Fall 2023 Climate Review For Northern And Eastern Maine

 Fall 2023 Climate Review

...NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE FALL 2023 CLIMATE MONTHLY SUMMARY...

METEOROLOGICAL FALL (SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER) FINISHED WITH ABOVE 

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. PRECIPITATION WAS MORE VARIABLE AND RANGED 

FROM 90 TO 130 PERCENT OF NORMAL. SNOWFALL WAS NEAR NORMAL ACROSS 

FAR NORTHERN MAINE AND BELOW AVERAGE DOWNEAST.

TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 2 TO 3 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE 3-

MONTH PERIOD, AND IT RANKED AS THE 3RD WARMEST FALL ON RECORD IN 

CARIBOU BEHIND ONLY 2011 AND 2017. IT RANKED AT THE 6TH WARMEST FALL 

ON RECORD IN HOULTON, THE 7TH WARMEST IN MILLINOCKET, AND THE 5TH 

WARMEST IN BANGOR. 

SEPTEMBER WAS A VERY WARM MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES THAT RANGED FROM 

3.5 TO 4.5 DEGREES (F) ABOVE THE 1991-2020 AVERAGES. THE MOST 

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT OF THE MONTH WAS THE RAIN AND WIND 

ASSOCIATED WITH POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE LEE WHICH MADE LANDFALL IN 

NOVA SCOTIA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE THE HIGHEST ALONG THE COAST WITH 

REPORTS OF 4.4 INCHES OF RAIN NEAR SOUTHWEST HARBOR AND AS MUCH AS 

6.25 INCHES NEAR WHITING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. WIND GUSTS ASSOCIATED 

WITH LEE RANGED MOSTLY FROM 35 TO 55 MPH INLAND AND FROM 45 TO 65 

MPH ALONG THE COAST. THERE WAS A PEAK WIND GUST REPORTED 6 MILES 

NORTH/NORTHWEST OF PERRY IN WASHINGTON COUNTY OF 83 MPH. 

OCTOBER WAS ALSO MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL WITH TEMPERATURES THAT 

AVERAGED FROM 6 TO 7 DEGREES (F) ABOVE AVERAGE. IT TIED AS THE 

WARMEST OCTOBER ON RECORD IN HOULTON, AND WAS THE 2ND WARMEST ON 

RECORD IN CARIBOU, MILLINOCKET, AND BANGOR. THE FIRST SUB-FREEZING 

TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH WAS NOT OBSERVED UNTIL THE 24TH IN CARIBOU 

WHICH WAS THE 2ND LATEST ON RECORD. IN HOULTON THE FIRST SUB-

FREEZING TEMPERATURE WAS OBSERVED ON 23RD, WHICH WAS THE LATEST ON 

RECORD. THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON WAS OBSERVED ON THE 30TH 

WITH AMOUNTS MOSTLY RANGING FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM NORTHERN 

WASHINGTON COUNTY AND SOUTHERN PISCATAQUIS COUNTY NORTH TO THE SAINT 

JOHN VALLEY.

NOVEMBER WAS COLDER THAN NORMAL AND TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 1.5 TO 

3 DEGREES (F) BELOW AVERAGE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF THE 

MONTH OCCURRED ON THE 22ND AND THE 27TH. THE STORM ON THE 22ND 

PRODUCED THE FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE SEASON IN BANGOR WITH AN 

INCH OF SNOW. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WAS OBSERVED FROM THE CENTRAL 

HIGHLANDS TO SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK COUNTY WHERE 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW 

WAS OBSERVED. AMOUNTS DROPPED OFF TO 2 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE SAINT 

JOHN VALLEY. THE NEXT STORM ON THE 27TH PRODUCED FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES 

OF SNOW FROM CARIBOU NORTH TO THE SAINT JOHN VALLEY WITH UP TO 7 

INCHES OF SNOW IN WESTERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY AND NORTHERN SOMERSET 

COUNTY ALONG AND NEAR THE QUEBEC BORDER. THE STORM ALSO PRODUCED 

HIGH WINDS WITH A WIND GUST TO 60 MPH AT THE AIRPORT IN BANGOR AND 

66 MPH AT BLUE HILL IN HANCOCK COUNTY.