Gulf of Maine Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook 

June 2014 (Experimental) 

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Gulf of Maine Region

June 2014 (Experimental)

www.drought.gov/drought/content/resources/reports

www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.

asp?lang=En&n=F2BDD611

#regionalclimateoutlooks

 Gulf of Maine Significant Events - for March–May 2014

Temperature Sea Surface Temperatures

Regional Climate Overview - for March–May 2014

Northern Maine and northwestern New Brunswick had their coldest March on 

record. March 5 was an exceptionally cold day across the region. Edmundston, 

NB, set a daily record low of -36.2°C (-33°F), and Bathurst, NB, set a daily record 

low of -33.5°C (-28°F). Caribou, ME, set a daily record low of -28°C (-19°F). 

A storm from March 12 to 13 dropped up to 40 mm (1.5 in.) of rain and 52 cm 

(20 in.) of snow. Caribou set a daily snowfall record on March 13 with 30.2 cm 

(11.9 in.). The storm caused blizzard conditions on the Acadian Peninsula and a 

storm surge along the Northumberland Strait.

From March 25 to 26, a powerful Nor’easter affected the region. Snow totals 

were as high as 53 cm (21 in.), and winds gusted to 113 km/h (70 mph), with a 

local maximum of 172 km/h (107 mph) in Grand Étang, NS. Blizzard conditions 

were reported for 11 hours in Moncton, NB, with four hours of zero visibility. 

Coastal flooding, beach erosion, downed trees, and power outages occurred. 

The storm leveled the 140-year-old Church Point Lighthouse in St. Mary’s Bay, 

NS. Also in Nova Scotia, the provincial ferry and Halifax bus services were 

suspended. In addition, a large section of the Trans-Canada highway between 

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick was closed due to whiteout conditions. 

A slow-moving Nor’easter brought ice pellets, freezing rain, snow, strong 

winds, and whiteouts from March 30 to April 1. Sydney, NS, reported 48 hours 

of freezing rain. In New Brunswick and northern Nova Scotia, the storm brought 

down power poles and lines (spans of up to 10 poles came down in NB) and at 

one point 88,000 customers were affected by power outages in New Brunswick.

Rain and melting snow caused ice jams and flooding in mid-April in New 

Brunswick and Maine. Hundreds of homes and businesses sustained damage, 

and dozens of roads were closed. See Regional Impacts section on the next 

page for details.

Sea surface temperature anomalies across 

the region varied. Deeper areas such as the 

Wilkinson and Jordan Basins, deeper parts 

of the Bay of Fundy, and especially the Gulf 

Stream offshore continued to experience 

warm anomalies. Departures in these areas 

ranged from +0.5°C (+0.9°F) to greater than 

+1.5°C (+2.7°F). Although weaker, these 

warm anomalies have persisted all winter and 

since 2013. However, shallow coastal regions 

experienced cold anomalies, with departures 

from -0.5°C (-0.9°F) to -1°C (-1.8°F). Northeastern 

portions of the Scotian Shelf were also slightly 

below average. 

During spring, precipitation generally ranged 

from 90–150% of normal. However, U.S. coastal 

areas saw only 50–90% of normal. For March, 

much of the region received 90–175% of 

normal; however, portions of southern Nova 

Scotia and the U.S. coast were notably drier. In 

April, the Canadian provinces saw departures 

of 90–175% of normal, with southern New 

Brunswick and northern Cape Breton slightly 

drier. The U.S. received 50–90% of normal, 

except eastern Maine, which was wetter. Most 

of the Maritimes were quite dry in May, seeing 

25–75% of normal. Northern New Brunswick, 

however, had up to 125% of normal. In the U.S., 

May precipitation ranged from 50–110% of 

normal in coastal areas to 90–200% inland. 

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

Precipitation

Rain and snow melt caused 

significant flooding regionwide 

in mid-April.

March temperature 

departures were as 

large as 6°C (11°F) 

colder than normal. 

From April 22 to 25, up to 55 mm (2.2 in.) of precipitation fell in New 

Brunswick and Maine, causing more flooding.

At the end of April, parts of New Brunswick and Maine had an 

above-normal snowpack, with up to 50% above normal snow water 

equivalent. Due to this, the Saint John River Watch program in New 

Brunswick was extended a few weeks longer than normal in May.

Severe storms on May 26 produced a weak tornado in Aroostook 

County, ME, and rotating clouds in New Brunswick. Pea to golf ball 

sized hail was reported across the region.

In early April, many New 

Brunswick sites had significantly 

higher than normal snow 

on the ground. For example, 

Fredericton had a 70 cm depth 

compared to the normal of 5 cm 

(14 times normal).

Spring temperature departures ranged from 

-0.5° to -2°C (-1° to -4°F) below normal for 

most of the region. Northern Maine was colder, 

with departures to -3°C (-5°F). March was a 

very cold month region-wide, with departures 

to -6°C (-11°F) below normal. Northwest New 

Brunswick saw its coldest March on record 

(since 1913), and Maine and New Hampshire 

had their 2nd coldest March on record (since 

1895). April was colder than normal, but 

departures were not as large. Temperatures 

generally ranged from near normal to -1°C 

(-2°F) below normal, with central Nova Scotia 

and coastal Massachusetts being the warm 

exceptions. May departures in the Maritimes 

ranged from near normal to -3°C (-5°F), but U.S. 

departures ranged from -0.5° to +1°C (-1° to 

+2°F). Despite the cold regional temperatures, 

March was the 4th warmest on record globally, 

and April tied for record warmest.

Departure from Normal: March 1–May 31, 2014

Temperature and precipitation normals based on 1981–2010. 

Canada and ocean precip data: Canadian Precipitation Analysis.

U.S. precip data: interpolated station data.

Departure from Normal: March 1–May 31, 2014 Percent of Normal: March 1–May 31, 2014
Regional Impacts - for March–May 2014

Regional Outlook - for Summer 2014 Gulf of Maine Region Partners

Environment Canada

www.ec.gc.ca

Northeast Regional Climate Center

www.nrcc.cornell.edu

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

www.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.noaa.gov

Regional Climate Services

www.rcsdhome.org

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

#regionalclimateoutlooks

Contacts

NOAA:

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

Samantha Borisoff (samantha.borisoff@cornell.edu)

Environment Canada:

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

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

enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca 

This is a new publication designed to help others understand 

climate trends and their impacts. We welcome your feedback.

Gulf of Maine Region

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook 

June 2014 (Experimental) 

www.drought.gov/drought/content/resources/reports

www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.

asp?lang=En&n=F2BDD611

Temperature While El Niño Southern Oscillation conditions 

remain neutral, sea surface temperatures in the 

equatorial Pacific Ocean were above-average. In 

early June, NOAA indicated chances for El Niño 

development were 70% during summer and 80% 

during fall and winter. (See http://www.climate.gov/

news-features/department/8443/all)

Recreation

The harsh winter took a toll on area golf 

courses. The already short golf season started 

late, meaning thousands of dollars in lost 

income. In addition, multiple freezes and 

thaws led to ice damage on greens and costly 

repairs. Maine State Golf Association’s opening 

tournament at Biddeford-Saco Country Club 

in mid-April was canceled, making it the first 

time the tournament could not be played at 

the site. (See http://www.pressherald.com/news/Maine_

greens_go_brown_from_severe_ice_damage_.html) 

For June–August, 

Environment 

Canada is calling 

for an increased 

chance of 

above-normal 

temperatures for 

Nova Scotia and 

equal chances 

elsewhere (graphic above). NOAA’s Climate 

Prediction Center is forecasting an increased 

chance of above-normal temperatures for 

Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts 

from June to August (graphic below).

Fisheries

While recent sea surface temperatures have 

been cooler, 2013 temperatures were the 

second warmest since 1982. In fact, from 2004 

to 2013, temperatures in the Gulf of Maine 

increased faster than 99.9% of the global 

ocean (http://www.seascapemodeling.org/seascape_

projects/2014/01/the-gulf-of-maine-is-warming-fast.html). 

The ecosystem responded to these unusual 

conditions in unexpected ways. The spring 

2013 phytoplankton bloom was among the 

smallest in the satellite record (since 1998), 

and this may have impacted the zooplankton 

community. The phytoplankton community 

recovered and was back to historical 

conditions in the fall. One of the notable 

trends in the oceanographic conditions in the 

Gulf of Maine is a later appearance of fall-like 

temperatures. (See http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/ecosys/

advisory/current/)

EC: Equal chances of 

above, near, or below 

normal

A: Above-normal 

40: Probability of 

above- or belownormal temperatures

The 87-year-old Cherryvale Bridge was washed away 

by flood waters in mid-April. Credit: New Brunswick 

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

A

Probability of above-normal

Flooding

Rain, warm temperatures, and quick melting 

of a larger-than-normal snowpack caused 

flooding in mid-April in the Maritimes and 

Maine. Preliminary data indicated that several 

rivers had record or near-record crests. The 

flooding caused significant damage to roads, 

bridges, and other infrastructure. In Maine, a 

five-mile long ice jam flooded the only road to 

Allagash and St. Francis, stranding residents. 

In Cape Breton, NS, a mudslide reduced travel 

on the Cabot Trail. In New Brunswick, about 

70% of the village of Sussex Corner was under 

water and the Cherryvale covered bridge, which 

had been in place for 87 years, was swept 

downstream. Flood damage in New Brunswick 

was estimated to exceed $14 million (Canadian 

dollars). The provincial government approved a 

Disaster Financial Assistance program that will 

help pay for “uninsurable damages and losses 

that threaten health and safety.” (See http://www.

cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/flood-relief-assistanceannounced-for-homes-businesses-1.2629549)

40

Agriculture In March, maple season was weeks behind schedule. Cold temperatures prevented sap from 

running to taps, while deep snow made some taps inaccessible. Growers were also behind. In 

mid-May, blueberry producers in the Maritimes reported low winter injury, but fruit buds were 5 

to 7 days behind average. Potatoes, corn, and apples were also reported to be behind schedule. 

Conditions improved in late May, and farmers were optimistic for a productive season. (See http://www.

portlanddailysun.me/index.php/newsx/local-news/11577-sapless-cold-snap-maple-syrup-producers-waiting-for-trees-to-thaw)

NOAA is predicting a 50% chance of a belownormal 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, a 

40% chance of a near-normal season, and a 

10% chance of an above-normal season. The 

outlook calls for a 70% chance of each: 8–13 

named storms, 3–6 hurricanes, and 1–2 major 

hurricanes. While El Niño was the main driver 

of the outlook, it also took into account the 

predicted near- to below-normal sea surface 

temperatures and current conditions in the 

Atlantic hurricane main development region. 

El Niño enhances wind shear and can increase 

atmospheric stability. These conditions hinder 

hurricane development and strength. (See http://

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml)

In mid-May, the Woods Hole Oceanographic 

Institution in Massachusetts predicted a 

moderate harmful algal bloom called red tide 

for the Gulf of Maine during 2014. Red tide 

can adversely affect the health of humans and 

marine ecosystems as well as local and regional 

economies. By early June, high levels of the 

red tide toxin were detected in the western 

Gulf, leading Maine, Massachusetts, and New 

Hampshire to close several shellfish beds.

Red Tide

Atlantic Hurricane Season

El Niño 

Precipitation

Environment Canada and NOAA’s Climate 

Prediction Center are both predicting equal 

chances of above-, near-, or below-normal 

precipitation for June–August.