Gulf of Maine Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook 

March 2018

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Gulf of Maine Region

March 2018

www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports

http://ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.

asp?lang=En&n=6AABE50C-1

 Gulf of Maine Significant Events - December 2017–February 2018

Precipitation Sea Surface Temperatures

Regional Climate Overview - December 2017–February 2018

Winter sea surface temperature anomalies 

were well above normal over the eastern Gulf 

of Maine at >2°C (4°F), above normal over the 

Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy at >1°C (2°F), 

and weaker in the western Gulf of Maine 

and along the coastal areas of Maine. In the 

shallowest regions close to the New Hampshire 

and Massachusetts coasts temperatures were 

colder than normal, likely a result of strong 

atmospheric cooling during the cold periods of 

December and January. 

There were 28 minke whale deaths in 2017, 

which is considered an “unusual mortality 

event” causing the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration to launch an 

investigation. By the end of January there had 

already been an additional death reported, that 

of a right whale. This is an area of research that 

will continue to be monitored. 

Winter temperatures (averaged over 

December, January, and February) ranged 

from 1°C (2°F) colder than normal to 2°C 

(4°F) warmer than normal. December

temperatures were normal to 4°C (7°F) below 

normal. The month started warm but was well 

below normal during the last week. January

temperatures ranged from 2°C (4°F) below 

normal to 3°C (5°F) above normal. There 

were significant fluctuations in January, with 

sites setting both coldest and warmest daily 

temperature records. February temperatures 

ranged from 1°C (2°F) to 5°C (9°F) above 

normal. Boston, MA had its warmest February 

on record and three sites in Nova Scotia had 

their second warmest. Concord, NH and 

Portland, ME had their record warmest single 

February day. Point Lepreau, N.B. was 4.5°C 

(8°F) above normal. 

Sea surface temperature anomalies based on 1985–2014. 

Mean SST anomalies from NOAA AVHRR data. Credit: 

University of Maine School of Marine Sciences and NERACOOS

Temperature

Winter precipitation (accumulated from 

December–February) ranged from 75% to 

more than 150% of normal. Caribou, ME had 

its third wettest winter on record. December

precipitation ranged from 50%–150% of 

normal. Precipitation was generally near 

to below normal across the Maritimes. In 

January, most of the region was normal to 

wetter than normal. Precipitation ranged 

from 75% of normal to more than 200% of 

normal in Maine and New Brunswick. The 

highest amount was reported at Mechanic 

Settlement, N.B. with 296 mm (11.65 inches). 

February precipitation ranged from 50% of 

normal to 200% of normal. Oak Point, N.B. 

received 196 mm (7.7 in.) of precipitation.

Departure from Normal

Temp and precip normals based on 1981–2010 data.

Winter Departure from Normal Winter Percent of Normal

Winds and blowing snow on January 23-24 caused blizzard 

conditions and school closings in the Maritimes, while 

New England received freezing rain. On January 30, a lowpressure system brought significant snowfall to parts of 

New Brunswick, causing slippery roads. Sites in eastern New 

Brunswick reported 4 to 7 hours of blizzard conditions. 

February had record breaking warmth; see below. Several 

systems brought rain and/or snow throughout the month. 

On February 10-12, a low-pressure system brought mixed 

precipitation to the Maritimes with Baccaro Point, N.S. 

receiving up to 70 mm (2.8 in.) of rain.

A significant cold wave in early January was 

followed by a mid-month thaw, causing 

significant ice jams with river flooding.

The first significant storm of the season, on December 9-10, brought 15 to 30 cm 

(5.9 to 11.8 in.) of snow to parts of New Brunswick. Several thousand customers lost 

power there. The storm was mainly a rain event over Nova Scotia with up to 70 mm 

(2.8 in.) over Cape Breton. 

A complex low-pressure system on December 23 brought snow, freezing rain and 

wind the region. Several hours of freezing rain occurred over an area extending across 

Fredericton and Moncton, N.B. and Charlottetown, P.E.I. Areas of Massachusetts saw 

over 6 mm (0.24 in.) of ice accumulation and more than 20,000 power outages were 

reported in New England. There were numerous vehicle accidents across the region. 

Grand Etang, N.S. reported peak wind gusts up to 137 km/h (85 mph).

The December 25-26 Christmas Day/Boxing Day winter storm brought heavy 

snowfall to the central and northern New Brunswick area. The greatest snowfall 

reported was at Bathurst, NB with 46 cm (18.1 in.). High winds brought blizzard 

conditions, downed poles and trees. Nearly 160,000 customers lost power in Nova 

Scotia which took several days to be restored. New England had reports of snow 

falling at up to 8-13 cm (3-5 in.) per hour and thundersnow. Snowfall totals up to 17.8 

cm (7 in.) were reported in Massachusetts.

From late December into early January there was a cold snap with dangerously cold 

wind chills. Records for cold temperatures were broken across the region. New Year’s 

Eve activities were cancelled in some communities, water pipes froze, and ferries 

were cancelled. Thresher sharks were found stranded in Cape Cod Bay as they tried 

to swim south to warmer water. The cold snap was followed by an intense Nor’easter 

January 4-5 with major impacts across the region. See Regional Impacts for details.

Mild temperatures and heavy rain led to flooding January 12-13. The highest storm 

total was 130 mm (5.1 in.) in southeast New Brunswick. There were evacuations, road 

washouts and power outages in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The January thaw 

created ice jams and flooding in New England as well. The mild temperatures were 

followed by a rapid freeze.

Frigid temperatures forced New Year’s 

Eve celebrations to be cancelled in Nova 

Scotia and froze water pipes across the 

region. 

A Nor’easter developed in early January, 

bringing blizzard conditions to part of the 

region.

Mild temperatures led to rainfall and a lack of 

snow during the winter season for parts of the 

region.
Regional Impacts - December 2017 - February 2018

Regional Outlook - Spring 2018 Gulf of Maine Region Partners

Environment and Climate Change Canada

www.ec.gc.ca

Northeast Regional Climate Center

www.nrcc.cornell.edu

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

www.noaa.gov

National Centers for Environmental Information

www.ncei.noaa.gov

National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center

www.nohrsc.noaa.gov

NOAA Sea Grant Network 

www.seagrant.noaa.gov

Northeast River Forecast Center

www.erh.noaa.gov/nerfc

Climate Prediction Center

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

Regional Climate Services

www.ncdc.noaa.gov/rcsd

Gulf of Maine Research Institute

www.gmri.org

State Climatologists

www.stateclimate.org

National Integrated Drought Information System 

www.drought.gov

Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region

www.cinar.org

Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, Climate 

Network

www.gulfofmaine.org/climatenetwork

Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean 

Systems

www.neracoos.org

University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences

www.umaine.edu/marine

Contacts

NOAA:

Ellen Mecray (Ellen.L.Mecray@noaa.gov)

Jessica Spaccio (jlr98@cornell.edu)

Environment and Climate Change Canada:

1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)

819-997-2800 (long-distance charges apply)

ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca

To receive this publication every quarter, sign up at 

www.gulfofmaine.org/2/climate-network-climate-outlook.

Gulf of Maine Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook 

March 2018 

www.drought.gov/drought/resources/reports

http://ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.

asp?lang=En&n=6AABE50C-1

#regionalclimateoutlooks

Temperature and 

Precipitation For March–May, the Environment and Climate 

Change Canada (ECCC) and NOAA’s Climate 

Prediction Center (CPC) temperature outlooks 

favor above-normal temperatures. 

ECCC had no conclusive signal for March–May 

precipitation for the Maritimes. CPC was 

forecasting an increased chance of abovenormal precipitation for New England.

Probability of above-normal (A)

ECCC temperature map (left) produced on February 28. 

CPC temperature map (right) produced on February 15.

Satellite view of January 4 Nor’easter. 

Credit: NOAA.

A

La Niña

Seasonal Snowfall

December snowfall ranged from less than 25 to more than 200% of normal. Lack of cold temperatures 

and snowfall by mid-December delayed the opening of many ski hills in New Brunswick. Snowfall was well 

below normal in much of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Snowfall was near to above normal in New Hampshire 

and Maine, but near to below normal in Massachusetts. In January, snowfall ranged from 25 to 175% of 

normal. By the end of January, Bathurst and Aroostook, N.B. reported in excess of 100 cm (39 in.) of snow, 

well above normal. Snowfall in New England ranged widely from 15 cm (6 in.) below normal to 10 cm (4 

in.) above normal. February snowfall ranged from less than 25 to more than 150% of normal. Part of New 

England had above-normal February snow due to two early storms while a majority of the Maritimes 

had below-normal snowfall. At the end of February there was no significant snow on the ground south 

of Fredericton, N.B. Averaged over three months, winter snowfall ranged from 50% of normal over Nova 

Scotia and parts of P.E.I. to over 150% of normal over parts of New England and western New Brunswick. 

Extreme Temperature Swings

There were extreme temperature swings from mid December through January. Unusually warm 

temperatures in December were followed by an unusual cold snap in early January. These back and forth 

temperatures continued, wreaking havoc on infrastructure, transportation, winter recreation/retailers, 

and lawns. The agricultural community is also concerned for their winter crops. Cold outbreaks are not 

uncommon in North American winters, but this year’s was highly unusual. Warming winter temperatures 

have caused more precipitation to fall as rain, creating poor snowmobile and ski conditions.

January 4-5 Intense Nor’easter

A Nor’easter deepened explosively off the East Coast January 4-5 and brought blizzard conditions, 

heavy snow, and high winds with hurricane force gusts to the region. It caused cancelled flights and 

disrupted travel across the region. Downed trees and wires led to power outages. In Nova Scotia, 280,000 

customers lost power. There were snowfall rates up to 7.6 cm/h (3 in./h) and thundersnow in northern 

Maine, eastern Massachusetts, and southwest Nova Scotia. The highest snowfall total, 58.6 cm (23.07 in.) 

was reported in Bathurst, N.B. The intense drops in pressure resulted in record or near-record low surface 

pressures in southwestern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Extreme high water levels and pounding surf 

from the storm caused significant flooding and damage along the New England coast and the Atlantic 

coast of Nova Scotia. Boston, MA had its highest tide on record. 

La Niña conditions were present in the 

equatorial Pacific Ocean from mid-December 

through February. According to CPC, a 

transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral is 

most likely (55%) during spring.

Spring Flood Potential Spring flood potential is low across New 

England and there is no significant concern 

at this time for flooding in New Brunswick. 

Three early-March coastal storms have led to 

generally near to above-normal river flows 

and soil moisture. Dry conditions carrying over 

from the summer and fall of 2017 have created 

an increased capacity for winter melt and 

spring rain, reducing the potential for flooding. 

Very heavy rain can cause 

flooding at any time of 

the year, even in areas 

experiencing dry conditions 

or that have little to no 

snow on the ground.

Spring Flood Potential Outlook

Winter snowfall percent of normal map.

Credit: NOAA.

Early-Mar CPC/IRI Official Probabilistic ENSO Forecasts