Was 2024 the Hottest Maine Summer on Record?

If you felt like you were melting into the pavement more than usual this summer, you're not alone... we had some hot ones. Summer 2024 brought the heat.  Remember that early July stretch? When we all went to purchase additonal ACs because the ones in the bedrooms weren't cutting it?

Labor Day may marked the unofficial end of summer, and apparently that's the end of the meteorological summer as well. It certainly felt like a hot one, but was it the hottest Maine summer on record? Pretty close.

According to New Center Maine, Portland just had its second warmest summer on record, with an average temp of 69.1 degrees. That is 1.1 degrees above normal which doesn't sound like it would even tip the scale one way or the other but when you look at the graph, four out of the top five warmest summers have hit in the last seven years.

Also clocking in its second warmest summer was Bangor. Both cities were sweating it out and News Center Maine said the reason behind this was the ridge of high pressure that just wouldn’t quit. The jet stream decided to hang out around the Canadian border, letting all of that hot air settle in on Maine. I know, technical meteroligical stuff that might be difficult to understand but I dumbed it down the best that I could.

There were definitely those days, especially in July, where all we wanted to do was be locked in a room with AC, but I gotta say, I feel like I heard less complaining about the humidity this summer than I would have expected. I also feel like this has a lot to do with the summer of 2023 -- or whatever you want to call that.

But hey, if you’re like me and still clinging to those last warm days, there’s potential good news. Summer is still technically here until September 22, and News Center Maine says the fall forecast is expected to give us above average temperatures. Beach days and backyard BBQs aren't over yet.