CARIBOU, Maine — Record-setting warmth added to the joy of Christmas Day through much of Maine, with meteorologists predicting similarly comfortable temperatures — and clear skies — through most of the weekend.
Caribou’s 48-degree high temperature matched a record set on Christmas 2003, while Bangor’s 54-degree temperature bested a record of 51 degrees also set that year, said Tim Duda, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Caribou.
A temperature of 53 degrees logged at Portland’s Jetport also matched a record-setting Christmas logged in 1994, said Mike Kistner, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Gray.
“We had a southerly flow of mild air coming up as a low pressure system was moving off to the northwest in northern Maine. That was your primary reason for the nice weather,” Duda said Thursday, “and it looks pretty quiet for the next several days. No big storms in sight for the next seven days.”
Nor did any rivers or other significant water bodies in Maine flood overnight through Christmas Eve on into the holiday with the approximately 2 inches of rainfall expected. Only the Machias area had close to 2 inches of rain, with no more than 1½ inches of rain reported through northern Maine and three-quarters of an inch to an inch of rain reported in the state’s southern areas, officials said.
About 1.33 inches reportedly fell in Rockport, while 1.07 inches accumulated at Round Pond in Lincoln County before weather service officials called off at shortly after noon the flood watch they instituted overnight into Christmas, officials said.
Sunshine and seasonably mild temperatures in the low 40s to mid 30s will likely grace Maine until the weather turns colder, with temperatures in the teens to low 20s, starting Sunday afternoon and continuing into Monday and Tuesday, officials said.
Some light snow might occur north of Houlton overnight Saturday into Sunday, but nothing appreciable, Duda said. Nor should there be any significant flooding on Maine rivers next week, Kistner said.
“We haven’t had any ice set up on the rivers yet. December has been pretty warm overall,” Kistner said. “It looks like we will see some great days ahead.”