Maine Climate
Top 5 Cities: Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland, and Auburn
This month in numbers
Maine experienced an April that was 1.1°C warmer than the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 26th warmest April in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures for the month were also elevated, coming in at 10.17°C, which was 1°C above average and the 23rd warmest on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Looking at the broader February–April 2026 period, Maine's average temperature was -1.87°C, an anomaly of +1°C, ranking 32nd warmest in 77 years. Maximum temperatures for this three-month span were 4.07°C, an anomaly of +1.2°C, making it the 22nd warmest such period. While Maine saw above-average temperatures, the state's 1-month anomaly of +1.05°C placed it 169th out of 234 regions globally, indicating many other areas experienced more significant warming. In fact, nine of the top ten warmest regions globally for the 3-month anomaly were US states, highlighting a striking concentration of warmth across the nation.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Maine is influenced by broader climate patterns. The state has also been grappling with active extreme weather events. In the past month, Maine has seen three wildfire events, an unusual concentration representing 100% of the annual total for wildfires in the last 12 months. There have also been two drought events, also representing 100% of the annual total, and one flood event, which is 100% of the annual total for floods. These events are indicative of an elevated fire risk driven by dry spring weather, low relative humidity, and gusty winds, as well as persistent groundwater deficits in some areas. While recent rainfall has improved drought conditions in some parts of the state, particularly in northern and eastern Maine, moderate to severe drought persists in southern and central regions. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but El Niño is likely to emerge in May-July 2026 with an 82% chance, and persist through at least the end of 2026. Historically, El Niño phases have typically brought warmer-than-average winters to the Northeast USA and Eastern Canada, with no clear signal for precipitation. More information on extreme weather can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and ENSO at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
A weak signal for above-normal temperatures is expected in Maine for the May-July period, with no significant signal for above or below normal precipitation.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Maine
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Maine changing?
Maine is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Maine come from?
Climate data for Maine comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Maine climate data cover?
The Maine climate profile covers Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland and surrounding areas. Maine climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Maine climate update refreshed?
The Maine climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.