Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Remarkably, winter is when “The County,” as it is known, really comes
alive. Many residents commute to work, shopping or school on snowmo-
biles. Hundreds of miles of trails are enjoyed by thousands of recreational
riders. Many hotels are booked months in advance for February and
March.
Because temperature falls on average one degree for each 300 feet in ele-
vation gain, the summits of the many mountains in Maine are usually
cooler, particularly if the wind is blowing.
Hikers have been known to get
hypother-
mia
, the sometimes fatal lowering of their
body's core temperature, even in summer
when they have been caught unprotected by a
passing shower and then chilled by brisk
winds on exposed trails.
In June and September, temperatures drop as the sun sets. If you are
planning an evening outing, make sure you bring a jacket or sweater. The
first frost can come anytime after the full moon in September. Although
rare, snow has fallen in Maine in early September and early June, partic-
ularly at higher altitudes. Ice-out, or the day on which a boat can travel
freely from one end of Moosehead Lake to the other without being
blocked by floes, occurs in early May. Rivers throw off winter's chains ear-
lier, making wet or dry suits mandatory equipment for early season
paddlers and rafters.
The fall foliage begins peaking in mountains of Western Maine and the
northern part of the state around the last week of September and moves
south hitting the Down East Coast and mid-Maine around Columbus
Day. It peaks a little later in the very southern areas.
Extreme weather phenomena such as tornados are extremely rare in
Maine. Occasionally hurricanes batter the coast but they can often seem
anti-climactic in an area when fall and spring storms frequently mean
wind gusts in excess of 55 miles per hour.
Weather Statistics
Maine averages 120 inches (10 feet) of snowfall in winter.
Total annual precipitation equals 40 to 50 inches of rain.
