Are Mainers Buttercups? (Portland, Caribou, Lincoln: home, live in, centers)

[Bliss2424]

I've been doing a lot of research on Maine. In reading the thru these threads on Maine, I began to wonder about these "horribly cold and dark" winters people wrote about. I decided to compare it to my hometown.

Lincoln Nebraska

Hot season: 3.6 months (May 29 - Sept 18)
Avg # days since 2010 above 90°F: 55
Avg annual days with heat index above 90°F: 108
Avg heat index days above 100°F: 32.4

Cold season: 3 months (Nov 26 - Feb 27)
Avg coldest winter day: 17°F low - 36°F high
Avg days nighttime low below freezing: 141.2
Avg # days below zero: 9
Avg annual snowfall: 25.6"

Avg windchill effect on winter temps: -10°F to -12°F
(so an average 36°F day feels like 24°F and frequently
cooler than this with stronger winds - a huge factor in
the absence of trees on the plains)

Daylight Hours:

Dec 21st
7:47am to 5:02 pm (9hr 14m).
+ 18 minutes, skews later

June 21st
5:55am to 9:01pm (15hr 6m)
-20 minutes, skews later

Portland Maine

Hot season: 3.4 months (Jun 5 - Sept 17)
Avg # days over 90°F: 3.8

Cold season: 3.4 months (Dec 4-Mar 14)
Avg coldest winter day: 16°F low - 32°F high
Avg days nighttime low below freezing: 142
Avg # days below zero: 12.2
Avg annual snowfall: 61"

Dec 21st
7:12 to 4:09 (8hr 56m)
- 18 minutes, skews earlier

June 21st
4:59am to 8:26pm (15hrs 26m)
+20 minutes, skews earlier

I was surprised to find that there must be an awful lot of exaggeration going on about Maine. Nebraska not only has an additional 3.5 months of oppressive heat each year with significant impacts from the heat index but also is frequently colder in winter with windchill's and just as long, but with about half the amount of snow. Could the extra snow make that much difference? Oddly, you don't hear a lot of people complaining that they cant live in Nebraska because of the horrible weather.

I also found that the amount of daylight time is not very significant. I did not include the stats, but both areas have equal amounts of cloudy skies. Is it possible Maine may feel darker because of the timing of light during the day? So whats up with all the complaining?

[svband76]

I wouldn't have chosen Portland as the representative city for Maine weather. It's practically in New Hampshire.

[Bliss2424]

My research of Maine began because of a possible relo to a branch office in Portland, so I was interested in the direct comparison there. But also, I suppose an argument could be made that it makes the most sense as it is the most densly populated area of Maine, much like Lincoln is located in the far Southeast corner of Nebraska, a state twice as large as Maine if I am not mistaken.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Bliss2424

I've been doing a lot of research on Maine. In reading the thru these threads on Maine, I began to wonder about these "horribly cold and dark" winters people wrote about. I decided to compare it to my hometown.

Lincoln Nebraska

Hot season: 3.6 months (May 29 - Sept 18)
Avg # days since 2010 above 90°F: 55
Avg annual days with heat index above 90°F: 108
Avg heat index days above 100°F: 32.4

Cold season: 3 months (Nov 26 - Feb 27)
Avg coldest winter day: 17°F low - 36°F high
Avg days nighttime low below freezing: 141.2
Avg # days below zero: 9
Avg annual snowfall: 25.6"

Avg windchill effect on winter temps: -10°F to -12°F
(so an average 36°F day feels like 24°F and frequently
cooler than this with stronger winds - a huge factor in
the absence of trees on the plains)

Daylight Hours:

Dec 21st
7:47am to 5:02 pm (9hr 14m).
+ 18 minutes, skews later

June 21st
5:55am to 9:01pm (15hr 6m)
-20 minutes, skews later

Portland Maine

Hot season: 3.4 months (Jun 5 - Sept 17)
Avg # days over 90°F: 3.8

Cold season: 3.4 months (Dec 4-Mar 14)
Avg coldest winter day: 16°F low - 32°F high
Avg days nighttime low below freezing: 142
Avg # days below zero: 12.2
Avg annual snowfall: 61"

Dec 21st
7:12 to 4:09 (8hr 56m)
- 18 minutes, skews earlier

June 21st
4:59am to 8:26pm (15hrs 26m)
+20 minutes, skews earlier

I was surprised to find that there must be an awful lot of exaggeration going on about Maine. Nebraska not only has an additional 3.5 months of oppressive heat each year with significant impacts from the heat index but also is frequently colder in winter with windchill's and just as long, but with about half the amount of snow. Could the extra snow make that much difference? Oddly, you don't hear a lot of people complaining that they cant live in Nebraska because of the horrible weather.

I also found that the amount of daylight time is not very significant. I did not include the stats, but both areas have equal amounts of cloudy skies. Is it possible Maine may feel darker because of the timing of light during the day? So whats up with all the complaining?

200 inches of snow where I live, back in 2007/2008. (160 last winter.)
lol

[Kiwiluver]

If you ever watch the weather in the winter usually International Falls, Minnesota and Caribou, Maine are the two coldest spots in the lower 48. It is antadotal information, not researched like your informative information. I am not from Maine, but I live there a great deal of the year. I have yet to meet any buttercups, but my home is not in Portland.

[hancox17]

Go up to Aroostook County if you want to know about the "horribly cold and dark winters." As a previous poster said, Portland is practically New Hampshire. I have been going to Maine my entire life and have yet to meet a "buttercup".

[Mark S.]

I love Maine winters. People who don't are free to move to Florida.

[Veritas Vincit]

I wouldn’t live in Nebraska or Maine because of the cold. So I guess that kinda ruins your premise.

[maineguy8888]

I can't stand the heat........we get up into the mid-90s, way up here in northern Maine. And that is definitely too hot for me. (Thank God it only happens once or twice a year.....)

[Bliss2424]

Aside from the fact that other parts of Maine get A LOT more snow, as Maineguy8888 pointed out, I happened upon another stat that might help explain why Maine gets a bad rap.

"North Dakota tops the list of coldest states in winter and fall, based on state-wide average temperatures. During spring, Maine is coldest...Some states are among the ten coldest states year round. Consistently cold throughout the year are Maine, Vermont, Montana and Wyoming."

"It is because Minnesota and North Dakota get so exceptionally cold in winter, that they place just behind Alaska for the lowest annual average temperature. The north-central states have temperatures in December and January that average about six degrees Fahrenheit (3 °C) below those of the next chilliest states."

"For coldest weather, Minneapolis tops the list of America's 51 largest urban centers. The metropolitan region, which also takes in St Paul, Minnesota, has the most days a year of below-zero weather and the lowest average annual temperature. The next coldest city, Milwaukee, lags a long ways behind Minneapolis on all measures. The only city to surpass Minneapolis in cold is Denver, which averages ten more days a year of freezing weather. But Denver has far fewer days of extreme cold, and has a much higher mean temperature."

I wonder if Maine feels so "wintery" because it also has the coldest spring, and doesn't exactly have a "hot" summer? Maybe winter feels like it goes on forever when it doesn't warm up as quickly in the spring? Of course... you can add in the mountains of snow!

I can attest that Minnesota gets COLD. Very cold. In fact, the coldest place in the US lower 48 (not at high elevation) is Embarrass, Minnesota, a rural center north of Duluth in St Louis County, near Lake Vermilion. In fact all places but one among the coldest 20 are at high elevations, and Embarrass isn't even last on that list!