Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Seasons
Along the ocean, the deep waters of the Gulf of Maine act as a moderating
influence, especially Down East. June can be downright chilly. Summer
temperatures are generally milder near the shore than a few miles in-
land. Usually by noon each day, a sea breeze kicks up as warm air over
land rises and is replaced by cooler ocean air. This generates an onshore
breeze. At night the process is often reversed, generating an offshore
breeze with a calm period right around sunset. Many canoeists and sea
kayakers take advantage of this phenomenon and wait out paddling on
choppy lake waters until periods of calm during the early morning and
evening.
Even along the south coast, where temperatures routinely climb above
90°F in summer, the breeze along the wide sandy beaches helps keep
things bearable.
No matter how hot it may seem on shore, however, be sure to bring warm
clothing along on any tour or whale-watching boat ride. Just offshore
things can be downright cold, as chilly as 48°, even in August.
In winter along the coast the slow-to-cool ocean generates the opposite ef-
fect. Winter days close to the sea are often noticeably warmer than else-
where, although a week or two of sub-zero temperatures in late January
or early February is not unusual.
Still, those offshore islands sporting year-round populations find they
have very small snow-plowing budgets; most of their winter precipitation
is rain.
Inland, things can heat up in summer, sending most folks to the lakes
and ponds for cool dips and welcome breezes. Summer temps hit the 80s
and 90s regularly, but most often things moderate a bit at night. This pat-
tern helped popularize what has become an overused phrase by televi-
sion meteorologists who like to say it's going to be “good for sleeping.”
By that measure it must be great for insomniacs come dead winter in-
land, particularly in the western mountains and in northern Aroostook
County. Temperatures, not wind chill mind you, can hit 25 to 30 degrees
below zero. (Those electrical plugs hanging from the front of vehicles in
Presque Isle aren't used to recharge the batteries. Many people have
small electric heating elements in their car's engine which they plug in at
night to insure an easy start come morning.)
