Climate

How Maine is changing over the long run — temperature, precipitation, heating and cooling demand, and the coast. The state has warmed about 4.0°F since the early 1900s.

+4.0°F

warmer than the early 1900s

Statewide climate

Average temperature

Statewide annual average, since 1895

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Average temperature — data table
Year	Avg temp f	Total precip in
2,002	41.7	40.98
2,003	40.5	46.02
2,004	40.4	38.8
2,005	41.8	61.59
2,006	44	51.65
2,007	40.7	47.63
2,008	41.6	56.02
2,009	40.9	49.46
2,010	44.6	49.31
2,011	42.8	50.04
2,012	43.9	47.38
2,013	42	45.61
2,014	41.2	49.45
2,015	41.2	43.16
2,016	43.3	41.36
2,017	42.4	45.32
2,018	41.8	46.45
2,019	40.7	49.99
2,020	43.5	40.63
2,021	44.2	39.75
2,022	43.4	49.95
2,023	44.3	54.15
2,024	45	42.9
2,025	42.3	39

Most recent 24 of 131 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance

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Annual precipitation

Statewide total, inches per year, since 1895

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Annual precipitation — data table
Year	Avg temp f	Total precip in
2,002	41.7	40.98
2,003	40.5	46.02
2,004	40.4	38.8
2,005	41.8	61.59
2,006	44	51.65
2,007	40.7	47.63
2,008	41.6	56.02
2,009	40.9	49.46
2,010	44.6	49.31
2,011	42.8	50.04
2,012	43.9	47.38
2,013	42	45.61
2,014	41.2	49.45
2,015	41.2	43.16
2,016	43.3	41.36
2,017	42.4	45.32
2,018	41.8	46.45
2,019	40.7	49.99
2,020	43.5	40.63
2,021	44.2	39.75
2,022	43.4	49.95
2,023	44.3	54.15
2,024	45	42.9
2,025	42.3	39

Most recent 24 of 131 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance

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Coastal change

Sea level change

Portland tide gauge — inches above the early-1900s average, since 1912

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Sea level change — data table
Year	Rise
2,002	3.5
2,003	4.3
2,004	4.9
2,005	7.1
2,006	6.1
2,007	3.9
2,008	4.7
2,009	6.8
2,010	9.8
2,011	7.9
2,012	7.7
2,013	6.9
2,014	6.6
2,015	4.4
2,016	6
2,017	7.2
2,018	7.2
2,019	7.7
2,020	7.5
2,021	7.6
2,022	7.2
2,023	10.4
2,024	9.8
2,025	7.9

Most recent 24 of 114 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Tides & Currents (station 8418150)

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High-tide flooding days

Days per year with minor (nuisance) coastal flooding at Portland

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High-tide flooding days — data table
Year	Minor days
2,002	2
2,003	3
2,004	3
2,005	9
2,006	3
2,007	6
2,008	3
2,009	7
2,010	21
2,011	10
2,012	6
2,013	8
2,014	4
2,015	6
2,016	13
2,017	10
2,018	14
2,019	6
2,020	8
2,021	3
2,022	10
2,023	5
2,024	19
2,025	0

Most recent 24 of 102 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Tides & Currents (station 8418150)

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The Gulf of Maine

Over the past decade, surface waters in the Gulf of Maine have averaged about 1.7°C warmer than the 20th-century (1901–2000) average.

Sea surface temperature

Annual mean for the Gulf of Maine region, °C, since 1854

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Sea surface temperature — data table
Year	Sst c	Anomaly c
2,002	10.2	1
2,003	9.2	-0
2,004	9.3	0.1
2,005	9.8	0.6
2,006	10.4	1.2
2,007	9.8	0.6
2,008	9.9	0.7
2,009	9.9	0.7
2,010	10.7	1.5
2,011	10.4	1.2
2,012	11.6	2.4
2,013	10.7	1.5
2,014	10.6	1.5
2,015	10.8	1.7
2,016	11.5	2.3
2,017	10.9	1.7
2,018	10.5	1.3
2,019	10.2	1
2,020	11	1.8
2,021	11.6	2.4
2,022	11.2	2
2,023	10.9	1.7
2,024	10.7	1.5
2,025	10.2	1

Most recent 24 of 172 rows shown.

Source: NOAA ERSST v5 (~42–44°N, 68–70°W)

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Sea surface temperature anomaly

Difference from the 1901–2000 average, °C

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Sea surface temperature anomaly — data table
Year	Sst c	Anomaly c
2,002	10.2	1
2,003	9.2	-0
2,004	9.3	0.1
2,005	9.8	0.6
2,006	10.4	1.2
2,007	9.8	0.6
2,008	9.9	0.7
2,009	9.9	0.7
2,010	10.7	1.5
2,011	10.4	1.2
2,012	11.6	2.4
2,013	10.7	1.5
2,014	10.6	1.5
2,015	10.8	1.7
2,016	11.5	2.3
2,017	10.9	1.7
2,018	10.5	1.3
2,019	10.2	1
2,020	11	1.8
2,021	11.6	2.4
2,022	11.2	2
2,023	10.9	1.7
2,024	10.7	1.5
2,025	10.2	1

Most recent 24 of 172 rows shown.

Source: NOAA ERSST v5 (~42–44°N, 68–70°W)

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Practical impacts

Heating degree days

Statewide annual — higher means more heating demand

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Heating degree days — data table
Year	Heating degree days	Cooling degree days
2,002	7,749	253
2,003	8,250	246
2,004	8,170	159
2,005	7,843	268
2,006	7,028	262
2,007	8,030	180
2,008	7,780	220
2,009	8,058	161
2,010	6,885	305
2,011	7,454	262
2,012	7,073	291
2,013	7,742	262
2,014	7,954	234
2,015	8,023	253
2,016	7,268	293
2,017	7,499	215
2,018	7,835	334
2,019	8,097	255
2,020	7,184	312
2,021	6,959	305
2,022	7,238	336
2,023	6,926	289
2,024	6,846	359
2,025	7,663	286

Most recent 24 of 131 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance

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Cooling degree days

Statewide annual — higher means more cooling demand

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Cooling degree days — data table
Year	Heating degree days	Cooling degree days
2,002	7,749	253
2,003	8,250	246
2,004	8,170	159
2,005	7,843	268
2,006	7,028	262
2,007	8,030	180
2,008	7,780	220
2,009	8,058	161
2,010	6,885	305
2,011	7,454	262
2,012	7,073	291
2,013	7,742	262
2,014	7,954	234
2,015	8,023	253
2,016	7,268	293
2,017	7,499	215
2,018	7,835	334
2,019	8,097	255
2,020	7,184	312
2,021	6,959	305
2,022	7,238	336
2,023	6,926	289
2,024	6,846	359
2,025	7,663	286

Most recent 24 of 131 rows shown.

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance

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Temperature, precipitation, and degree days are statewide averages; sea level and high-tide flooding are the Portland tide gauge, one of the longest continuous records in the country. Gulf of Maine sea-surface temperature is a regional average from NOAA’s ERSST v5 satellite and in-situ reconstruction.