137  
FXUS61 KCAR 020652  
AFDCAR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME  
252 AM EDT THU JUL 2 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
-RAISED HIGH TEMPERATURES A LITTLE TODAY IN NORTHERN MAINE, AND  
EXPANDED THE HEAT ADVISORY NORTH TO CARIBOU. ALSO RAISED HIGH  
TEMPERATURES A LITTLE IN THE NORTH FOR FRIDAY, AND EXTENDED THE  
HEAT ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK AND NORTHERN PENOBSCOT  
INTO FRIDAY.  
 
-RAISED NIGHTTIME LOWS FOR REST OF TONIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT A  
COUPLE DEGREES.  
 
-CHANCES FOR RAIN ON SATURDAY INCREASE. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS,  
HOWEVER, STAY ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY THROUGH FRIDAY WILL LEAD  
TO HAZARDOUS HEAT, WITH LITTLE REPRIEVE EACH NIGHT.  
 
2) THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY.  
A CONDITIONAL THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS EXISTS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY THROUGH  
FRIDAY WILL LEAD TO HAZARDOUS HEAT, WITH LITTLE REPRIEVE EACH  
NIGHT.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...  
AN EXCEPTIONALLY MILD START TO THE DAY TODAY INLAND FROM THE  
IMMEDIATE COAST, WITH READINGS MOSTLY 70-75F. TEMPERATURES HAVE  
BEEN RUNNING A BIT WARMER THAN NBM FOR MOST PLACES AND RAISED  
READINGS FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT ACCORDINGLY.  
 
FOR TODAY (THURSDAY), KEPT HIGH TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO THE SAME  
IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA, BUT RAISED TEMPERATURES A BIT  
IN THE NORTH AND EXPANDED THE HEAT ADVISORY NORTH TO CARIBOU.  
THIS ADJUSTMENT WAS BASED ON A FEW FACTORS. FOR ONE, THERE WILL  
BE A FAVORABLE WEST BREEZE WHICH TENDS TO MAXIMIZE WARMING  
POTENTIAL EAST OF THE NORTH WOODS HIGHLANDS THANKS TO SLIGHT  
DOWNSLOPING AND LACK OF MARINE INFLUENCE. SECONDLY, YESTERDAY  
ENDED UP GETTING ABOUT 3F WARMER THAN NBM HAD FORECAST IN THE  
NORTH, AND SEE NO REASON THE SAME WON'T HAPPEN TODAY. AND  
THIRDLY, THERE SHOULD BE ABUNDANT SUNSHINE, AS HIGH CLOUDS  
PRESENTLY OVER THE AREA SHOULD MOVE OUT BY MID-MORNING.  
 
FOR HIGHS TODAY, WE ARE EXPECTING LOW TO MID 90S THROUGH THE  
AREA. THIS WILL BE JUST A LITTLE WARMER THAN YESTERDAY EXCEPT  
ALONG THE COAST, WHERE IT WILL BE MUCH WARMER THAN YESTERDAY  
THANKS TO MORE OF A SHORE-PARALLEL WSW WIND RATHER THAN ONSHORE  
S WIND. THIS SHORE-PARALLEL WIND WILL LIMIT THE COOLING  
INFLUENCE OF THE GULF OF MAINE. DEWPOINTS TODAY WILL REMAIN  
QUITE HIGH, WITH LOW TO MID 70S THIS MORNING, THEN 65-70F IN THE  
AFTERNOON. THE DROP IN THE AFTERNOON DEWPOINTS THANKS TO DEEP  
MIXING SHOULD JUST BARELY SAVE THE MAJORITY OF PLACES FROM  
REACHING THE EXTREME HEAT CRITERIA OF 105F.  
 
A VERY MILD NIGHT AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS GENERALLY  
70-75F. IN FACT, CARIBOU COULD BE IN JEOPARDY OF SETTING AN  
ALL-TIME (ANY DAY OF THE YEAR) RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE.  
THE RECORD TO BEAT IS 73F. AS OF 250AM, THE LOW IN CARIBOU IS  
76F AND WE COULD STAY ABOVE 73F THE REST OF THE NIGHT, PLUS  
IT'S DOUBTFUL IT'LL DROP BELOW 73F BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.  
SOMETHING TO WATCH.  
 
HOT AGAIN FRIDAY, THOUGH EVER SO SLIGHTLY NOT QUITE AS HOT AS  
THURSDAY NORTH OF BANGOR. THAT SAID, TRENDED HIGH TEMPERATURES  
UP A TOUCH IN THE NORTH. ALONG THE COAST, FRIDAY SHOULD ACTUALLY  
BE THE WARMEST DAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 90S ALL THE WAY TO THE  
IMMEDIATE COAST. THE DECENT WESTERLY BREEZE WITH A SLIGHT  
OFFSHORE COMPONENT WILL LIMIT AND COOLING INFLUENCE FROM THE  
GULF OF MAINE. STILL QUITE MUGGY, BUT DEWPOINTS FALLING INTO THE  
MID 60S IN THE AFTERNOON SHOULD KEEP MOST PLACES AT HEAT  
ADVISORY CRITERIA RATHER THAN EXTREME HEAT CRITERIA.  
 
TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL BE LOWER SATURDAY BEHIND A COLD  
FRONT. EVEN STILL, HEAT INDICES WILL REACH THE UPPER 80S AND  
POSSIBLY LOW 90S OVER THE BANGOR AND DOWNEAST REGIONS WHICH,  
WHILE BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA, STILL WARRANTS CONCERNS OVER HEAT  
RISK DURING THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HEAT INDICES FALL A BIT MORE  
INTO SUNDAY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS EVENING  
THROUGH SATURDAY. A CONDITIONAL THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS EXISTS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2 DESCRIPTION...  
WE HAVE MIRACULOUSLY DODGED ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE  
PAST FEW DAYS. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO  
BOTH OUR NORTH AND TO OUR SOUTHWEST, SHOWCASING THE VOLATILITY  
OF THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION. THIS SETUP WITH HOT, HUMID AIR  
ON THE NORTH EDGE OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS TYPICALLY A VERY  
GOOD SETUP FOR SEVERE STORMS HERE, BUT WE HAVE JUST BARELY BEEN  
CAPPED SO FAR AND LACKING THE SLIGHTEST TRIGGER TO IGNITE  
STORMS. FOR TODAY INTO THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  
STORMS IN THE FORECAST. ODDS FAVOR THE CAP PERSISTING FOR MOST  
AREAS, BUT IF THE CAP BREAKS EITHER OVER OUR AREA OR A BIT TO  
OUR WEST AND STORMS MOVE IN, SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE. BUT  
FEEL THAT THIS IS UNLIKELY AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF PLACES WILL  
STAY DRY. THE INSTABILITY (CAPE) IN LAST NIGHT'S 0Z SOUNDING  
FROM CARIBOU HAD 2877 J/KG, WHICH IS THE 2ND HIGHEST FOR ANY 0Z  
SOUNDING ON RECORD FOR CARIBOU. BUT THERE WAS ALSO A LITTLE  
CONVECTIVE INHIBITION (CIN), MEANING ALL THAT WAS WASTED WITH NO  
TRIGGER TO IGNITE STORMS.  
 
FOR LATE FRIDAY, THE BEST THREAT OF STORMS SEEMS TO BE IN THE  
NORTH AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT, WHICH COULD ACTUALLY  
PROVIDE A TRIGGER FINALLY FROM SOME STORMS. CAN'T RULE OUT A  
SEVERE STORM OR TWO WITH WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT, BUT THE  
INSTABILITY BY FRIDAY WON'T BE AS GREAT AS IT HAS BEEN OR AS  
GREAT AS THURSDAY. THAT SAID, THE INSTABILITY THAT WE DO HAVE  
WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT ACTUALLY BEING REALIZED AND HAVING  
A TRIGGER.  
 
COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY, WHICH COULD  
PROVIDE SOME LIFT FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. KEPT THUNDERSTORM  
POTENTIAL AT A SLIGHT CHANCE, AS MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND  
SHEAR ARE MEDIOCRE. INCREASING TREND IN SOME OF THE REGIONAL  
MODELS FOR SOME RAIN SHOWERS ALONG THE FRONT, BUT NOT  
ANTICIPATING ANYTHING MORE THAN A FEW ISOLATED STORMS SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
TODAY...EARLY MORNING IFR FROM FOG APPEARS TO LIMITED TO COASTAL  
WASHINGTON COUNTY EAST OF BHB, WITH THE ENTIRE AREA STARTING  
OUT THE DAY VFR. VERY LIKELY REMAINING VFR THROUGH THE DAY  
TODAY. CAN'T TOTALLY RULE OUT A LATE AFTERNOON STORM, BUT IF  
THEY DO OCCUR, THEY WILL BE VERY ISOLATED. W WIND INCREASING TO  
10 KTS THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
TONIGHT...MAINLY VFR, THOUGH CAN'T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED EVENING  
STORM OR LATE NIGHT PATCHY FOG. W/SW WIND 5 KTS.  
 
FRIDAY...MAINLY VFR. CHANCE OF STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON MAINLY  
AROOSTOOK COUNTY. W WIND INCREASING TO 10-15 KTS IN THE  
AFTERNOON.  
 
FRIDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY...MAINLY VFR, BECOMING MVFR IN LIGHT RAIN  
SHOWERS, AND A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON. W WINDS GUSTING TO 15-20KT POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT  
INTO SATURDAY, BECOMING NW SATURDAY EVENING.  
 
SATURDAY NIGHT-SUNDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH LIGHT NW WINDS AROUND  
5KT.  
 
MONDAY...MAINLY VFR. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
CONDITIONS BELOW SCA CRITERIA THROUGH MONDAY. SEAS GENERALLY  
AROUND 2-4FT THROUGH MONDAY. SOME FOG IN THE WATERS THIS  
MORNING, BUT DIMINISHING LATER TODAY AND STAYING MOSTLY FREE OF  
FOG INTO THE WEEKEND. W/SW WINDS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT, SHIFTING  
NW BY SATURDAY NIGHT, SHIFTING S BY SUNDAY.  
 

 
   
CAR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
ME...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING  
FOR MEZ002.  
HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR  
MEZ005-006-011-015>017-029>032.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...ASB/TF  
AVIATION...ASB/TF  
 
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