 2ND DRIEST ON RECORD IN CARIBOU. IN HOULTON, IT WAS

THE 5TH WARMEST AND ALL-TIME DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD. MILLINOCKET

OBSERVED THEIR 6TH WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD, AND IN BANGOR IT WAS

THE 13TH WARMEST ON RECORD.

THE BIG STORY IN SEPTEMBER WAS THE CONTINUED DROUGHT AND ONLY 5 TO

40 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED. ONLY 28

HUNDREDTH OF AN INCH OF RAIN WAS OBSERVED IN BANGOR, WHICH SMASHED

THE RECORD FOR THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER BY A WIDE MARGIN (THE OLD

RECORD WAS 64 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH IN 1929). IT WAS ALSO THE

DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD IN HOULTON, THE 3RD DRIEST AT

MILLINOCKET, AND THE 2ND DRIEST IN CARIBOU. RECORD LOW RIVER

LEVELS WERE OBSERVED ACROSS THE REGION AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS

CONTINUED TO WORSEN WITH SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT FOR MOST OF

THE REGION BY THE END OF THE MONTH. CROPS SUFFERED LOSSES ACROSS

THE REGION, AND SOME WELLS DRIED UP IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

OCTOBER SAW A SHIFT IN A 5 MONTH DRY PATTERN, AND ABOVE TO WELL

ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED. THE LARGEST DEPARTURES

WERE IN THE NORTH WHERE CARIBOU OBSERVED 7.21 INCHES OF RAIN

MAKING IT THE 3RD WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD. TYPICAL OF OCTOBER,

THE FIRST ACCUMULATING SNOW WAS OBSERVED LATE IN THE MONTH WITH 1

TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW, EXCEPT LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES IN

NORTHERN SOMERSET COUNTY. DROUGHT CONDITIONS GRADUALLY EASED DUE

TO THE INCREASED RAINFALL, AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH FAR

NORTHERN AREAS WERE NO LONGER IN DROUGHT.

NOVEMBER WAS A VERY MILD MONTH AND ENDED AS THE 5TH WARMEST ON

RECORD IN BOTH CARIBOU AND HOULTON AND THE 9TH WARMEST IN BANGOR.

THE BIG STORY WAS THE ALL-TIME RECORD WARMTH ON THE 10TH WITH A

HIGH OF 75 DEGREES (F) IN CARIBOU, WHICH SMASHED THE PREVIOUS

MONTHLY RECORD BY 7 DEGREES! HOULTON HAD AN ALL-TIME MONTHLY

RECORD OF 73 DEGREES (F) AS DID MILLINOCKET WITH A HIGH OF 74

DEGREES (F). DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO EASE WITH

PRECIPITATION NEAR TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN MOST AREAS, BUT A BIT

BELOW AVERAGE IN SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND ACROSS FAR

NORTHWEST MAINE. BY THE END OF THE MONTH, SEVERE DROUGHT WAS

LIMITED TO AREAS ALONG THE DOWNEAST COAST.

DECEMBER WAS ANOTHER MONTH WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND

FINISHED AS A TOP 10 WARMEST DECEMBER AT ALL OF THE LONG TERM

CLIMATE SITES ACROSS THE REGION. THE BIG STORY WAS THE ALL-TIME

WINTER RECORD WARMTH ON THE 1ST. THE HIGH OF 60 DEGREES (F) IN

CARIBOU NOT ONLY BROKE THE DAILY AND MONTHLY RECORD HIGHS, BUT

ALSO THE HIGH FOR THE ENTIRE METEOROLOGICAL WINTER OF 59 DEGREES

(F) SET ON FEBRUARY 20, 1994. HOULTON SET A NEW ALL-TIME DECEMBER

HIGH OF 60 DEGREES (F). PRECIPITATION WAS ABOVE TO WELL ABOVE

NORMAL AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH DROUGHT HAD BEEN ELIMINATED

ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. SNOW DEPTH AT THE END OF THE MONTH WAS

UNUSUALLY LOW DUE TO A RECORD WARM CHRISTMAS THAT INCLUDED RAIN.

THREE TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND FROM NORTHERN

WASHINGTON COUNTY NORTH TO THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY, WITH MOSTLY BARE

GROUND ALONG THE COAST.