2003-04 Winter (December-February)
Climate Summary For Northern And Eastern Maine

 

By Victor J. Nouhan

 

Overall...northern and eastern Maine experienced slightly below to below average temperatures, below average liquid equivalent precipitation, and near average to slightly above average snowfall during the core of this past winter (December through February). However, the theme that best described the winter was extreme month-to-month variability. Following a mild and stormy Fall, December was very stormy and mild, followed by a mainly dry, but frigid January. Dry conditions persisted into February, but temperatures recovered to at or just above average. The following tables illustrate seasonal and month-to-month averages/totals (temperatures in degrees F and precipitation/snowfall in inches) across the area:

 

Table 1: Seasonal Values (Dec.-Feb.)

 

Caribou

Houlton

Millinocket

Bangor

Temperature

 

 

 

 

Avg High

21.7

 

24.2

 

25.2

 

28.7

 

Average

13.2

(-0.6)

14.2

(-0.3)

16.4

(+0.2)

19.4

(-2.7)

Avg Low

4.7

 

4.2

 

7.6

 

10.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High/Date

48

12/25

53

12/25

52

12/14

56

12/24

Low/Date

-23

02/17

-26

1/16&2/17

-20

1/14

-15

01/14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Precipitation

7.18

(-1.04)

6.91

(-1.76)

8.07

(-1.14)

7.75

(-1.46)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowfall

78.9

(+6.0)

63.0

(+2.0)

58.5

(-1.3)

48.1

(+0.2)

Departures from normal shown in parentheses.

 

                                           Table 2: Monthly Values

 

Caribou

Houlton

Millinocket

Bangor

Temperature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December

21.6

(+5.2)

22.4

(+4.7)

24.7

(+4.6)

27.1

(+2.6)

January

3.2

(-6.3)

4.3

(-7.1)

6.3

(-6.5)

10.0

(-8.0)

February

14.8

(+1.8)

15.9

(+1.6)

18.6

(+2.9)

21.2

(0.0)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Precipitation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December

5.08

(+1.89)

4.79

(+1.52)

5.94

(+2.49)

5.39

(+2.06)

January

1.44

(-1.53)

1.46

(-1.82)

0.95

(-2.42)

0.93

(-2.41)

February

0.66

(-1.40)

0.66

(-1.46)

1.18

(-1.21)

1.43

(-1.11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowfall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December

43.2

(+18.0)

28.0

(+7.5)

35.5

(+16.6)

26.2

(+12.1)

January

23.8

(-3.2)

26.0

(+3.2)

12.5

(-10.4)

9.1

(-13.8)

February

11.9

(-8.8)

9.0

(-8.7)

10.5

(-7.5)

12.8

(-5.2)

Departures from normal shown in parentheses.

 

Enough cold air was present in the first half of December to feature two major snowstorms. The first struck on the 6th and 7th and mostly affected the Downeast portions of the region with 12 to 18 inches of snowfall and blizzard conditions. The second storm, which struck on the 14th and 15th, resulted in greatest snowfall across the north, with some locations (including Caribou) exceeding two feet. Following these storms, the storm track reverted back to the Saint Lawrence Valley during the second half of the month, resulting in mild temperatures and several rainstorms along with unusual late December ice jamming on several major river ways.

 

A major atmospheric regime change took place in beginning of January resulting in a large production of arctic air over north central Canada and transport of this air into the northeast U.S. Temperatures for the month averaged much below normal with two notable cold spells. The first occurred between the 7th and 16th featuring several days where high temperatures failed to rise above zero across northern Maine. On the 14th and 15th, below zero daylight temperatures extended southward into Downeast Maine with some northern locations across the north not even getting above -10 degrees F, the coldest high temperatures since January 1994. The second cold spell which occurred between the 24th and 27th also featured below zero high temperatures across the north. Strong nighttime winds prevented extremely low sub 40 below zero morning low temperatures across the north that can sometimes follow bitterly cold daytime temperatures of this caliber. However, a few valley locations across northwest Aroostook county such as Allagash and Nine Mile Bridge did manage to fall into the 30 to 35 below zero range on the coldest mornings of both outbreaks. Sandwiched between these two cold spells on the 18th and 19th was the only major snowstorm of the month, which struck east central and northern portions of the region hardest with up to 22 inches of snowfall...accompanied by light winds.

 

Milder weather returned in February as arctic air retreated to central Canada and the northern plains, with one cold spell at mid month resulting in the last all sub-zero day of the season across the north on the 15th. The dry trend from January continued into February and intensified, with no major snowstorms and some locations experiencing less than a third of the normal liquid equivalent. All and all, the winter of 2003-04 over northern and eastern Maine will be remembered for it=s extremes and intra-seasonal variability.

 

The spring (March through May) and summer (June through August) 2004 outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center are calling for equal chances of above, near normal, or below normal temperatures and rainfall for both seasons across Northern and eastern Maine.