WEATHER WISE INFO

COMPILED NEAR THE SHORES OF SEBAGO**

WINTER REVIEW 99/00_________________SEBAGO,ME

IT WAS A SLOW START TO WINTER. WE HAD VERY LITTLE SNOW UNTIL MID JANUARY.

OUR REAL FIRST WIDESPREAD SNOW WAS ON JAN. 16TH WHEN WE RECEIVED 6".

OUR BIGGEST SNOW STORM CAME ON FEB. 18TH & 19TH WHEN WE RECEIVED 10" SNOW.

SEBAGO LAKE REVIEW

THE MAIN BAY OF SEBAGO DID FREEZE THIS SEASON. (UNLIKE LAST YEAR).

AT IT'S PEAK, THE ICE GATHERED 10" THICK IN MANY AREAS.

THIS IS STILL MUCH LESS THAN OTHER YEARS WHEN 15-18" WERE COMMON.

WE HAD LESS COLD & SNOW TO START OFF THE SEASON.

THE QUESTION IS ASKED: WHY DID THE BAY FREEZE THIS YEAR AND NOT LAST?

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE BUT INVOLVES MORE THAN ONE CONDITIONS.

THE BAY NEEDS TO HAVE A PERIOD OF COLD WEATHER.

SNOW DOES HELP TO COOL IT OFF (BUT CAN FREEZE ON VERY LITTLE).

THE WIND MUST BE CALM.

THE LAST CONDITION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

WHILE COLD & SNOW WILL HELP TO COOL THE BAY OFF:

IF THE WIND IS NOT STILL, NO ICE WILL FORM.

I LOOKED AT THE RECORDS FROM LAST YEAR.

FROM NOVEMBER' 98 UP TO JANUARY 23RD '99 WE RECEIVED 23" SNOW.

THEN I LOOKED AT THIS YEAR.

FROM NOVEMBER' 99 TO JANUARY 23RD ' 00 WE RECEIVED ONLY 7.8" SNOW.

YET, THE LAKE STARTED THE FREEZING PROCESS ON THE 23RD OF THIS YEAR.

WHILE LAST YEAR THE MAIN BAY DID NOT CATCH.

DESPITE THE LACK OF SNOW, THE BAY FOUND A CALM, COLD FEW DAYS

AND BY THE END OF JANUARY, THE BAY WAS ALL SEALED UP FOR THIS SEASON.********.

EVERY WINTER WE NOTICE BORDERLINE STORMS.

ON THE 11TH OF FEB., WE RECEIVED 3" OF MOSTLY SNOW.

WHILE OTHER PARTS OF THE LAKE GOT 1-2" THEN A COATING OF FREEZING RAIN.

THE LINE DIVIDING THE MIX FROM THE SNOW WAS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF SEBAGO LAKE.

PLACES LIKE WINHAM, GORHAM DID TURN OVER TO FREEZING RAIN.

WHILE SEBAGO & NAPLES RECEIVED MOSTLY SNOW .

I CALL THESE STORMS,"BORDERLINE".

AND AGAIN, SEBAGO LAKE IS THE CENTER OF THIS BORDERLINE.

SNOW DEPTH

THE MAX SNOW DEPTH WAS 32" ON FEBRUARY 19TH.

IN CONTRAST, IT HIT 60F ON DOUGLAS MT ON THE 27TH OF FEB..

THIS WINTER SEEM TO GET A SLOW START THEN WE HAD AN EARLY TASTE OF SPRING.

ICE OUT!

IT IS RARE THAT I CAN TALK ABOUT ICE OUT IN THE WINTER REVIEW.

THE WARM WEATHER DID MELT THE ICE AND A BIG RAIN STORM CLEARED THE BAY ON MARCH 29TH.

A MORE NORMAL DATE FOR THE MAIN BAY WOULD BE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL.

DECEMBER '99 REVIEW
MEAN HI=38 F
MEAN LO=22.8 F
AVERAGE=30.4 F
PRECIP.= 1.51"
SNOW= TRACE
WARMEST= 51 F ON THE 5TH
COLDEST = 2 F ON THE 28TH

JANUARY ' 00 REVIEW
MEAN HI= 28.9 F
MEAN LO= 9.8 F
MONTHLY MEAN= 19.3 F
PRECIP.= 4.6"
SNOWFALL= 20.9"
WARMEST= 56 F ON THE 3RD
COLDEST= - 16 ON THE 23RD

FEBRUARY ' 00 REVIEW
MEAN HI= 33.8 F
MEAN LO=14.2 F
MONTHLY MEAN =24 F
PRECIP.=3.24"
SNOW=23.4"
HIGH= 51F ON THE 23RD
LOW= - 8 ON THE 18TH

MARCH ' 00 REVIEW
Mean hi=47.6 F
Mean lo= 27.0 F
Monthly mean=37.3 F
Snow=12.3"
Precip=4.53"
Warmest=62 F ON THE 26TH
Coldest= 8 F ON THE 18TH

'99-00________SNOW_______'98-99

57"______________________69"

'99-00________MELTED PRECIP___'98-99

13.88"______________________18.45"

'99-00________AVERAGE TEMP.___'98-99

27.7 DEG_____________________27.3 DEG

THE WINTER STARTED LATE AND ENDED UP WITH THE WARMEST MARCH

SINCE I STARTED KEEPING RECORDS BACK IN '87.

**********************

NOTE: SNOWFALL TOTAL IS FROM NOVEMBER- MARCH.

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REFLECTIONS

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