I’m sitting in my office with a winter hat on this morning. It’s cold in the house and while I could put the heat up further, I feel like it’s less about the actual temperature and more about the damp and raw feeling to the air this week.

Portland and much of the area is averaging about 3 degrees below average during the first 9 days of April. Today will likely be another below average day, the last in a series.

The recent snow put the area above average in this category for April, although we saw less snow than expected since March began.
There is still snow on the ground mostly west of the coastline and north of Rockland.

The deepest snow remains over northern and eastern Maine. Eastport still has over 30 inches of snow left on the ground representing nearly 8 inches of water. This is all going to melt over the next couple of weeks and flooding could be an issue in parts of the area depending on how much rain falls with the melting snow. The chart below is worth reviewing if you are into numbers and snow melt data.

We have been very fortunate here in southern Maine in that the snow did melt so slowly. While I wanted to have bare ground 2 weeks ago, I am glad to have not had a flooded basement in the process.
Milder air is finally coming to the region and while every day won’t be in the the rest of the month, at least we are going to have a taste of real spring weather.

The following chart, derived from the GFS model, is courtesy of WeatherBell Analytics (best maps in my opinion). This shows a milder than average period of weather followed by more typical temperatures. Of course the further out in time we look, the higher the chances for errors in the model. However, the overall upper wind pattern is shifting significantly from what it has been the past 12 weeks.

Interestingly, many times weather patterns come in 6 week intervals. Sometimes they reset themselves in a similar fashion again so you can get 12 week periods or 18 etc. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it’s something I keep in mind when looking at medium range forecasts.

This weekend will bring average to above average temperatures along with sunshine. Tomorrow will be a windy day, but this is good as it will help to dry out the ground.

Sunday is my pick of the weekend. Highs should make it close to 60F with some coastal areas turning cooler with an afternoon sea breeze.

Monday brings more sunshine and mild air, perfect for the Red Sox to take the field in Fenway down in Boston. The next chance of showers comes overnight Monday, but should exit the area in time for the morning commute on Tuesday.

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