Maine Could See a Fall Heat Wave to Welcome October

After a topsy-turvy summer in Maine gave us too many rainy days, too much humidity, and not enough stretches of sun, fall in Maine has been far more predictable.

September has been par for the course, with moderately warm days, chilly evenings, and the kind of weather that is perfect to mix and match your comfy flannel and big socks.

But if you thought Mother Nature was going to stop surprisingly us all, think again. Because forecasting models are aligning and suggesting Maine could see a fall heat wave just as the calendar flips to October.

if you've put away those short-sleeved shirts and shorts for the year, you may want to pull them out of storage. If the forecasted pattern for Maine holds over the next few days, the first week of October could be filled with 80 degree days for almost the entire state.

That would be a blistering difference from where Maine normally sits at the beginning of October. Typically, Maine averages 58 to 64 as a high temperature. From Sunday through Friday of next week, high temperatures could sit between 72 and 82.

The potential for a rare October heat wave is thanks in part to the ongoing El Niño affect. El Niño can dramatically change the weather patterns for entire regions for months on end.

According to SkiMag, an El Niño happens when sea-surface temperatures rise a half-degree from the month prior for five consecutive, three-month periods. El Niño kicked in this past spring, and forecasters believe it will stick around through the upcoming winter. It's led the National Weather Service to warn about a potential warm winter for the northeast.

Maybe you've got one more beach day left for 2023 after all. Don't forget your sunscreen.