Mainers will briefly taste summer Friday with temperatures expected to hit near record highs across parts of the state.
In Bangor, temperatures are expected to hit a high of 71 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, but meteorologist Anne Strauser with the National Weather Service office in Caribou said temps could potentially break the April 14 record high of 74 degrees set back in 1949.
Strauser said high pressure is fueling the unusually high temperatures Thursday and Friday. Along with the heat, the dry air has left most of the state at high risk for wildfires, according to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
In northern Maine, the weather service projects weekly highs for Thursday, with Caribou hitting 64 and Presque Isle hitting 62, while Houlton is expected to hit 65 both days. Based on current projections, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton are unlikely to hit record highs.
Bar Harbor is expected to hit a high of 65 degrees Friday along with Belfast. Gray is projected to be around 69 to 70 degrees both days, matching its April 14 record set in 2014, while Portland will be slightly cooler at 63 to 64 degrees. Portland and Belfast are not likely to surpass their record temperatures. Bar Harbor does not have enough climatological data to be included in the weather service’s historical data database.
Temperatures across the state are expected to cool down again by Friday evening.