CARIBOU, Maine — Officials with the National Weather Service indicated that this July remained on pace Monday to be the warmest month on record at Caribou.
The all-time warmest month at Caribou was July 1970, which registered an average temperature of 69.6 degrees, according to the NWS.
But with one day remaining and based on forecast temperatures through the month, this July is expected to average about one degree warmer than 1970.
July is typically the warmest month in the state, but this month has been the warmest month that Maine has ever experienced, according to Mark Bloomer, meteorologist with the NWS office in Caribou.
“We have been in a dry pattern because of a strong subtropical high,” he said. “Lots of humidity has been keeping the nights warm.”
Caribou already broke a record for the highest temperature ever set on a July 5 since the NWS began tracking records in 1939. The area experienced a temperature of 94 degrees this July 5, two degrees over the previous record of 92 degrees set in 1983.
Houlton also set a record by hitting the same 94 degrees on July 5, surpassing the previous mark of 93 experienced in both 1983 and 2000.
The heat continued, with the lowest temperature recorded in Caribou from July 23 to 25 being 71 degrees each day. The low of 71 degrees ties the all time warmest low temperature on record at Caribou. Until this most recent stretch of warm weather, there had never been more than one day in a row with a low of 71 degrees.
In Bangor, there were three nights in a row with a low of 69 degrees July 23-25, which ties with several other years for the most consecutive days with a low of 69 degrees or warmer. Bangor is not on pace to have the warmest July on record.
Pete Rahe, observing program leader at the National Weather Service in Caribou, said Monday that with an observed temperature of 83 in Caribou at 3:15 p.m. that afternoon, he felt that the city “remained on track” to meet the record. He said that the NWS would know for sure by Tuesday evening.
Over the weekend, Caribou registered temperatures of 81 on Saturday and 82 on Sunday, both above the typical readings of 76 for those days, the NWS reported.
Houlton recorded temperatures of 82 and 80 on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 2 degrees above normal for those days respectively.
