Last week was cool and clammy with lots of rain.  This week it’s a totally different story as spring takes over in full force.

The start of the workweek brought mild air with many cities and towns away from the water getting near or into the 70s.  The exception will be northeast of Brunswick where the cool ocean prevents highs in the 70s.

Perhaps you’ve heard about possible 80-degree weather for Tuesday.  I am not convinced we will reach that high.  The issue Monday and Tuesday with high temperatures will be the wind direction.  This time of year, the precise wind direction can have a major affect on temperature.   

 

The ocean water in our area is still very cold. Temperatures in the water of Portland Harbor are just under 40 degrees. And it’s not just Portland Harbor that’s cold. Water temperatures off the coast of all of New England are in the 30s and 40s. Thus, any wind that captures air above this chilly pool will keep temperatures cooler than forecast.

Don’t mistake the word cooler for cool.  Most areas just away from the water will reach 70 or higher Monday and into the 70s to near 80 away from the coast on Tuesday. A reading near 80 in early April is tough to reach, noteworthy, and could be record breaking.  The warmest April 11 on record is a whopping 84, a mark set back in 1945.  My gut tells me we won’t get to the record, but could get fairly close.

I expect a lot of sunshine both Monday and Tuesday, with perhaps no clouds at all Monday and just a few on Tuesday.  If you live close to the water, especially east and on the islands, it will still be sunny, but temperatures will stay much cooler, in the 50s.  All this bright and sunny weather by day does mean mainly clear skies as the sun sets Tuesday evening.

At 7:51 p.m Tuesday, after a very warm day, the full moon will rise in the eastern sky. This month’s moon is called the “pink” moon.   This is the first full moon since the spring equinox last month and is an important part of the calculation of when Easter occurs.  Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.  That’s why Easter falls on April 16 this year.

As the moon sets Wednesday morning, there will be a lot of clouds and perhaps a shower or two.  Cooler air from the west will put an end to our 70-degree weather and return temperatures back to the 50s.  There could be some steady rain later Wednesday for a few hours.

Seasonable temperatures continue the rest of the week and into next weekend.  Right now, Easter may see showers. Dry and mild, but not hot, weather looks possible for Marathon Monday.