CXUS51 KCAR 042029 CLMCAR CLIMATE REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 353 PM EDT SAT APR 04 2026 ................................... ...THE CARIBOU ME CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2026... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1939 TO 2026 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S) NORMAL ................................................................ TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 75 03/21/2012 LOW -28 03/02/2001 HIGHEST 56 03/17 MM MM 57 03/16 LOWEST -12 03/02 MM MM -9 03/03 AVG. MAXIMUM 35.2 34.3 0.9 39.1 AVG. MINIMUM 16.0 15.6 0.4 18.2 MEAN 25.6 25.0 0.6 28.7 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0 0 DAYS MAX <= 32 13 13.0 0.0 9 DAYS MIN <= 32 30 29.3 0.7 27 DAYS MIN <= 0 5 4.1 0.9 4 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM 5.74 2024 MINIMUM 0.66 1965 TOTALS 3.73 0.96 DAILY AVG. 0.12 0.09 0.03 0.13 DAYS >= .01 12 12.5 -0.5 18 DAYS >= .10 9 6.4 2.6 10 DAYS >= .50 1 1.8 -0.8 2 DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.3 0.7 0 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 1.98 03/11 TO 03/12 0.80 03/05 TO 03/06 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 47.1 1955 TOTALS 11.3 21.4 -10.1 22.4 SINCE 7/1 80.6 109.1 -28.5 MM SNOWDEPTH AVG. 5 8 DAYS >= 1.0 5 5.2 -0.2 6 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 11 03/04 18 03/02 03/05 03/06 24 HR TOTAL MM MM DEGREE DAYS HEATING TOTAL 1213 1242 -29 1119 SINCE 7/1 7663 7703 -40 MM COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0 SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 MM ................................................................ WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED 8.6 HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 32/170 DATE 03/17 HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 50/180 DATE 03/17 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM AVERAGE SKY COVER 0.58 NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 6 NUMBER OF DAYS PC 14 NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 11 AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 63 WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 1 HEAVY RAIN 2 RAIN 3 LIGHT RAIN 7 FREEZING RAIN 3 LT FREEZING RAIN 4 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 1 SNOW 3 LIGHT SNOW 22 SLEET 1 FOG 14 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 2 HAZE 3 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. * INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. ................................................................ ...MARCH 2026 CLIMATE NARRATIVE FOR NORTHERN/EASTERN MAINE... March Trends: ?Caribou: * Snowfall was 10.1 inches below average * Mean maximum temperatures were 0.9 degrees above normal *March 10th 2026 recorded the 2nd daytime high temperature, at 54 degrees. It was behind the March 10th 1977 daytime high record of 55 degrees. * Mean minimum temperatures were 0.4 degrees above normal * Average temperatures were 0.6 degrees above normal * Precipitation was 0.96 inches above normal Bangor: * Snowfall was 5.5 inches below average * Mean maximum temperatures were 2.1 degrees above normal *The 4th highest monthly temperature record was broken March 10th, at 70 degrees. This temperature record follows 2012, 1998, and 1977. This temperature also broke the daytime high record for March 10th. * Mean minimum temperatures were 0.9 degrees above normal * Average temperatures were 1.5 degrees above normal * Precipitation was 0.54 inches below normal Millinocket: * Mean maximum temperatures were 1.7 degrees above normal *The 5th highest monthly temperature record was broken March 10th, at 70 degrees. This temperature record follows 2012, 1946, 1945, and 1998. This temperature also broke the daytime high record for March 10th. * Mean minimum temperatures were 1.8 degrees above normal * Average temperatures were 1.8 degrees above normal * Precipitation was 0.1 inches below normal Houlton: * Mean maximum temperatures were 2.5 degrees above normal *The 6th highest temperature record for the month was broken March 10th, at 65 degrees. This follows 2012, 1962, 1979, and 1993. This temperature also broke the daytime high record for March 10th. * Mean minimum temperatures were 2.8 degrees above normal * Average temperatures were 2.6 degree above normal * Precipitation was 0.49 inches below normal. Weather Events: * There were a few snow storms in the region during March. There was 1 Winter Storm Warning on March 11th across northern Maine. This was a mixed precipitation event, with snow, sleet, and freezing rain reported across the region. 6 Winter Weather Advisories were issued throughout the month, for some minor snow/mixed precip events. * 1 Cold Weather Advisory issued on March 2nd. The coldest recorded wind chill was -28F at Frenchville Airport. * 1 Flood Warning for an ice jam along the Piscataquis River, beginning on March 18th. Warning was replaced with a Flood Advisory, that stayed up until floor waters receded March 22nd. There was another Flood Advisory for Pleasant River for an ice jam March 17th - 20th, and another for the Meduxnekeag River for a jam March 18th. * Snow pack at WFO Caribou began around 11 inches at the start of the month, quickly dropping down to 1-3 inches after significant warm up ahead of a mixed precipitation storm. The snow pack never fully recovered after this, getting back up to around 6 inches in the middle of the month, and dropping back to 2-3 inches by the end of the month. Similar to WFO Caribou, Bangor’s snow pack started out around 9-10 inches, dropping down to 0 inches by the time of the same warm up ahead of mid-month mixed precipitation event. The snow pack never recovered. A few inches accumulated after storms, but the month closed out with no snow on the ground. Winter recreation ended in the Downeast region, and deteriorated in central and northern Maine with reduced snowpack. * Drought remained status quo for March. Moderate drought for eastern and southern Aroostook. Severe drought (D2) in western Aroostook, northern Somerset, northern Piscataquis, southern Penobscot, and central/southern Hancock counties. Moderate drought (D1) elsewhere in northern and eastern Maine. Climate Outlook: * Temperatures: For April, Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is forecasting no strong signals for above normal temperatures in northern and eastern Maine. For the season ahead, no strong signal for temperatures to be anomalously above or below normal. * Precipitation: For April, CPC is forecasting for likely above normal precipitation. There is no strong signal for anomalously above or below normal precipitation for the next three months overall. * ENSO: Per CPC, transition to ENSO-neutral conditions in the coming month or so. 55% chance for ENSO-neutral May-July. Then, El Nino has a 62% chance of developing in June-August. $$ ASB