As one of the warmest Novembers wraps up in central Aroostook County, another round of snowfall is destined for the region, offering a good start for local winter recreationists.
Through the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, Caribou was having its warmest November-to-date since official records began in 1939, according to the National Weather Service Caribou station.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 29, the station is projecting that the month will end with an average temperature of 36.8 degrees Fahrenheit, said Todd Foisy, science and operations officer at the NWS Caribou station. That would tie with November 2009 for second warmest, and other projections estimated that the month could end as the third or fourth warmest, he said.
The warmest November in Caribou was in 2011, when the month’s average temperature was 37.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The third warmest November was in 2006 (36.7 degrees) and the fourth warmest in 1953 (36.5 degrees), according to Foisy.
Along with periods of rain, early-to-mid November brought mild days to Aroostook County that allowed farmers to clean and plow fields later into the season. Snowfall in the days before and after Thanksgiving brought 10.5 inches of snow to Caribou — exactly the 30-year average, according to Foisy.
While some of that snowfall melted, some of it has stayed on the ground and more snow is expected before the month is over — putting The County off to a good foundation for the winter ski and snowmobiling season.
From Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, the NWS forecast said that much of Aroostook County could receive between 6-8 inches of snow. Areas to the east and west of Millinocket could receive 4-6 inches of snow, and greater Bangor and Down East 1-2 inches, according to the NWS forecast.
All snow is expected across from Presque Isle north to the St. John Valley, while southern locations may also have sleet and freezing rain and Bangor and Down East can expect mostly rain, the forecast said.
Another weather system anticipated to start Wednesday evening could bring another six inches or more of snowfall to northern Maine and Aroostook County.
At Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Center, grooming of the some 12 miles of cross country ski trails has begun and the University of Maine Presque Isle’s ski team started some training there Monday, although the trails were rough, said Tom Chasse, a volunteer groomer with the Nordic Heritage Center and owner of Bike, Board & Ski in Presque Isle.
“If we get four inches or more of snow tomorrow will try to groom with the ginsu” — a snowmobile-led trail groomer — “and start the process of getting skiing going,” Chasse said Tuesday.
Some members of the Caribou Snowmobile Club ventured out for a short ride after more than half-a-foot of snow had fallen Saturday, and a trickle of out-of-state visitors towing snowmobiles has started in Aroostook County. But snowmobilers will also have to wait for more snow and consistently freezing temperatures.
