If it seems to you that the first big hunk of this winter had nights that were uncharacteristically mild, you’d be right. In fact, the average overnight lows were the warmest on record. (At Caribou, records go back to 1939.)
Here are the top 10 warmest average overnight lows, covering the period from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 (Data courtesy of NWS Caribou):
2015-2016: 16.4F
2000-2001: 14.0F
2008-2009: 13.1F
2009-2010: 12.7F
1957-1958: 12.0F
2005-2006: 10.8F
1994-1995: 10.3F
1996-1997: 10.2F
1982-1983: 10.0F
1955-1956: 9.9F
We not only broke the record, we shattered it! Look at how this past December and January stand out, a 2.4-degree gap between it and 2000-2001, where previously, the largest gap was 1.2.
Of course it is still northern Maine and the cold does come calling, as it is about to for the Biathlon! (By the way, I think the organizers and volunteers are doing a sensational job,) The cold will be so intense, that the events scheduled for the final day, Sunday, will be moved back a day, to Saturday.
At this writing (Friday late evening, Feb 12), temps have already been reported as low as 20 below in Monticello. I am thinking that our superb amateur photographers might just get some shots of hoarfrost in the morning. Hoarfrost is that delicate icy frost that forms on every limb and twig, and tends to visit moister areas on extremely cold nights. Hoarfrost formation is a process called deposition, wherein water vapor goes directly to ice, skipping the liquid water stage.
It is odd that I am forecasting a significant storm next week, and by the time you read this, it will have already occurred! This will be a very moist system with a good 1.5 inches of liquid equivalent. It looks like the Low will pass to our west, meaning snow changing to rain, with a strong southerly wind, along with temps rising into the 40s, followed by a big freeze-up, that will have occurred a week ago tonight.
How’s that for a time mind-bender!
Speaking of “mind”, let’s use our noggins for a couple of minutes here. I have, in these pages, taken the formula for converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit and put it into word form. Here it is again: take C, double it, subtract 1/10th of the doubled amount, and add 32. That is precise every time.
Well, I have a not-precise-but-will-get-you-pretty-darn-close version that I have worked out for going the other way, from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Here’s how it works:
Take F and subtract 32. Divide the result by 2. If positive, add 1/10th of what you got after dividing by 2, and you’ve got Degrees C (to within a few tenths). If a negative F temp is used, everything is the same except you subtract 1/10th of what you got after dividing by two, and again you’ve got Degrees C (to within a few tenths).
Now if you went this far, actually try one of each, one positive and one negative. Have your calculator out, but use it only to check your answer! You’ll see it gets you very close, when you compare your result to the precise conversion your calculator gives you.
Say, if you have kids who you think can handle the math, try it with them. After all, we mustn’t lose the ability to use our actual brains to solve problems!
Ted Shapiro holds the Broadcast Seal of Approval from both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. An Alexandria, Va. native, he has been chief meteorologist at WAGM-TV since 2006. Email him at tshapiro@wagmtv.com.
